The SEMA Show is one of the largest and most renowned automotive shows in the world. Among the many shapely and awe-inspiring displays, Toyota USA unveiled their Tacoma X-Runner concept that brought the sport truck concept from the early 2000s back into the modern-day spotlight.
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“On the heels of the Tacoma launch, we wanted to showcase the diverse possibilities of the new truck’s architecture. The TGNA-F platform allows us to efficiently build something this cool in a fraction of the development time it would normally take. A project like this is why you get into the automotive business,“ – Sheldon Brown, chief engineer, Toyota Motor North America
Based on the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, this Hot Wheels-Esque concept car harks back to when two-wheel-drive bakkies built for robot-to-robot racing were a common sight in the States. This concept isn’t solely intended to tug at the heartstrings of ageing petrolheads but also to showcase the flexibility and potential of Toyota’s TNGA-F platform. Below the “chiselled liquid” exterior is a modified 3,4-litre twin-turbocharged V6 that affords the double cab’s rear wheels with 314 kW and 650 N.m, and reported through the custom side exit exhaust. Additionally, the modified Tacoma features a Toyota Tundra solid axle and an electronic locking differential.
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Noticeably wider, Toyota has massaged the Speedway Blue Tacoma’s frame to afford a 3-inch increase in track width and improved the strength of said frame. Interestingly, this concept sits on a Tundra air-suspension system. Toyota lengthened the front upper and lower control arms to accommodate the Tundra-sourced components. Like the front axle components, the rear lower and upper control arms were lengthened to couple with the rear axle housing. Alongside the air-suspension system, the Tacoma concept relies on stiffer coil springs, and custom-valved 2.5-inch Bilstein aluminium bodied shocks tucked behind a pair of 21-inch carbon fibre wheels and 285/45R21 Michelin tyres.
“This new X-Runner concept shows that TRD is about performance, about going fast… It shows the range of the platform and what we could do if we took the Tacoma beyond off-road and everyday capabilities, slammed it, and gave it a little street cred,” – Mike Tripp, group vice president, Toyota Marketing
The aggressive styling comes by way of a redesigned front fascia characterised by elements such as the XB LED Projector headlights and a functional hood scoop, while the flank showcases custom aero-fairings. The interior remains unchanged compared to the 2024 Tacoma the X-Runner is based on.
Let us know what you think about the Tacoma X-Runner concept.
