The Toyota Tacoma X-Runner street truck concept

The Tacoma X-Runner concept is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional street truck design; it's quick, lowered, and—given its ride height—probably pretty much worthless when going off-road. It has rear-wheel drive as well.

One of the motivations behind creating the concept, according to chief designer Adam Rabinowitz of Toyota's Ann Arbour, Michigan-based Calty Design Research, was to determine how much demand there would be in a possible production version. Another was to demonstrate the Tacoma's TNGA-F body-on-frame platform's adaptability.

Because the Tacoma X-Runner concept and the Tundra pickup share a base, Toyota engineers were able to incorporate some of the full-size truck's features with ease.

One important component that was retained from the Tundra is the 3.5-liter V-6 twin-turbo engine. The engine in the Tacoma X-Runner concept has 421 horsepower, which is 32 horsepower higher than the engine in the Tundra. The TRD Performance Package, which was also unveiled at the SEMA show and will be offered to Tundra purchasers the next year, is responsible for the horsepower increase.

A solid axle with a 4.30:1 final-drive ratio and an electronic locking differential to distribute drive torque among the rear wheels are also used from the Tundra. The design also makes use of the 13.9-inch front brake rotors from the Tundra.

The engineers added an air suspension system from the Tundra for the right street truck posture. In order to do this, the suspension geometry of the Tundra and Tacoma has to be matched. 21-inch wheels with 285/45 Michelin performance tyres and a pair of 2.5-inch Bilstein aluminum-bodied shocks with remote reservoirs at each corner complete the chassis. The wheels have a hybrid design with carbon-fiber spokes and an aluminium hub.

Body-hugging seats, paddle shifters for the Tacoma's 8-speed automatic transmission, and a 12 o'clock mark on the steering wheel are the only interior alterations.

Is the 2024 Toyota Tacoma X Runner the BEST new performance truck?