I was recently having this discussion over on ih8mud regarding the 100 Series. An owner from Australia chimed in when talking about weight, and it led to some interesting discussion.
The basic gist of it is, the 100 Series has a different rating in the US vs Australia for exactly comparable vehicles. The US version only ever received one trim level, with one engine and standardized options (for the most part - there are some minor exceptions). In Australia, there are multiple options and trim levels, but that should not impact the GVWR/GVM at all, only the curb weight and thus the payload. The important thing is that the frame, axles, and suspension are the same, which they are. The US spec Land Cruiser has a listed curb weight of 5360# and a GVWR of 6830#, for a payload of 1470#. An exactly spec'd Land Cruiser in Australia has a curb weight of 5360# as well, but a GVM of 7187#, or 357 pounds more than that same vehicle in the United States. Comparing apples to apples, the vehicles are basically identical other than driving position. Interesting to note that Toyota themselves (conservatively) recommend a maximum axle rating of 7893# combined, which is over 1000# more than the US GVWR.
They drive similar speeds, as posted above. The Northern Territories have a speed limit of about 80mph, while the remainder of the country has limits at 100-110 km/h, or 62-68 mph. They're more strict about enforcing GVM - meaning they actually enforce it for non-commercial passenger cars. I wonder what the difference is? Perhaps it's a way for the manufacturer to shift liability? If it's a company-level decision, it could be about directing attention toward certain models, i.e. "buy the more expensive F150 rather than the Ranger because of the superior payload" (totally pulling that out of the wild blue, it's based on nothing).
Another interesting note, I've been searching sporadically the last few days about the legality of an overweight passenger car. I cannot find anything that strictly requires a non-commercial passenger vehicle to operate within the GVWR parameters. There may be a more or less strict law depending on the state, but there's nothing in federal code from what I can see.
I did query my insurance agent, as well as a few friends in the insurance business, and the consensus seems to be that it's almost never a factor in insurance claims. Providers don't generally have that listed in their contracts, and they generally don't ask about it in the case of an accident. The only times I've heard of it occurring involved cases of obvious disregard for weight limits, like a half-ton pickup with a full 350-gallon water tank in the bed. Otherwise it's not a factor where I or my friends live (mostly the NW United States).
