- Toyota is bringing back the Tacoma X-Runner—well, in concept form at least.
- The concept truck sits on a widened track and features a lowered suspension.
- The truck is powered by a modified version of the larger Tundra’s twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6, which produces 421 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque.
Toyota likes to emphasize the off-road chops of its Tacoma mid-size pickup truck, but this decidedly street-oriented concept truck caught our eye at the 2023 SEMA show in Las Vegas. Toyota brought back the X-Runner name from the past and applied it to a 2024 Tacoma sport-truck concept with a lowered suspension and extra power, among other modifications.
The Tacoma X-Runner concept features a version of the larger Tundra’s twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 engine. The engine produces 421 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque in this application—a big increase over the 2024 Tacoma’s most powerful setup, a 326-hp four-cylinder hybrid. A solid axle from the Tundra with a 4.30:1 final drive and an electronic locking differential splits torque to the rear wheels. The exhaust pipe now routes to just below the rocker panel on the side of the truck.
Under the amped-up bodywork, you’ll find the air suspension from the Tundra that Toyota says helps the Tacoma ride at a lower height while still being able to carry a load. The team behind the truck also customized the length of the control arms due to the lowered stance of the Tacoma. Toyota also strengthened the frame and widened the track width of the car by roughly three inches. The springs are stiffer and 2.5-inch Bilstein shocks are found at each corner. The truck rides on a set of Lacks Enterprises 21-inch carbon-fiber wheels with forged aluminum centers on Michelin 285/45R21 Sport Tires.
The display truck is finished in the same Speedway Blue as the original Tacoma X-Runner that debuted at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show. We don’t know if that hints at a production version of this truck with a similar performance package, but we would be excited to see something like this hit the streets in the near future.
Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.