BUILDING A BETTER LUX

WE SPEND SOME TIME TOURING IN THE MARKS 4WD V8 HILUX AND COME AWAY WITH A HUGE SMILE ON OUR DIAL

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

IT’S been one of Australia’s bestselling vehicles for many years and with more than 50 years of heritage behind it, there are thousands of examples of the Toyota HiLux still working hard on our roads and tracks.

While Toyota Australia has introduced countless variants of the HiLux over the decades to sell in an ever-evolving ute market, one thing they have never offered is a V8-powered model. The HiLux has been driven by plenty of engines over its life – from sluggish naturally aspirated four-cylinder diesels to modern turbodiesels and even a supercharged petrol V6 in the TRD model, but never a V8 from the factory.

Something Australian motorists appreciate every bit as much as a tough, hard-working ute is a grunty V8 engine, so if you ever thought that a V8 HiLux would be the ultimate 4x4 ute for the Aussie market, you wouldn’t be the only one to think so.

Another classic Australian trait is when the automotive manufacturer doesn’t offer the model or variant that you want, there’ll be a tinkering fella in a shed somewhere that will build it for you.

Melbourne’s Marks 4WD is one such company that has been developing, manufacturing and selling engine conversion kits and parts for several decades to aid those folks looking for something extra from their 4x4 vehicle, and who want a leg up on a conversion. Marks was fitting V6 petrol engines into HiLux utes long before Toyota ever did, so it makes you wonder why it’s taken the company this long to develop a V8 conversion kit for the HiLux.