Toyota Fortuner is often perceived as a luxury product. We will save the debate, of whether it is a luxury car or not, for another day. But one thing is undeniable. Fortuner has very soon established itself as a status symbol. Something that can be compared to Blackberry cell phones of the past.
Apart from being associated with politicians and VIPs, Fortuner is the top selling SUV in the segment. Despite being offered at a premium, Fortuner has been the go-to SUV for many. With bullet-proof reliability and resale value, Fortuner has been one of India’s most iconic SUVs.
Fortuner is a hot favourite among off-road enthusiasts too and due to its ladder-frame construction, is very modifiable. We have seen many builds based on Fortuner and taken off-road. Now, popular modder Hamer has gotten their hands on a Fortuner GR-Sports and transformed it into an extreme off-road-worthy machine. Let’s take a look.
Hamer is a well-known modder that works on OEM products and also after-sales. It is a company that has been operational since 1994. The company has worked on a lot of 4X4s like Ford Ranger, GWM Cannon, Nissan Patrol, Toyota Fortuner, RAM 1500, Isuzu MU-X and many more.
Australia-based modding company’s recent work is a Fortuner GR-Sports that can be simplified as “on steroids”. We say this because, umm, just look at the presence that it is commanding. The main modification that Hamer has done to radically enhance its presence is the lift kit, off-road bumper, snorkel, off-road wheels and luggage rack.
The vehicle is lifted considerably in contrast to a stock Fortuner. We can see significantly longer travel suspension, and sway bars that are suspending the body. The rigid axles at both ends are likely to be stock, though. It also gets off-road wheels and up-sized knobby off-road tyres that add a lot of muscle.
Suspension kits like this take the body extremely high and this increase in height doesn’t translate to an increase in ground clearance, proportionately. Sure, bigger wheels and tyres increase ground clearance by some margin. But the axle in the centre of the wheel track protrudes and eats into the ground clearance.
A portal axle is a logical solution where the axle is raised instead of the body. This increases ground clearance and boosts off-road prowess without limitations. If Mercedes-Benz can put portal axles on a family E-Class Estate, Fortuner is much more compatible.
Toyota Fortuner modified by Hamer gets a large snorkel that enhances water-wading ability, an off-road bumper that allows it to climb virtually anything without worrying about approach angles, a large roof rack and some more. Visually, Fortuner’s body is kept mostly unchanged too.
Pricing for the build is not known and the company has not revealed further details about its availability too. This might very well be the craziest custom work that a Toyota Fortuner has seen till now. In India, Toyota Fortuner rivals MG Gloster, Isuzu MU-X, Jeep Meridian, Mahindra Alturas G4 and the likes. This build seems to be commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Martos.