Does Toyota’s CALTY Land Cruiser ‘ROX’ Look Like a Pontiac Aztek?

• Toyota reveals the second of 10 concepts it will show at SEMA, the Land Cruiser-based ‘ROX,’ or ‘Recreation Open eXperience.’

• Toyota’s CALTY Design Center “reinvented” more than 50% of the Land Cruiser, especially at the back half, to make the ROX.

• Look for it and nine other concepts at the SEMA show next week.

The second of 10 (10!) concepts Toyota will dribble out in the days before and during SEMA is this, the Land Cruiser ‘ROX,’ or ‘Recreation Open eXperience.’ What is a ROX?

“The… Land Cruiser ROX is a bold reimagining of the iconic open-air, open-top Land Cruiser models of the past, designed for modern outdoor adventures,” Toyota said in describing the concept.

It’s a more interesting application of ROX than the Echo Roxy Edition of 2001, where Toyota tried to make that bland underpowered super-subcompact appealing by painting a blue wavy stripe along the side.

Based on a modern Land Cruiser 250, CALTY reimagined the ROX body with custom “skeleton” doors, a sliding soft top, and a functional mid-gate “for seamless integration with nature.”

Toyota says CALTY “reinvented” more than half the existing Land Cruiser to create this concept. That includes those custom body panels you see as well as an enhanced independent suspension for improved off-road capability.

And yet, from the side, the way the roofline slants down at the back, it has proportional similarities to the Pontiac Aztek, does it not?

But as soon as you circle around back you see that the whole thing is, indeed, open, creating that seamless integration with nature Toyota described (while allowing exhaust gasses into the passenger space).

“We asked ourselves how we could make an even more exciting experience for our Land Cruiser enthusiast but from a real product perspective,” said Kevin Hunter, president of CALTY Design Research.

“Using Land Cruiser 250 as a base, we modified the body to open it up, expanding the usability, functionality, and overall fun outdoor experience.”

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That could be fun, like a Jeep Wrangler-and-a-half with no roof. A functional mid-gate expands the utility of what has become, in this application, a pickup bed in the back.

The bed itself has what looks like a sprayed-in bed liner. Flip the tailgate down and there are two seats molded in for either tailgating or taking in nature in all its glory.

It’s not all looks, as the ROX gets a customized independent suspension by TRD, with a 4-inch lift and an eight-inch-wider track thanks to forged aluminum control arms front and rear, which widen the fender flares and provide a greater stroke range and what Toyota calls a broad, menacing stance.

It’s so cool we have to quote a marketing guy:

“This ambitious, one-of-a-kind build, is a testament to Toyota’s commitment to pushing boundaries while staying true to the spirit of adventure that the Land Cruiser embodies,” said Mike Tripp, group vice president, Toyota Division Marketing.

“The Land Cruiser ROX is a reminder of what Land Cruiser has always been, and an invitation to Land Cruiser fans who will appreciate experiencing the great outdoors in an entirely new way. We can’t wait to see how they react.”

Do you think Toyota should greenlight the Land Cruiser ROX for production, or a near facsimile? Please comment below.