We Design Our Perfect Toyota Truck: 2021 Toyota Tundra Rock Warrior
New Engine Required
With new wheels, factory lift, off-road equipment, and the need to climb over boulders, a new engine is required. Now, there is nothing wrong with the 5.7L V8, it just isn’t going to be the desired engine for this type of driving demands.
Instead, Toyota needs to look into either a larger gas engine, like the Ram Power Wagon’s 6.4L V8, or a diesel engine option. The diesel option has been a long-running demand from Toyota fans and if ever there was a need for one, this would be it.
What kind of diesel though? For this application, a small, displacement turbo-charged engine is out like the assortment of turbocharged 3.0L V6 options either for sale or coming from the Big 3 automakers.
The small engine is out and this means, Toyota would have to go with a larger diesel option. This is going to be tough with Nissan using the 5.0L V8 Cummins already and nobody wanting to be a copycat. Toyota engineers will have to instead rely on their worldwide knowledge of diesel engines. In fact, they may already have one sitting on the shelf.
Introduced in Australia starting in 2007, the 1VD-FTV V8 diesel engine would be a natural fit. It is already used in the 200 series Land Cruisers (also sold in the U.S.) and delivers in some pretty remote places like Australia, Pakistan, India, South Africa, and Central/South America.
The engine is available with one or two turbochargers and can produce a maximum of 268 HP, 479 lb-ft of torque. This low HP, high-torque engine is ideal for rock crawling and rugged, low-speed off-road duty.
While Toyota’s chief engineer Mike Sweers has said recently he would be open to a diesel engine if the current emissions debate at the EPA turned to be in favor of the fuel type. Recent statements from the Trump Administration lead some to believe there is an emissions roll-back in the works. If that happens, the prospects for a diesel engine are much higher and it is a perfect fit for a new Rock Warrior.
Finally, the use of a diesel means Toyota could improve its maximum towing capacity along with using a stronger axle option (like the new max tow Ram 3500 HD) and upgraded brakes. They could offer this Rock Warrior with this new max towing package allowing you to tow your toys out to the wild without worrying about being stuck thanks to the off-road gear.
Where to Build It?
The final obstacle will be where to build it. Toyota has been capacity limited for years with the Tundra and Tacoma causing the San Antonio, Texas facility to work a modified 6-day a week schedule for years. With expansion of the Baja, Mexico facility and a new plant opening in Guanajuato, Mexico to build more Tacoma pickups, these limitations should be non-existent in the coming years.
Extra capacity opens the doors for new pickups and variants to be built. With the main line pumping out the required number of stock Tundra pickups, San Antonio could add a low-volume pickup in terms of sales, like a Rock Warrior, to the mix without much disruption in line speed. They could also consider running the Rock Warrior off the assembly line mostly built and then using one of several on-site suppliers to finish the build.
This new Rock Warrior would be a great addition to any already stout Toyota lineup. It would expand the pickup’s appeal to more people nationwide, increase the towing capacity making it more appealing to ranchers and farmers, while adding the real off-road gear, from the factory, appealing to Moab goers. Pricing would be stiff for some consumers probably starting in the low $50ks, but more likely selling in the mid $70ks. A $70k pickup may seem like a lot to some, but loaded with all that capability and Toyota’s renowned reputation for allowing you to go out on the trail AND coming back, it would be a no-brainer for many.
Illustrations for Chevrolet Forum by Pouria Savadkouei
