Toyota Research Institute (TRI) debuts Punyo, a soft-bodied robot designed to help with everyday tasks, whether it be lifting a water jug or closing a drawer. Its name comes from the Japanese word “punyo” (ぷにょ), which refers to something soft, cute, and resilient.
A few years ago, a 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo with 388,000-miles on the odometer would have a hard time fetching $25,000 at auction, but this one has already reached $48,000 USD on Bring a Trailer.
Autonomous drifting looks fun, but TOM’s Racing debuted a TRD 3000GT-inspired A80 Supra restomod that you can actually drive. This vehicle was created to celebrate 50th anniversary of the racing team, and gives the MKIV Supra a new bodykit made from fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP).
The owner of this 2002 Toyota Tacoma swapped in a Tesla Model 3 Performance powertrain and turned it into a Cybertruck competitor of sorts, or so we’d like to think. It has also been upgraded with a Ridetech coilover suspension, front Cadillac-sourced Brembo brakes, rear Tesla-sourced brakes, an Orion BMS2 battery management system, and an EV Controls drive unit controller.
Takumi Fujiwara’s Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86) featured in the Initial D Japanese street racing manga series has been turned into a functional wireless computer mouse by Camshop. When powered up, the AE86’s front and back lights also turn on, ready to use on the included special mouse pad.
Aside from the AE86 Hydrogen (H2), the Toyota Tacoma X-Runner truck concept also debuted at SEMA 2023. Power comes from a Tundra-sourced, twin-turbocharged i-FORCE 3.4L V6 engine generating 421 horsepower with 479 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with a 4.30:1 final drive as well as an electronic locking differential.
You’ve seen the Sienna Remix, now check out the Toyota Tacoma IsoDynamic Performance Seat racing simulator, which can be experienced in-person at SEMA 2023 in Las Vegas. Put simply, it pairs the custom-developed TRD Pro Time Attack video game with the new IsoDynamic Performance Seat boasting a six-degree-of-freedom simulator.
The Toyota FJ Bruiser concept made its public debut at SEMA 2023 this week, paying tribute to the Land Cruiser’s roots. It might look like a typical rock crawler, but under the hood, you’ll find a TRD, 5.9L V8 NASCAR Cup Car engine making 725 horsepower, mated to a 3-speed automatic race-built Rancho Drivetrain Engineering transmission.
You’ve seen the Honda S2000-powered Celica, now check out the Toyota FT-Se concept that was unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show this past week. Inside sources claim that this is a preview for a possible electrified Toyota MR2 successor in 2027 under the Lexus brand.