Revo GR Sport Hilux was Inspired by Super GT Racing
Two new flavors of the Toyota Hilux are available exclusively to customers in Thailand — and the commercial is bonkers.
Like its cousin the Land Cruiser, the Toyota Hilux isn’t available in the United States. Instead, we get the Tacoma, a truck that — even without the help of the lads from Top Gear — has developed its own reputation for rugged durability. But the Hilux remains widely popular in many markets of the world, and just like McDonald’s alters menus to suit the tastes of the locals, Toyota offers a few interesting flavors of the Hilux in select markets. The latest ones to come to my attention are a pair of Thailand-exclusive trucks dubbed the Revo GR Sport Lo-Floor and Hi-Floor.
The red truck above is the Lo-Floor model, and was inspired by the how popular Super GT racing series in the Southeast Asian nation. Available only in two-wheel drive, the Lo-Floor rides almost an inch lower than a standard Hilux, and features a street-tuned suspension to improve both handling and passenger comfort. As you might expect from Toyota, there’s no more power on the menu, and while I get what they’re going for with the racy-looking black wheels, how small they are seems to sap any appearance of athleticism from the little rig. And is it just me? Or is it a little weird to build a truck inspired by a car racing series? Seems like entering a Maine Coon in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
The Hi-Floor version, which — somewhat more appropriately — is a nod to Toyota’s World Rally Championship campaigns, is more successful in execution. This version features trick monotube shocks, along with some cool bits like rock rails and a roll bar-like piece in the bed. And while we won’t get it here, the fact that Toyota is pushing out Gazoo Racing versions of its trucks overseas, bodes well for the prospect of GR editions of the Tacoma or the Tundra. After all, it seems like not offering them would be like leaving money on the table.
Now, I know that I said a truck inspired by a car racing series seems a little weird, but I do think there’s a market for a street-tuned truck. Because just like people buy sports cars and never take them to the track. Plenty of folks own trucks and would never think of taking their babies down something as hazards as a fire road. So I could see an appetite for a street truck, like Ford Lightning of the 1990s. To have any real credibility in the super heated American truck market, it would need to have more power, but if current market trends are any indication, buyers would happily pony up the cash for them. What do you think? Is there a business case for a performance truck? Hit me up and let me know!
Photos: Toyota