This Hiace boasts twin-turbo V12 power from another Toyota

If you thought the sun has set on the fifth-generation Toyota Hiace, think again. One intrepid businessman is keeping the model alive with a twin-turbo V12 engine to go with its aesthetic upgrades. 

A video posted by Cars.co.za on its YouTube channel shows the one-of-a-kind modified van owned by James Redelinghuys, who runs a taxi rental company in South Africa. His business commonly deals in converting and selling Quantum panel vans (as the Hiace is known in that market) for public transport, until inspiration hit him one day. 

“At that point, we decided ‘Let’s do something for marketing purposes but also creative,’” he said. 

James Redelinghuys had an idea on how to promote his taxi business in South Africa [Screengrab: Cars.co.za Youtube channel]

Redelinghuys eventually came across a Japanese aftermarket company that customized Hiace units based on the Lamborghini Aventador, and decided to pull the trigger on the body kit, which alone costs 96,000 rand (over Php 321,000).         

He would find another shop to undertake the actual conversion on a 2012 Hiace. After the body kit was installed, the stock 2.5-liter gasoline engine was evicted in favor of a 1GZ-FE V12 power unit from the second-generation Toyota Century limousine. Extensive custom work was needed just to fit the new engine behind the front seats and hold it in place.  

The V12 engine was sourced from a Toyota Century and enhanced with twin turbos [Screengrab: Cars.co.za YouTube channel]

Adding twin turbochargers plus further tweaks to the standard mill resulted in an output of 600 horsepower and 710 Nm of torque. All that power is channeled to the back through a sequential three-speed transmission specifically used for street racing. A limited slip rear differential sourced from a Ford Mustang and rated at 750 horsepower binds the rear wheels together.   

Inside, the driver takes control of an OMP steering yoke while sitting on a Sparco leather racing seat and secured by a five-point racing harness. While only the front and rear-most passenger seats were retained on account of the engine, the build makes up for it with a Rockford Fosgate sound system.  

The cockpit is enough to get your blood running [Screengrab: Cars.co.za YouTube channel]

Despite the setup, Redelinghuys harbors no illusion that the modified van can outrun smaller vehicles that are specifically engineered for speed. “It is a brick, it doesn’t have good aerodynamics,” he said. “But once…you throw that thing, a fast car might beat you but it’s going to go, ‘What the f***, you know that this (Hiace) is actually keeping up with me.’”

He notes that he had to spend on three engines, three suspension configurations, two turbo setups, and two ECUs before he got the formula right, stretching the development time to five years. While Redelinghuys is happy with the finished product, he’s moving on to the next project, letting go of the V12 Hiace for 1.295 million rand (Php 4.37 million).    

Redelinghuys says all the pain and frustration he endured in developing the build was worth it [Screengrab: Cars.co.za Youtube channel]

Still, his Toyota Hiace V12 mod could be one for the books, and a feat that owners of souped-up UV Express vans in our country can only dream about. 

See more mad machines only at Philkotse.com.