Ask and You Shall Receive: There is a Toyota Raptor Fighter
Turns out, there is a Toyota Raptor fighter, it’s just not available here, or fighting our Raptor.
Well, that didn’t take long. Barely a week ago, I posted about how cool it would be if Toyota made a Raptor-fighting pickup truck. And while in my imagination, it was branded a Dakar — after the grueling desert race — and based on the Tacoma, it turns out something very similar to what I was speculating about actually exists. Unfortunately, there’s a big caveat, which should be all too familiar to gearheads of all stripes. Yup, it’s not going to be available in the States.
The truck in question is has been dubbed the Hilux Mako, and right now, it’s only available in New Zealand. Our friends at whichcar just posted the details on this beefed-up pickup, and it sounds like a pretty cool rig. Built in partnership with Toyota on the company’s Hilux SR5 trim, it features a laundry list of aftermarket kit, though there’s no additional poke on tap.
The 2.8-liter diesel is still putting out 201 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque, and while that’s still far shy of the F-150 Raptor’s 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of twist, it’s basically identical to the Ranger Raptor’s output. At roughly 7,700 pounds towing and 2,000 pounds towing, the figures are the same as the stock Hilux SR5.Unfortunately, there’s no shot of the sole under-hood mod, a plaque that reads, “Handcrafted by the good buggers at Toyota.”
As you’d expect, there are a host of other mods to the Mako, not the least of which is the suspension. The Toyota features an Old Man Emu kit, which lifts it about 1.5 inches up front, and two in the back. To handle rough terrain, there are by-pass shocks at all four corners, which allow for adjustable rebound and compression. It’s the same kind of tech Fox uses on the Raptor, and you can check out a great explanation of how it works here.
The wheels are 18-inch Rhino units which are wrapped with 265/60 Maxxis Razr rubber, and to help bring things to a halt in a jiffy, there are also beefy brakes with stainless steel lines. Other exterior bits are include Mako-branded side steps and skid plates, along with fender flares and an LED light bar. While the pictures show an automatic, the SR5 is also available with a six-speed manual.
Overall, while the smaller size is an asset off-road, the power delta means the Hilux Mako it’s likely not a threat to the F-150 Raptor in any comparison test. But it’s competitive with Ranger Raptor, and since it’s about $15,000 cheaper, it could manage to eat a decent chunk of the Blue Oval’s lunch. So I’ll be waiting to see the results of the face off when some Kiwi outlets invariably pit the two rigs head to head… Who do you think will come out on top?
Photos: Toyota New Zealand via whichcar