Going Pro

Toyota’s Top-Tier Tacoma.

- Jason Gonderman

When Ford’s F-150–based Raptor landed in showrooms in late 2009, the pickup industry shifted forever. The factory-built performance off-road truck was an immediate hit, often selling for thousands of dollars more than sticker price and flying off of dealer lots faster than they could even get them off the delivery truck. Up until this point, every pickup manufacturer had a form of “offroad” package, which typically comprised of “upgraded” shocks, skidplates, and stickers at best. These often performed adequately, but left a lot to be desired. However, Raptor was the proverbial game-changer. It proved that the public not only wanted a true desertracing–inspired off-road truck but that they were willing to clamber over each other and spend money hand-over-fist to get one.

Toyota, being no stranger to off-road racing, jumped into the factory performance off-road craze a couple years later, in 2012, with the Tacoma TRD T/X Baja edition. The T/X Baja was a limited edition, with only 1,500 being produced between the ’12 and ’14 model years. These trucks came equipped with 60mm (2.4-inch) Bilstein coilover shocks up front and 50mm (2-inch) Bilstein monotube shocks in the rear. Ride height was increased by nearly 2 inches, and wheel travel increased by 1 inch in the front and 2 1 ⁄2 inches in the rear. For ’15 the name changed to TRD Pro and production numbers increased. All of the functional bits remained the same, while a few cosmetic upgrades graced the exterior. Tundra and 4Runner also got the TRD Pro treatment for ’15, rounding out the family of off-roaders.