Toyota's one-off SEMA Land Cruiser is an open-air truck

Toyota's new Land Cruiser may be even more versatile than we first thought.

The Japanese auto giant and its Calty Design Research studio are bringing an open truck based on the popular SUV to this year's SEMA show. The Calty Land Cruiser ROX may just be a concept, but it offers a tantalizing glimpse of how cool a pickup truck based on the current-generation model would be.

Americans may think of the Land Cruiser as an SUV, but there are several truck versions dating back to its debut in 1951. The first version of the vehicle – Toyota's equivalent of the Willys MB, better known as the original Jeep – was adapted from the company's light truck and was even available as a pickup truck. Much has changed since then, but the nameplate has graced a number of trucks in various regions over the past few decades, including the popular FJ40 and the current Land Cruiser 70 in Australia.

However, the automaker's new concept has nothing to do with this retro-style brawler. The Calty Land Cruiser ROX is clearly based on the current J250, which debuted in 2021 and went on sale in the US last year. Calty has taken the gorgeously boxy behemoth and removed everything above the door line from the C-pillar to the rear, including the D-pillar, giving the vehicle a completely roofless, open-air design. Where this part of the vehicle used to be, there is now a sturdy-looking roll bar to maintain structural integrity, as well as a fairly spacious bed and a removable canopy in case the weather turns bad.

These changes alone make the concept a beauty, but it has also been equipped with plenty of off-road equipment. There is an ultra-bright LED light bar on the windshield, the vehicle's only piece of glass. There's also a new bumper, prominent fender flares and a set of monstrous off-road tires.

Now for the sad part: The Calty Land Cruiser ROX is currently more of a show car. A video discussing the concept makes it clear that this is a one-off building. Still, the Tacoma and Tundra Toyota showed that Americans love trucks. So if the company ever needs to add some juice to the Land Cruiser range – even though it has sold well since its reintroduction – why not introduce a truck variant?