Toyota Was Absolutely Bonkers at the 2023 SEMA Show, and I Hope the X-Runner Turns Real

JMS – the successor to the event previously called Tokyo Motor Show for almost seven decades – was a tour of force from the Japanese carmakers as they strived to show that classic automotive shows only need to be spiced up with contemporary ideas to keep them working like a Swiss army knife. And, of course, Toyota stole the red carpet's spotlight with its classic tidal wave of novelties.

The Japanese automaker has been on a big roll the entire year, frankly, especially in America – with superstars like the 2024 Grand Highlander, N400 Tacoma, and the return of the Land Cruiser moniker with help from the J250 series. They are showing no signs of stopping, frankly, as we only listed the A-stars, not the minor characters – and there were a lot of them, honestly.

Even more are coming as the company is diligently preparing for the Los Angeles Auto Show (November 17 through 26), where everyone and their mother expect the Japanese automaker to pull the wraps off the ninth generation (XV80) Camry mid-size sedan. Additionally, they also teased a new Crown flagship variant, possibly a fresh crossover SUV to sit alongside the Venza, 4Runner, Highlander, and Grand Highlander in the mid-size sector.

But let us return to the 2023 SEMA Show, where the participating OEMs were keen to play with everything they had – both passenger cars and CUVs, SUVs, plus trucks. The passenger side of the event, in my opinion, was won by Ford with its bonkers FP800S concept package for the Mustang GT's Coyote V8 fitted with a supercharger (among many others) and rocking the world of pony and muscle cars with more than 800 horsepower! That's well above Shelby GT500 territory and right into Mopar's Redeye backyard if you know what I mean.

As for the CUV, SUV, and truck side of the SEMA Show, Toyota takes the crown without a doubt. Let's think about it for a second. For example, they brought to Las Vegas their collaborative effort with Warner Bros. Pictures to make the all-new Tacoma a 'hero' in DC Extended Universe's Blue Beetle. But we already knew that, of course, even if not everyone has seen the flick due to superhero fatigue or the general lack of interest in how WB handles the DC movies.

Anyway, there were also vintage ideas present at the event. As a way to celebrate Toyota's triumphant return of the 2024 Land Cruiser to North America, the Japanese automaker took from its vault the Rod Millen Group's 1967 FJ45 Land Cruiser Wagon, dubbed The Retro Cruiser, freshened it up, and took it to the stage. But that was not all. Instead, they also brought to life the FJ Bruiser Concept – a restomod where Land Cruiser tradition meets with modern off-road technology… as well as Toyota's current TRD 358ci V8 NASCAR Cup mill, which is good for no less than 725 horsepower!

Toyota also brought a few oddities to the show – the inaugural season of the GR Cup Series just wrapped up. Hence, the company also had on display a GR86 Cup Car and also expanded its accessory portfolio with help from well-known and respected aftermarket brands such as Dometic, Go Rhino, Yakima, Kammok, Rigid Industries, and ARB, among others. All in all, the company featured no less than 19 vehicles – specialty builds, production cars, SUVs, and trucks. Of course, there was also a main attraction – and that one, for sure, was the N400 Tacoma's fourth generation.

When I say this was the main attraction, I really mean it. Toyota not only showcased the Tacoma, but they owned it from every perspective. For example, in-house software company Toyota Connected North America (TCNA) created an arcade-style video game called 'TRD Pro Time Attack' featuring a six-degree-of-freedom simulator and gaming experience powered by the new IsoDynamic Performance Seat from the 2024 Tacoma!

Then there was also the overall 'Track or Trail, Your Thrill Awaits' show theme, which "speaks to our unwavering commitment to performance and adventure no matter where our customers find it—on pavement or off-grid," according to Mike Tripp, group vice president, Toyota Marketing. "Our constant goal is to be the first company customers think about when seeking on-track performance or off-road adventure," he added – and they definitely nailed the odd combination of both with the 2024 Tacoma X-Runner Concept, which is a significant project, in my humble opinion.

First and foremost, it takes the N400 Tacoma in a cool direction. It's not a new one since sports trucks were invented decades ago, but it would be nice to see their resurgence now that dune-bashing and rock-crawling off-road SUVs and trucks are everywhere. Secondly, Toyota did what every fan wanted to do in the first place – they snatched the 3.4-liter twin-turbo i-Force V6 gasoline mill from the Tundra and shoved it inside the engine bay of the mid-size pickup truck sibling.

Better yet, they also deployed the new TRD Performance Package power-up option prepared for the 2024 Tundra and available from early next year – taking with it the V6's output to 421 horsepower instead of 389 ponies. Frankly, this Tacoma X-Runner with 421 hp and a V6 under the hood feels like the perfect reply to Ford's deployment of the EcoBoost V6 Ranger Raptor without even hitting it where it hurts. Interestingly, the two models could easily coexist across the mid-size pickup truck field – the Ranger Raptor is obviously prone to off-road adventures. At the same time, the Tacoma X-Runner would conquer the streets with its slammed, drift-style looks!

So, which one of the Toyota models was your favorite from this year's SEMA Show? And if you had to choose a different automaker as your favorite apparition in Las Vegas, Nevada, which would it be and why?