LS swapped ICON 4x4 Old School series gives '72 Toyota Land Cruiser new life

Restomod

Photo courtesy of ICON

What started as a 1972 Toyota Land Cruiser has become an ICON 4x4 FJ44, a model that preserves the original aesthetic of the square-bodied Land Cruiser while upgrading its performance, safety, emissions, features, and appointments. The result is a luxury-level go-anywhere runabout.

"Our Old School Edition builds present a unique aesthetic that many of our clients really respond strongly to these days," comments ICON Founder and CEO Jonathan Ward. "With people spending a lot more time close to home, a lot of our owners are taking more time to adventure in our vehicles, which really resonates with us. Transportation has always presented the prospect of freedom, and seeing our trucks come off the line and hearing these fantastic stories about how they are being used has been incredibly rewarding. Taking a truck like this 1972 rig, restoring, rebuilding it, and then releasing it back into the wild to be used as it was intended is what ICON 4x4 is all about."

ICON Old School FJ44: 1972 Toyota Land Cruiser restomod

Photo courtesy of ICON

The aluminum body of the four-door truck has been powder-coated a Eucalyptus Green color. Its exterior components have had their shine restored.

The model is powered by General Motors 6.2-liter LS generation V8 that can produce 430 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired with an Asian Warner AX15 five-speed manual transmission and an Atlas II two-speed transfer case.

There's Dynatrac Dana 44 axles up front and Dana 60s at the rear. It rides on a Fox Racing coil-over sport suspension and has stopped power provided courtesy of Brembo Sport Brakes. BF Goodrich all-terrain 285/65/18 tires are mounted on forged aluminum wheels of ICON's own design.

ICON has customized the interior of the model to include a NEX 8600 multimedia system, a rearview camera, Apple CarPlay, navigation, Bluetooth, and Focal K2 speakers. Machined aluminum interior trim outlines the FJ44's door map pockets, dash panels, knobs, seat hardware, and parking brake handle. The model's four bucket seats are an improvement over the original equipment. Two jump seats were added to the rear of the vehicle as an homage to the original.

A seven-layer insulated gray canvas soft top roof works to keep sunshine and sound at bay.

The starting price of ICON 4x4 Old School Edition series vehicle is $237,000

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Photo courtesy of Icon 4x4

Icon 4x4 gives 1970 Ford F100 a potent power boost, makes it just modern enough

Reimagined

Los Angeles-based Icon 4x4 has launched the next model in its Reformer series, a reimagined version of the 1970 Ford F100 short bed pickup truck. The fresh model combines classic styling with modern engineering. In the end, it's a thoughtful redo rather than just a well-financed restomod.

"At Icon 4x4, our Reformer series is a distinctly unique approach to classic restoration, and this new 1970 Ford Ranger is a perfect example of how we work with clients to completely reimagine trucks like these on every level," said Jonathan Ward, Lead Designer and Founder of Icon 4x4. "What we're doing is rewriting history to a certain extent by creating a bespoke truck that can serve as a daily driver with timeless style, modern engineering, and none of the sacrifices commonly associated with conventional restorations."

The model keeps its original paint color.Photo courtesy of Icon 4x4

Icon starts out every job by completing a series of renderings that show off the vehicle's various angles. From there, their in-house engineering and design teams develop a full CAD model and complete with specifics about wiring and other details that make the vehicle complete. At long last, the build process can begin.

This particular truck was found on Craigslist wearing its original paint and interior. Icon 4x4's client didn't always want a Reformer but, as these things go, after putting on a few miles the truck pre-restoration, he fell in love and decided that he wanted to maintain much of the original character of the truck.

To protect the exterior, Icon 4x4 coated the Ranger's floorboards with a polyurea floor surface coating, and every body panel was powder coated prior to paint for enhanced corrosion protection. It wears stock colors that have been given a thorough refresh. Most of the trim is original though where it used to say "Sport Custom" in script on the bed, it now says "Icon Custom".

Below its hood is a 426-horsepower Ford 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine. That's paired with a Ford four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.

There's a four-link rear suspension system and at the front are radius arms. Eibach coil springs and Fox shocks were added to improve drive handling and comfort.

Icon Reformer Ford Bumpside F100 4x4

Photo courtesy of Icon 4x4

It has a twin-stick Advance Adapters Atlas II transfer case and PSC power steering underneath. The 18-inch forged aluminum wheels are attached to Dynatrac ProRock axles, a 44 up front and a 60 in the back. The wheels were inspired by the truck's original steelies, complete with vintage hubcaps. It rides on BFGoodrich all-terrain tires.

Icon n4x4 engineered a hydroboosted sport brake system with Brembo specifically for the model, which includes large rotors and calipers.

All the new parts give the vehicle the biggest change in ride and drive quality of any vehicle Icon has ever produced.

The inside of the truck has gotten just as much of an upgrade. It features a new digital gauges, a Vintage Air Gen IV climate control system, and bespoke chrome aluminum knobs and bezels. There's also Icon brand badging throughout. Icon did not install power windows, at the request of the owner.

The cabin is appointed with Maharam textiles and leather by Relicate that is designed to match the truck's factory vinyl. All materials have been hand-sewn by Icon 4x4.

Before it is ready to be handed off, Icon 4x4's team test drives the car 2,000 to 3,000 miles in a variety of environments to ensure it's ready to go.

Icon says that in most cases, their Reformer models retain the title year and legal entity of the donor vehicle.

Check out this in-depth look at the truck from the Icon 4x4 team:

BEHOLD! The ICON Reformer Ford Bumpside F100 4x4 in 4Kwww.youtube.com

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2023 Nissan Leaf pricing announced

Updated EV

Nissan is nearing the release of the Ariya, its first new EV in several years. Even so, the brand hasn't forgotten about its first mass-market EV, the Leaf. It was an early entrant in the space, and has been an efficient, affordable, commuter car for over a decade. The car got a mild facelift for 2023, with updated wheels and exterior styling accents. Today, Nissan announced pricing for the Leaf, which starts at just under $29,000.

2023 Nissan Leaf The Leaf feels lively, despite middling power numbers.Nissan

The base Leaf comes with a 40-kWh battery capable of delivering a 149-mile range. Its 110-kW electric motor produces 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The Leaf SV Plus features a 60-kWh battery for a range of 212 miles. It comes with a 160-kW motor that makes 214 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. Nissan backs all Leaf models with an eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty.

ProPilot Assist comes standard for the Leaf SV Plus, and brings a full suite of advanced driver aids that include adaptive cruise control, driver alertness features, and a surround-view monitor. All Leaf models get Nissan Safety Shield 360, which includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warnings, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts, automatic high beams, and rear automatic braking.

2023 Nissan Leaf The Leaf SV Plus offers up to 212 miles of range.Nissan

The new Leaf starts at $28,895, which includes a $1,095 destination charge. The Leaf SV Plus starts at $36,895. The 2023 Nissan Leaf is on sale now, and may be eligible for federal tax credits of up to $7,500. Depending on where you live, you may also be able to receive a state tax credit or other incentives.

2022 Nissan Altima: Three things to know

Comfortable midsize sedan

The Nissan Altima may not get the attention or the praise that the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord get, but it's a solid entry in an ultra-competitive segment. It's also one of few options in its class with available all-wheel drive. We spent a week with the 2022 Nissan Altima SR Midnight Edition with AWD and came away from the experience impressed. Here are three things to know about the car.

The 2022 Nissan Altima is a Good Value

With a starting price in the mid-$20,000 range and available all-wheel drive, it's hard to complain about value here. The Altima is still reasonably priced at the top end, where it maxes out at around $35,000 before options and fees. That's a great value for a spacious, comfortable car like the Altima, and with all-wheel drive it's a great all-weather commuter.

2022 Nissan Altima Nissan offers the Altima in several configurations.Nissan

2022 Altima Interior Space and Comfort are Generous

It's easy to ignore Nissan's Zero Gravity seats as another marketing buzzword, but they are legitimately comfortable and supportive in a way that not many others are. Available leather upholstery and contrast stitching give the interior an upscale feel, but even lower trims' cloth upholstery feels nice and works well from a visual standpoint. Up front, there's room for both passengers to stretch out, and the driver won't feel cramped on leg or headroom. Back-seat passengers get a similar treatment, as there's plenty of space for adults and kids. Parents will find an easy time loading and unloading car seats as well.

2023 Nissan Altima The Altima gets an update for 2023 with fresh styling and more tech.Nissan

The 2023 Nissan Altima Gets an Update

Nissan is refreshing the Altima for 2023 with a facelift, new tech, and better safety features. The new car will go on sale in the fall of 2022 and will come in several trims, including one with Nissan's truck VC-Turbo engine. The Altima's most noticeable update will be its front fascia, which is all-new for 2023. Nissan gives the car a fresh grille design that varies depending on the trim, and LED headlights will be standard. Nissan Safety Shield 360 is standard, and the Altima is available with all-wheel drive, ProPilot Assist, and more.

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