A white Toyota Tundra Desert Chase truck from SEMA 2021 with a white background

SEMA 2021: Toyota Trucks Went Crazy

Toyota's SEMA 2021 exhibit featured a bunch of rad heavily-modified Tundra and Tacoma pickup truck models.

by Tim Harding

Published on November 3, 2021 9:00 pm

3 min read

Toyota and Toyota Racing Development brought their A-game to SEMA 2021 with cool trucks. SEMA helps automakers show off the things vehicles can do with the proper customization. Above all, Toyota has done an excellent job delivering just that with its pickup trucks. Toyota Tundra and Tacoma models have some of the coolest unique modifications you’ll see anywhere. You may not have a use for purchasing one of these, but they’re certainly worth a look.

The Toyota Tacoma “Tacozilla” Camper pickup truck

This is a promotional photo of Toyota's in-house Tacozilla custom Tacoma. The truck has a full camper instead of a bed, inspired by old Chinook campers. The Toyota Tacoma took home the mid-size SEMA truck of the year award. | Toyota — The Toyota Tacoma took home the mid-size SEMA truck of the year award. | Toyota

Firstly, this Toyota Tacoma model pays tribute to classic Toyota campers from the ’70s and ’80s. The Toyota Motorsport Garage team built this “micro-house” rig. It has a custom-fabricated frame and an aluminum exterior with smooth, rounded surfaces, and it features a unique pass-through opening between the cabin and camper.

The fully-insulated interior has teak sauna-style flooring. It has a full bathroom with a hot-water shower and a kitchen with a stove and sink. The 3D-printed dining table conveniently converts into a backlit piece of wall art.

The “Tacozilla” is one of the coolest things on display at SEMA 2021. The Toyota Motorsports Garage team did very well to capture the ’70s vibes while also making a functional Tacoma camper. We also love the naming choice and think the “Tacozilla” might be a Taco Bell menu item next.

The Desert Chase Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

The Tundra Desert Chase is a chase truck, for desert racing. It doesn’t actually participate in the race but is actually a support vehicle for the racers. It needs to be able to carry a bunch of equipment and operate in a desert climate. The Desert Chase is a rad truck built to accomplish those things easily.

The Desert Chase Tundra TRD Pro has a wide-body kit, a long-travel suspension, and a custom-made roll bar. The roll-bar has mounted spare tires, an off-road jack, water and fuel, and other recovery equipment as well. In addition, the TRD team chose to make it white because it stands out in the desert and keeps the truck cool.

Toyota Tacoma Overlanding concept pickup truck

For this project, Toyota collaborated with Cruiser Outfitters to build an Overlanding Tacoma rig. Based on the SR5 pickup truck, the Tacoma Overlanding concept features an Old Man Emu BP-51 adjustable suspension system. The rear suspension has upper control arms and Dakar leaf springs were to accentuate off-road capability.

From there, the Tacoma gets an ARB Summit Combo Bar with fog lights, an Expedition One dual swing rear bumper system, an Ultra HD skid plate system, and rocker protection/rock sliders. In addition, a Yakima rooftop tent sits atop the pickup truck, which makes it easy to go glamping.

A lifted and kitted 2022 Toyota Tundra

Orange-red 2022 Toyota Tundra driving on sandy terrain, it'll have over 100 accessories available for prime customization. — 2022 Toyota Tundra | Toyota

Since the third-generation Tundra is coming to dealerships soon, SEMA 2021 is a great place to show it off. That’s why Toyota came with one kitted out with a bunch of cool accessories. Above all, customization is one of the most important parts of owning a pickup truck.

Loads of genuine Toyota and TRD accessories are present throughout. There are over 100 available for the new tuck straight from the manufacturer. With this type of customization and an all-new redesign, there’s no telling what the Tundra will do next.

A custom Toyota Racing Development trailer

The TRD team made a custom trailer out of a Tacoma pickup truck bed. Certainly, the TRD Sport trailer is perfect for short-bed pickups to have some serious extended storage space. It has a remote-operated scissor lift that can raise a platform a few feet out of the bed.

For added fun, TRD included a Yakima four-person tent onboard. The features inside the tent make off-road driving and camping a breeze. A refrigerator, hot water heater, fresh and gray water holding tanks, a sink, and a stove make for the perfect campsite with your Tacoma.

In conclusion, the Toyota exhibit at SEMA 2021 is chock-full of crazy cool stuff. These pickup truck models all do well to show off the many customization options Toyota has made available. With the new Tundra and Tacoma designs on the way, buyers will be looking for a healthy number of options.

Section Editor - SUVs

Tim Harding

Having spent half a decade managing the reconditioning and marketing processes for upwards of 400 vehicles monthly, Tim is no stranger to the automotive industry. He has a deep understanding of the many different types of vehicles on the road today and brings to the table valuable insight into the industry itself.

Tim earned an Associate’s in English and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a Marketing specialization from Ashford University. Tim joined MotorBiscuit as an Autos Writer in 2021, and his work can also be seen at Gamepur, Overtime Heroics, and Pro Game Guides.

Tim is most inspired by the constantly changing automotive industry. He looks forward to a future when cars, particularly electric vehicles, look and operate completely differently than they do today. Tim’s content draws on this inspiration while also providing MotorBiscuit readers with useful consumer advice.