The Complete Guide to LandCruiser 70 Series Tuning and Performance Upgrades

Unlock More from Your 70 Series

The 70 Series is powered by the same 1VD-FTV V8 Diesel engine found in the Landcruiser 200-Series, but it makes do with a single-turbo arrangement rather than the 200-Series’ twin-turbo setup. It also retains an engine bay-mounted air-to-air intercooler, which can suffer from heat soak in high-load, low-speed conditions. 

The 70 series is further hamstrung by a very conservative ECU calibration, a restrictive exhaust system, a restrictive snorkel head and if that’s not enough, the clutch is on the limit with the vehicles standard 151kw and 430nm. These limitations give us plenty to improve, and our staged package program takes the guesswork out of the process by clearly outlining the steps needed to help the single-turbo V8 perform as it should.

Legendary Toughness

Toyota’s are known for their legendary toughness but sadly, this does not extend to the factory clutch and it quickly exists the chat once the word ‘ECU remap’ is even mentioned. Unfortunately, this is true for all V8 models of this truck, right up to 2025, and, there is no way around this, the clutch has to go. The upside is that we install a heavy duty clutch that still drives like new, arguably, better than new. And if you want to turn this platform up to 11, we have a clutch for that too.

Improved Efficiency

As one of Australia’s most commonly tuned 4x4 vehicles, the 70-Series is supported by a strong aftermarket full of components designed to improve the platform’s efficiency. HPF is quick to leverage its partnerships with some of Australia’s best vehicle component manufacturers to address the key restrictions in the 70-Series. Our staged packages tackle these limitations strategically, starting with our Stage 1 package, which adds 35% more power and a massive 50% more torque. As impressive as these figures are, driving the Cruiser after the upgrade makes the difference even clearer. In reality, this brings the single-turbo 1VD-FTV broadly in line with the standard output of its twin-turbo sibling in the 200-Series, so you can be confident the engine remains well within its limits. This is just the start of the performance upgrades for the legendary 70-series, looking for well over 400hp and 1000nm? We can do that... 

Heat Management

The 70 Series shares the 200-Series’ under-bonnet air-to-air intercooler layout, which is practical from a packaging point of view but not ideal when the vehicle is working hard. In slow-speed, high-load situations, airflow through the intercooler core is limited and intake temperatures can climb quickly, prompting the ECU to reduce power to protect the engine. Simply fitting a larger intercooler does not fully solve the problem if there is still not enough air moving across it. To address this properly, HPF uses a Gturbo-supplied intercooler fan and shroud kit with a plug-and-play control module that monitors intercooler temperature and switches the fans on when required. By actively drawing air through the core regardless of vehicle speed, the system helps maintain consistent cooling under load and has been shown to return intercooler temperatures to ambient more than twice as fast as competing fan kits.

ECU Calibration

In standard form, the single turbo 1VD-FTV has plenty of performance left on the table and compared to the 200-series the 70-series calibration is even more detuned. With a free-flowing snorkel head and carefully developed calibration alone, HPF can reliably lift peak engine power by 25% and torque by around 40%. The next step is to add a free-flowing exhaust system and that’s where our calibrators can dial in even more and then you’re looking at around +30% power, +50% torque! For customers chasing an even more serious result, the next step is to improve airflow and fuel delivery with higher-flowing injectors, larger exhaust upgrades and turbocharger options. With the right supporting hardware in place, our calibrators can unlock more than 100% extra power and torque over standard! 

We achieve this without any intrusive wiring, cutting, or hardware modifications. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience with Toyota’s latest platforms, we calibrate to proven safe limits for fuel, boost pressure, and engine parameters. Power is simply the result — never the starting point. 
No two vehicles are the same. Every HPF tune is custom calibrated on the dyno to suit your specific Landcruiser, its supporting modifications and your intended use.
 

70 Series Upgrade Links

70 Series | ECU Remap

70 Series MY2007- AUG2016 | Performance Packages

70 Series MY2016 On | Performance Packages

70 Series | Service

PLEASE NOTE : The Horsepower Factory (HPF) has no affiliation with Toyota and service offered by our company may impact on your vehicle manufacturer warranty as well as the fuel efficiency and emissions of your vehicle.