Bidding war

GLADIATOR IN RING 14

Have you ever dreamed of owning a beast of an offroad ute with more than $65,000 worth of one-off mods and accessories, but were thwarted by the fact that you don’t have that amount of money to drop on accessorising a ute up to more than its actual new value in the first place?

Well, now you can, because Toyota is popping its one on Trade Me with a $1 reserve.

Back in 2017 Toyota decided to make a statement at the National Fieldays at Mystery Creek in Hamilton, so engaged Retro Vehicle Enhancements to help it create the monster that would be named Gladiator – a Hilux SR5 4WD double cab automatic slathered with $65,000 of one-off modifications and accessories, for a total value of more than $120,000.

It was big, it was bold and it was definitely in your face.

But it is also probably a bit of a pain to store (plus Jeep might be getting twitchy about the Gladiator name now anyway) so Toyota New Zealand has decided it has to go, hence the $1 reserve Trade Me auction.

‘‘This Hilux takes the concept of fully loaded to the maximum,’’ said Steve Prangnell, Toyota NZ’s general manager of used vehicles.

‘‘We packed so much into this vehicle that the accessories are too long to list in this media release.’’

Which is taking the easy way out, Steve, so here they are:

Replacement steel bumper with custom fog light surrounds

Genuine Toyota Warn Nylon Winch

LED light bar in bullbar with custom mounts

■ Custom Gladiator grille

■ TRD skid plate

■ Painted headlight garnish

■ Bonnet bulge

■ Painted ‘‘D’’ shackles front and rear

■ Snorkel with custom Gladiator grille

■ Custom Bolt-on look Flares, sprayed in with Speedliner

■ Painted mirror covers with decals

■ TRD Side Steps

■ Old Man Emu 2-inch lift kit, Nitro canister shocks, fully adjustable, damper control, new leaf springs

■ 20-inch offset Moto Metal Alloys

■ 33-inch x 12.5-inch x 20-inch Atturo Trail Blade M/T tyres

■ Tinted windows, with front windscreen banner

■ Replacement steel rear bumper

■ Painted tail light garnish

■ Tail gate central locking

■ Sports guard liner sprayed in with Red speedliner

■ Roll and Lock retractable lid with custom mounts for sports bar

■ TRD sports bar, with custom tyre and tool mounts

■ Custom LED roof mounted light bar and bracket

■ Rhino rack roof track mount system

■ Full Pantera leather interior in Red, featuring the tombstone front seats

■ Leather wrapped steering wheel, gear knob, door panel arm rest in red Carbon Fibre look interior trim wrap with red pinstriping

■ Custom floor mats with Gladiator branding

■ Painted engine cover

■ Full custom decal vehicle wrap including roof, sides, bonnet, tailgate

■ Painted door handles and Hilux badges

■ High lift 4WD jack with carbon fibre wrap

■ Spade and axe with Gladiator and carbon fibre detailing

Which is a hefty list of accessories. Of course, while it is listing at a $1 reserve, the Gladiator certainly won’t go cheap. After all, the Hilux is the most searched for vehicle on Trade Me.

The auction for the Hilux Gladiator starts at 7pm on November 18, and will close at 7pm on November 27.

Potential buyers will be able to see the concept truck in person at Manukau Toyota during the auction period.

Former National Fieldays star, the Toyota Hilux Gladiator, is heading to Trade Me with a $1 reserve.

The Hilux Gladiator is no show pony. Well, not just a show pony, at least.

With $65,000 of mods and accessories on top of the purchase price of a Hilux SR5, the Gladiator was not a cheap thing.

Toyota built the Gladiator with Auckland’s Retro Vehicle Enhancements, the people also responsible for Holden’s equally outrageous Colorado Rox.

A 2-inch lift, adjustable suspension and a winch make the Gladiator an absolute beast off road.