Toyota Is Owning SEMA 2024

Today, the 2024 edition of SEMA – the massive annual aftermarket parts show – kicks off in Las Vegas, and as usual, there's been a steady stream of concepts and show cars unveiled over the last week from both independent firms and OEMs. There's one manufacturer, though, that seems to have been owning it, and unsurprisingly, it's the one that seems more committed to enthusiasts than any other mass-market OEM: Toyota.

Its reveals, which have a strong off-road theme, began last week with the 4Runner TRD Surf. Based on the US-market body-on-frame 4Runner, it’s a concept inspired by the Southern Californian surfing scene of the ’80s. It ticks all the boxes: big balloon tyres, open-air seating out back, a highly rad nautical themed livery, and of course, some period-appropriate ‘Turbo’ graphics.

Next up, Calty, Toyota’s North American design research offshoot, got its hands on the retro-tastic new J250 Land Cruiser to create an open-top version that feels tantalisingly close to reality. The Land Cruiser ROX – short for ‘Recreation Open eXperience’ – features a sliding soft-top and lots of extra off-road goodies. It’s finished in Spring Green, a shade borrowed from the legendary FJ40 Land Cruiser.

The car that’s got us clamouring most for a production version, though, is the GR86 Rally Legacy. This teams the GR86 with the turbocharged G16 three-cylinder and four-wheel drive system from the GR Corolla, and wraps it all up with a livery and some accessories inspired by the Celica GT-Four WRC car of the ’90s. If any of the ideas here make it into the real world, we really hope it’s a GR Corolla powertrain in a GR86, even if we can’t buy the 86 in Europe anymore (sad face).

Designed more for Baja California than Finnish forests is the Tacoma TRD ProRunner. This is based on the Tacoma, the smaller of Toyota’s two US-market pickups, and is a tie-in with NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, who’s also raced in the Baja 1000 off-road endurance race.

Based on the off-road-geared Tacoma TRD Pro, it’s had its rear doors removed and been fitted with goodies like massive Fox remote reservoir off-road shocks, lots of underbody protection and the obligatory light bar.

Speaking of NASCAR tie-ins, one of the next cars to be revealed was a little unexpected. The only one (so far) without an off-road theme of some sort, it’s a Supra modified in homage to NASCAR royalty Richard Petty, and specifically his 1970 Plymouth Superbird – unquestionably one of the most recognisable NASCAR machines of all time.

Pitched by Supra enthusiast, NASCAR analyst and former Top Gear USA presenter Rutledge Wood, it wears that iconic pale blue number 43 paint scheme, as well as a widebody kit and a rear wing that, frankly, has no hope of competing with the ridiculous item fitted to the Superbird. In one of the most obvious puns ever, Toyota calls it the Suprabird.

Not every car a company makes can be interesting, though, and the current Toyota RAV4 is about as engaging as a pot of cold rice pudding. Or it was, until Toyota showed off the RAV-X, a concept inspired by the Hiluxes it runs in the Dakar Rally. With a 160mm wider track, massive knobbly tyres, and internal bypass Fox shocks among the upgrades, this would certainly make us pay more attention to the RAV4 – although it is still mechanically identical to the standard plug-in hybrid.

Perhaps of the least interest to us, but still interesting as a concept, is the Ultimate Tailgate Tundra. Based on Toyota’s bigger US pickup, it’s inspired by the American pastime of tailgating – no, not sitting six feet away from the car in front on the outside lane of the motorway, but gathering together to consume vast amounts of food and drink around the tailgate of a truck or car, normally in conjunction with a sports game

Toyota has taken this to the logical extreme by filling the Tundra’s bed with an electronically rising rig that features five weatherproof 55-inch screens and a bangin’ sound system for enjoying the big ball game. Or whatever it is Americans do at these things.

That pretty much wraps up Toyota’s SEMA offerings – for now. Also mentioned in its release but not unveiled yet are a Land Cruiser overlander modified by its Japanese accessories supplier, Modellista; something called the Classic Adventure Cruiser; and most intriguingly, a hot pink drift truck based on a 1994 Toyota pickup. Whie it’s far from the only manufacturer to bring some cool stuff, nobody else has gone quite as all out as this. Now, about that G16-powered GR86.