If you think nothing can detract a man’s attention from the front door of Bunning’s store, you’re wrong. I’ve found it.

Few vehicles have received such a welcome. In a sea of Bunnings customers, a few quickly broke ranks in their voyage to the front door. Their target was the Land Cruiser 300, parked up, deserted and to the trained eye, clearly very new.

This became typical of the week-long test in the 300 in its upper-spec Sahara VX version - a regular visit of enthusiasts keen to look, feel and discuss a car that they all pronounced were eager to buy.

Aside from the “how does it go?”, the common question was all about delivery times. A few - very few - asked about the price.

And in answer, it’s a long way ahead of its predecessor, the 200 Sreies, and addresses a lot of the hiccups with the 200 while stubbornly retaining some carry-over annoyances.

It has a waiting list of anywhere from a quoted nine months to a more likely 12 months, depending on the variant.

The price of the Sahara ZX is $138,790 (plus on-road costs) which is up $7017 on its nearest 200 Series equivalent, the Sahara Horizon.

Will the 300 be as successful as the 200? As sure as Bunnings is the church of any amateur handyman.