To the sound of much wailing and the wringing of hands, Toyota confirmed recently one of the worst-kept secrets in the Australian automotive industry, its long-serving turbo-diesel V8 was officially cancelled.
Even worse, its replacement was a 2.8-litre, turbocharged, four cylinder...oh, the inhumanity of it all, Toyota, how could you?
Adding insult to injury, the new engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, replacing the equally long-serving five-speed manual owners have been wrestling with for decades!
As part of the transition, Toyota gave us the last V8-powered 79 Series 'Cruiser, in this case a dual cab manual, in the ubiquitous Sand/Latte colour, and then followed that up with the first four-cylinder auto, a single cab 79, both with trayback bodies.
This allowed us to a an 'apples with apples' comparison, putting both to work towing our race car from Forest Hill to Mt Cotton and then back again, travelling the same roads under identical conditions.
Without a doubt, if you find yourself hankering for the 'good old days' of the 1980s, with rudimentary air conditioning, basic cruise control and handling and steering straight out of 'Back To The Future', the 79 is the one for you.
When a friend with a 1982 VH Commodore was chasing parts for his cabin ventilation system, I was only half-joking when I suggested he look behind the dash of the 79 Series...
Driving the V8 was like putting on an old pair of shoes, they were good once, but you quickly remembered why you bought a new pair.
There is no shortage of power, the torque reserves could be described as 'bottomless', the engine just keeps going.
The only problem is it likes the world to know how hard it is working, with a deafening combination of intake roar and exhaust bellow, drowning out conversations and the radio's two speakers.
Loaded with our dual axle trailer, car and assorted spares for the weekend, including a couple sets of wheels and tyres, the 'Cruiser certainly looked the part.
Chugging out of our mechanic's workshop, we headed for the Warrego Highway and our date with destiny...good thing we weren't in a hurry!
Despite the prodigious torque of the V8, the gearing was so low we were in top (fifth) gear by 60km/h, and then it was time, as the song says, to hear the engine roaring out its one note song as the 'Cruiser built up a head of steam and got us to 100km/h.
For me, this really sums up the biggest downside to the V8 79 Series, while it is ideal for ploughing across paddocks or minesites, making its own tracks as needed, as soon as it travels on bitumen roads and highways, it struggles to keep up with traffic.
Some might say this was the attraction of the 79 Series, the complete disregard for eveyone and everything around it, a kind of supreme arrogance, or at least indifference.
To be fair to the engine, it was not the problem here, it was the ultra-low geared transmission and final drive ratios.
That is not to say the V8 was perfect, far from it, a big, lumpy, slow revving engine with less than ideal combustion chambers, it became an anachronism, a throwback to a time when inefficiency wasn't just acceptable, it was celebrated.
Those points aside, once it was rolling, the 79 just rumbled along, deafening the occupants, but completely unruffled by the extra weight hanging off the towball.
As we rolled down the Warrego towards civilisation, well, Ipswich, and traffic began to build, all the downsides of the 79 began to show through.
While the vision, perched up high as we were, was good, we needed it, because you really had to think four or five cars ahead, to make sure you were ready for when you got there.
Having an MC licence for road testing trucks and buses, I have driven large combinations, up to three trailers and over 100 tonnes (not the biggest, but enough for me!), this felt like a trip back to those times.
The 79 is slow to react, speeding up and slowing down, you are constantly working when driving in traffic, to avoid being a mobile chicane.
Again, some may take perverse pleasure in this, but I am not one of them.
The clutch was heavy, the gate on the transmission could be nicely descibed as 'vague', and the steering is slow, requiring a lot more input than other modern vehicles.
Did it do the job? Yes it did, in much the same way as a bow saw will cut through a branch, but a chainsaw is faster and more efficient.
Fast forward to our next race meeting, and Toyota offered us the new four cylinder auto, to make a direct comparison to the now-extinct V8.
With no other changes, just the engine and transmission, this was an excellent opportunity to do a genuine 'back to back' comparison, and what an eye-opener it proved to be.
When talking with Toyota about the 'new' engine, I did wonder about the longevity of the four cylinder compared to the V8.
My concerns centred on the comparative rev range and power delivery, while I had no doubt the 2.8-litre would make the required power, I wasn't sure if it would be working harder to get the job done.
Turns out Toyota's design team were well across it, and the two engines are line-ball, not just in outputs, but also the working range.
The outgoing V8's numbers were 151kW @ 3,400rpm, the new engine is 150kW @3,400rpm, and is ahead on torque, peaking at 500Nm between 1,600-2,800rpm, while the 2.8-litre's numbers are 430Nm between 1,200-3,200rpm.
More importantly, on the road, with an exta gear in the auto transmission, the 2.8-litre dances around the V8, using less revs for the same road speeds, and certainly isn't anywhere near sixth at 60km/h.
The auto also made for gentler take-offs, you weren't feathering the clutch off the line, you can just drive off steadily, building speed, making for a smoother driving experience.
Yes, you still need to take advantage of the extra visibility in traffic, but everything was more relaxed, you didn't have to work as hard for the same result.
The engine noise was less, it is possible to talk to your passenger without shouting, although the steering is still lazy, and we won't even talk about the cupholders...
So, is the new four-banger a worthy successor to the title?
Yes, it does everything the V8 did, but it does it in a quieter, less fussed way, and visits to the diesel bowser, while still painful, are less frequent.
The King Is Dead, Long Live The King!
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