Before Top Gear set about killing the Toyota Hilux or taking it to the North Pole or to an erupting Volcano, even Toyota had no idea how capable their pickup truck is! But now that it has gained a fame for being literally invincible, they decided to have a crack at it themselves. So earlier this year they send four Hilux on a mission, to conquer Antarctica.

The challenge began on 10th November, when four specially prepared Hilux began a journey across the coldest, most hostile environment in the world, Antarctica, to reach the South Pole, carrying expedition members of the Indian National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), and ended safely on 5th December.

The car were of course heavily modified for the job, adapted by Icelandic Toyota 4×4 conversion specialists, Arctic Trucks, for the month-long expedition. But their 3.0 D-4D diesel engine remained entirely unchanged further approving the Hilux’s legendary Quality, Durability and Reliability.

Astonishingly, the Hilux even delivered lower fuel consumption and higher average speed than any equivalent Antarctic vehicle.

Necessary modifications made by Arctic trucks included the integration of a crane to lift heavy equipment and fuel, the use of Jet 1A fuel with additional lubricants to tackle the extreme cold, revised front/rear suspension and drivetrain, extra heating system, crawler gears, crevasse protection and the fitment of extra large tires with a pressure as low as 2 psi (regular Hilux tyres have a pressure of 2.9 psi).