If you ask any fan about the best off-road vehicles in history, most will answer the Jeep or the Land Rover Defender. If you insist on trying a little harder, they might answer the Mercedes G. And if you insist more, the first Japanese one might appear, surely the Land Cruiser… What if I tell you that the best off-road vehicles in history are the Japanese? #cars #classiccars #off-road Become a member of this channel to enjoy advantages: / airtight garage And it is said that the Japanese began copying… and it is not true. Or rather, it is a “half-truth”. Because the complete truth is that they began copying and improving! Especially European and also American products. The honor of being the first off-road vehicle with the current criteria, the one that popularized the concept and made it universal, was the Jeep… that is undeniable. So Toyota, when it wanted to make an off-road vehicle, copied the Jeep… We told you about this in the monographic video we made entitled “Land Cruiser: Better than the original”. I love the Jeep Wrangler, the direct successor of the original Jeep, but I have a question for you: If you have to choose between a Wrangler and a Land Cruiser, which one would you choose? I have no doubts… In one way or another, all or almost all Japanese brands, at some point in their history, have had off-road vehicles, but four have managed to make iconic off-road models. These brands are four: Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki and Toyota. I can’t forget Isuzu or Daihatsu, Subaru, Honda, Infinity and Lexus, which have had off-road models or with certain off-road qualities, and two, Mazda and Acura, have not made any reference to this sector… now, by the way, in decline. The sector, not the brands. So we can’t expect them to do so in the future. In this video we tell you the story of how Japanese off-road vehicles were born. But now it’s time to talk about the “Magnificent Four” which for me would be the Mitsubishi Pajero-Montero, the Nissan Patrol, the Suzuki Jimny and the Toyota Land Cruiser. Mitsubishi Montero: Refined. The Pajero, called Montero in Spain for obvious reasons, was born in 1982 but in my case I got to know this model when the second generation arrived in Spain, born in 1991. What a beautiful car! But in addition to being beautiful and very well made, it was technically refined. For the first time it had a very sophisticated all-wheel drive called “Super Select” that, at low speed, could lock all the differentials. The suspensions were very efficient with a perfect combination between field and road. And as for engines… what engines! The 2.5 and 2.8 litre intercooled turbodiesels with 99 and 125 hp respectively, were wonderful. But what can we say about the V6! Its top-of-the-range version, with 24 valves and 3.5 liters, offered 208 hp and impeccable low-rev performance. Unfortunately, the Montero disappeared in 2021… what a shame! Nissan Patrol. A true luxury. This model was born in 1951, but when the Nissan Patrol began to be manufactured in Spain in 1983 in its third generation, the only reference we had for a TT car was the Santana, really, closer to the luxury of a truck or a tractor than to a touring car. The Patrol went very well in the countryside, but not as well as the Santana. But, off the field, even on roads, but especially on asphalt... it was another level. In terms of quality of finishes, sound, general quality and even equipment, we can speak of true luxury. It was never as refined as the Montero, but in return, it was cheaper. It has its own video entitled “Nissan Patrol: The car that changed the TT”. Suzuki Jimny. Nice and affordable. We also made a monographic video of the Jimny entitled “Suzuki Jimny, the myth is resurrected”. I couldn't decide to put just one adjective, because it seems relevant to me that the Suzuki has always been a much more modest car than the other Japanese ones, but also much more affordable. But I have always associated the Suzuki brand with nice cars, cars that “are liked” and I think that this is due, in large part, at least in Spain, to this model, which invented the “leisure” TT concept. Toyota Land Cruiser. Robustness. I do not declare myself a Toyota fan, because sometimes they have seemed to me to be cars with a certain lack of seduction capacity. Perhaps not a fan, but certainly an admirer, because it is a brand with clear ideas and that does things very well… as is the case with this model. This model was born in 1951 as a copy of the Jeep, but it has not stopped improving, seeking its own personality, it has stood out for its robustness, but also for being a model in certain versions almost luxury, but also suitable as a work model and even military. Oh! when things are done well, everyone, from the capricious wealthy to the military, is capable of appreciating it.