It’s Taco Tuesday and Toyota is going all out as the company has introduced two new concepts based on the Tacoma.
Kicking things off is the Tacozilla concept, which pays tribute to Toyota campers from the 1970s and ’80s. It’s based on the Tacoma TRD Sport and has been transformed into an overlanding camper by the Toyota Motorsports Garage team.
This was a daunting challenge, but they pulled it off with fantastic results as the concept features a familiar front end and a bespoke rear camper body. The latter is constructed out of aluminum and features angled surfaces to make navigating on trails easier. This was a good idea, but it made the team’s job harder as they ended up spending over 100 hours designing the rear door alone.
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However, once that door opens, it reveals a surprisingly spacious interior with a pop-up skylight and teak flooring. The model also boasts a full bathroom with a shower and a complete kitchen with a stove, refrigerator and sink. Other highlights include a 3D-printed dining table, a bed above the cab, and couches to sit down and relax. Furthermore, the camper is spacious enough to accommodate six footers (1,829 mm) and is connected to the cab via a small pass-through.
In order to enhance its off-road prowess, the truck has been equipped with a 2 inch (51 mm) lift kit, a winch and 17-inch wheels wrapped in General Grabber X3 tires. The model also sports a raised air intake, a custom TRD exhaust, and a 3.5-liter V6 engine that is connected to a six-speed manual transmission.
Tacoma Overlanding Concept Is An Off-Roader On A Budget
For those not into glamping, there’s the Tacoma Overlanding concept which was designed to be “attainable for weekend warriors.” It’s based on the value-focused Tacoma SR5 and has been outfitted with an Old Man Emu BP-51 suspension system that provides a 3 inch (76 mm) lift.
The upgrades don’t end there as the concept has been equipped with a rugged front bumper, skid plates and rock sliders. They’re joined by an Expedition One rear bumper, a Warn winch, a raised air intake, and 17-inch Alloy Alpha wheels wrapped in Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires.
Out back, the truck has been equipped with a dual drawer system that houses a Zero dual zone refrigerator freezer. The model also sports an ARB twin air compressor, a Yakima rooftop tent, and a rack that has been outfitted with a shovel and a jack.