Two top secret Tundras that Toyota kept hidden

[NewsFeeder]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Truck, Toyota, Off-Road

TRD Tundra Street Concept - Click above for image gallery

Proving how serious Toyota was about its hopes for the fullsize Tundra pickup after it was redesigned in 2007 is news from our friends at PickupTrucks.com that the Japanese automaker had planned two specialty versions of the truck that would have brought it some much-needed excitement two years after its initial introduction.

First up is a street-only performance version that would have seen lowered suspenders all around, 22-inch rims, uprated brakes and a factory-installed supercharger that would bump power up to 504 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. Finally, a Competition Mode would have been fitted that removed the factory stability control at the touch of a button. Apparently, that machine was inspired by the old Viper-powered Dodge Ram SRT-10 and was foreshadowed by the TRD Tundra Street Concept from the 2006 SEMA Show (seen above).

The second, somewhat more intriguing model would currently be stealing away some thunder from Ford's awe-inspiring SVT Raptor. In addition to the expected long-travel suspension, the off-road-ready pickup would reportedly borrow the independent rear suspension components from Toyota's Tundra-based Sequioa fullsize SUV.

If all of that sounds intriguing - and it most certainly does to our ears - we must sadly throw a wet blanket over the whole shebang. History shows that the Tundra has failed to live up to the lofty expectations of its proud parent, leading Toyota to reportedly abandon both projects... and leaving us to wonder what might have been.

Gallery: TRD Toyota Tundra Street Concept

[source: PickupTrucks.com]

Two top secret Tundras that Toyota kept hidden originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[the_yellow_dart]

I fail to see why disappointing sales of the regular version should cause them to not produce a performance version... Maybe this would have helped the image of the regular Tundra.