Photo: jlord8 / Instagram
It was December (2023), and Toyota was tallying the number of mid-size pickup trucks sold in America. The figures looked comfortable, but the corner office head honchos knew one important thing – the show must go on.
Last year, the Japanese automaker delivered almost 235k Tacoma trucks, although everyone and their mother plus the dog were eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the N400 generation twinned on the TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture with the J250 Lexus GX 550. Still, that was almost as many as it sold in 2022 if you can believe its enduring popularity.
Now, though, it's all about the fresh iteration, as the company started sales of the gasoline-only version in December. It can be had from $31,500 in SR, SR5 TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited trim, but only with the 228 or 278-hp i-Force 2.4-liter turbo inline-for and an eight-speed automatic. We need to wait a little longer for the mighty 326-hp Tacoma i-Force Max, which is equipped with a hybrid powertrain, though.
But what if it comes along with a surprise? For example, what if the Japanese carmaker decides to bring to America – at long last – a J250-based sixth-generation 4Runner also fitted with the TNGA-F platform and mainly featuring the same design as the N400 Tacoma? After all, fans have been waiting for quite some time for a new iteration since the current N280 version appeared in 2009!
Anyway, if that happens, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is prepared for anything – including Toyota's hypothetical decision to mimic its direct competitors, Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, and offer a removable hard top version like it used to in the past. Well, there are a lot of 'ifs' involved here – and it's all because Jim, the virtual artist known as jlord8 on social media, loves messing around with all things CGI from GM and Ford, plus sometimes also from Toyota.
As such, he recently took the 4Runner for a spin and gifted it the front styling of the 2024 Tacoma along with the usual body of the off-road-focused SUV. However, unlike the current 4Runner, this takes directly after the Tacoma XtraCab and features just two doors and a liftgate – plus a lot of retro styling cues like the rear glass treatment or the steelies. Naturally, we can easily imagine it equipped with Tacoma's modern powertrains – the 2.4-liter turbo inline-four with 228 or 278 horsepower, plus the 326-hp i-Force Max.
Of course, this is merely wishful thinking, and Toyota may never go back to building a three-door 4Runner like the original N60 version, no matter how many people believe that Yotas with removable hard tops are cool, especially when they look as quirky as this one. So, will the Japanese automaker make a new 4Runner based on the N400 Tacoma, or will they retire the nameplate now that the mid-size 2024 Land Cruiser is returning to America later this year?
Now, though, it's all about the fresh iteration, as the company started sales of the gasoline-only version in December. It can be had from $31,500 in SR, SR5 TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited trim, but only with the 228 or 278-hp i-Force 2.4-liter turbo inline-for and an eight-speed automatic. We need to wait a little longer for the mighty 326-hp Tacoma i-Force Max, which is equipped with a hybrid powertrain, though.
But what if it comes along with a surprise? For example, what if the Japanese carmaker decides to bring to America – at long last – a J250-based sixth-generation 4Runner also fitted with the TNGA-F platform and mainly featuring the same design as the N400 Tacoma? After all, fans have been waiting for quite some time for a new iteration since the current N280 version appeared in 2009!
Anyway, if that happens, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is prepared for anything – including Toyota's hypothetical decision to mimic its direct competitors, Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, and offer a removable hard top version like it used to in the past. Well, there are a lot of 'ifs' involved here – and it's all because Jim, the virtual artist known as jlord8 on social media, loves messing around with all things CGI from GM and Ford, plus sometimes also from Toyota.
As such, he recently took the 4Runner for a spin and gifted it the front styling of the 2024 Tacoma along with the usual body of the off-road-focused SUV. However, unlike the current 4Runner, this takes directly after the Tacoma XtraCab and features just two doors and a liftgate – plus a lot of retro styling cues like the rear glass treatment or the steelies. Naturally, we can easily imagine it equipped with Tacoma's modern powertrains – the 2.4-liter turbo inline-four with 228 or 278 horsepower, plus the 326-hp i-Force Max.
Of course, this is merely wishful thinking, and Toyota may never go back to building a three-door 4Runner like the original N60 version, no matter how many people believe that Yotas with removable hard tops are cool, especially when they look as quirky as this one. So, will the Japanese automaker make a new 4Runner based on the N400 Tacoma, or will they retire the nameplate now that the mid-size 2024 Land Cruiser is returning to America later this year?
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