Old pickups made new with electric motors, camper conversions playing on the current vanlife craze and more hit the SEMA show floor in Las Vegas.
Already a few days into the show, Ford, Toyota and others keep rolling out the specialty vehicles at the world’s largest aftermarket show. Ford previously rolled out a series of off-road ready Broncos, led by the Bronco DR, which will actually be produced.
The Detroit-area automaker added to its display in Sin City with the all-electric F-100 Eluminator concept. The truck features an all-new electric crate motor produced by Ford Performance Parts. The 1978 F-100 gets all-wheel drive courtesy of two electric motors — the same ones used in the 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT. The result is a “classic” pickup putting out 480 horsepower and 634 pound-feet of torque.
More Vegas aftermarket debuts
Toyota certainly didn’t want to be left out of the fun, bringing a slew of vehicles to the show, perhaps none more noticeable than its Tacozilla Tacoma Camper. With vanlife and camping enjoying the spotlight these days, the camper conversion gets a lot of attention.
Described as “a backwoods overlanding-ready “micro-house” rig that pays tribute to Toyota campers from the ’70s and ’80s,” it clearly plays into the current excitement with overlanding and camping.
“Tacozilla is an outstanding symbol of Toyota’s go-anywhere brand promise to our many owners who love overlanding and outdoor fun,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president – Toyota Division Marketing. “It’s going to be hard to miss Tacozilla, whether walking the SEMA show or at that campsite or off-road trail!”
The 100% custom build uses a Tacoma TRD Sport pickup — so it’s off-road capable — without the bed. The automaker partnered with Complete Customs in McKinney, Texas to create this retro-inspired camper.
The finished camper features a white base coat with accents reminiscent of the vintage yellow, orange and bronze scheme. And the fully insulated interior indeed looks like the micro-house the team envisioned, with teak sauna-style flooring, a full bathroom with hot-water shower, a fully operational kitchen with a stove and sink, a 3D-printed dining table that converts to a backlit piece of wall art and ample sleeping space.
More from Toyota
In addition to Tacozilla, Toyota also brought six other custom vehicles to the show: three trucks, two sports cars and a specialized trailer.
The company mirrored the efforts of other automakers with a desert-focused vehicle: the TRD Desert Chase Tundra, which is “all about off-pavement readiness,” according to the automaker. The Toyota Motorsports Garage team transformed the 2022 Tundra TRD Pro to be a chase vehicle.
The truck has been fit with a TRD-designed, long-travel suspension that uses the OEM mounting points, and a wide-body kit created at TRD’s North Carolina composite shop. The bed holds chase team essentials like a custom-made roll bar with two roll bar-mounted spare tires, a custom-mounted off-road jack and other recovery equipment to the hilt.
The company revealed a second 2022 Tundra equipped with a variety of Toyota and TRD accessories, such as a 3-inch lift kit.
A second Tacoma, the Tacoma Overlanding Concept, got some specialized equipment as well. The team fitted the Tacoma Overlanding Concept with an Old Man Emu BP-51 adjustable suspension system with Old Man Emu upper control arms and Dakar leaf springs added to the rear suspension.
For protection, it has an ARB Summit Combo Bar with fog lights, an Expedition One dual swing rear bumper system and Ultra HD skid plate system and rocker protection/rock sliders. Up top is the penthouse suite: a Yakima rooftop tent.
The company also created a TRD Sport Trailer from a Tacoma trailer. It serves as a base camp, featuring a remote-operated scissor-lift that raises an innovative platform several feet out of the bed. There’s a Yakima four-person tent with an awning, a refrigerator, a hot water heater, fresh and gray water holding tanks, a slide-out sink and stove and efficient campsite lighting.
Toyota brought two Supra concepts: one focused on speed and power while other offers an open-air experience. The GR Supra Heritage Edition is tweaked out to 500 hp with a tuned engine, turbocharger and ECU as well as an MKIV-style rear wing. Since it goes fast, it needs to stop fast, getting bigger brakes.
The GR Supra Sport Top is an “open-air tribute to removeable-top Supras of the past,” the automaker notes. The crew ensured structural rigidity by reinforcing large sections of the vehicle’s frame. The now iconic removeable roof includes two composite panels that can be stored in the car’s trunk.