Toyota Teases Something Gnarly for Chicago

Toyota Chicago Auto Show Teaser (Credit: © Toyota)

The Chicago Auto Show isn’t a exactly a hotbed for the latest and greatest of the automotive world, but it has become the main show for revealing special editions of existing cars. Today, Toyota has announced that it will release a new rig that is clearly a special version of its recently redesigned Tacoma. Along with the announcement came a pretty telling teaser image (above).

In the photo, you can easily see all the telltale signs that this is the Tacoma, but the rest of the bits remain shrouded in mystery. The massive “TOYOTA” logo on the black, 3D grille and the hood scoop all lead me to believe that this is simply the TRD Pro Series version of the midsize pickup. This would add to the already established TRD Pro Series lineup that includes the Tundra and 4Runner.

While being a TRD Pro Series is the most likely of scenarios, I cannot help but think that this could also be a more performance-minded version of the Tacoma, a la the X-Runner form all those years ago. The idea of a supercharged version of the Tacoma’s 278-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 mated to a body and chassis designed to handle twisty stuff sounds immensely tempting. Sure, it’ll never happen, but a man can dream, right?

In all likelihood, this version of the Tacoma will be the anti-performance pickup with its heavy-duty off-road suspension, a raised ride height, meaty tires, and large wheels.

The mystery will be solved sooner rather than later, as Toyota will hold its press conference in Chicago on February 11th at 1:30 p.m. It’s at this conference that this model will make its first-ever in-the-metal debut, so stay tuned for all of the details.