Modified Toyota Hilux Set Bonneville Speed Record
Scott Birdsall reached 423 km/h in a 1991 Toyota Hilux at Utah's Bonneville Speed Week in August 2026.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Performance Vehicles
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Scott Birdsall hit a top speed of 423 km/h at the 2026 Bonneville Speed Week in a heavily modified 1991 Toyota Hilux. The vehicle, which originally featured an 84 kW petrol engine, has been transformed into a high-performance land speed machine.
Why it matters
Builders utilize the unique salt surfaces of the Bonneville Salt Flats to validate experimental engineering concepts that exceed the capabilities of conventional tarmac circuits.
The modified Hilux utilizes a 2JZ-GTE inline-six engine producing 956 kW, a massive increase over the original 84 kW output. The truck features a custom Pro Mod roll cage to manage the stresses of the 423 km/h run.
The players
Scott Birdsall
Scott Birdsall is the driver and builder responsible for the modified 1991 Toyota Hilux that set the land speed record.
ALC Racing
ALC Racing is the engineering team that handled the technical modifications for the record-setting Hilux.
The details
ALC Racing upgraded the 35-year-old platform with a Brian Crower billet crankshaft, custom rods, and high-performance pistons. The vehicle also uses a specialized Haltech engine management system to monitor critical telemetry parameters during high-speed runs.
Timeline
Bonneville Speed Week occurred in August 2026.
Roadmap
This project highlights the extreme end of the automotive aftermarket, where builders push legacy platforms far beyond their intended design parameters. It demonstrates how historical chassis can be transformed into advanced performance machines through modern engine management and custom fabrication.
The modifications performed on this vehicle are highly specialized and not applicable to standard passenger trucks. Owners of legacy vehicles should note that such extreme performance builds require bespoke engineering that deviates significantly from factory maintenance requirements.
The takeaway
Achieving such high speeds in a platform built over three decades ago requires significant structural reinforcement and precision engine tuning. Readers looking to modify older vehicles should prioritize safety infrastructure, such as roll cages, before pursuing power upgrades.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Performance Vehicles.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CAR magazine.
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