With TacoZilla, Toyota Totally Just Won SEMA
It might have retro looks, but Toyota’s TacoZilla build is all modern — and it’s ready to hit the trail.
SEMA has officially begun, which means that right now, the Las Vegas Convention Center is jammed with custom cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles. Now, as a veteran of nine SEMAs, I’ve come to regard the annual event in Sin City as the vehicular equivalent of the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow, and just like Las Vegas itself, there are a lot more losers than winners on the floor.
That said, I was really looking forward to seeing TacoZilla, Toyota’s Tacoma-based homage to the venerable Chinook of the 1970s. And if these pics are any indication, the company nailed it.
Previously, we’d really only seen a render, along with a video where the two builders charged with making it a reality discussed their plans. But now, we have picks of the completed rig, and it’s one of the coolest SEMA projects I’ve seen in ages. Because along with being an ambitious project with a lot of moving parts, this baby actually looks like it would be a hoot to have out on the trail — even as someone who would rather get their teeth cleaned than go camping.
Unlike the original Chinook, which was made out of fiberglass, the new-school version features an aluminum skin on a steel frame. That’s important, because while its ancestors were designed to be fuel-sipping versions of the Me Decade’s monstrous motorhomes, the version is designed with overlanding in mind, so it needed to be built out of stronger stuff. And just as it was in the original, you can pass through the cab of the truck to enter the living quarters at the back.
Since those quarters extend below where the Tacoma’s bed floor would be, that means after you crawl through, even taller folks will be able to stand upright. Which is great, because along with a sleeping bunk which extends over the roof of the passenger compartment, there’s also a full kitchen and dining area. Plus, to ensure the table isn’t in the way unnecessarily, it can fold up into the wall and become a piece of abstract art when it’s not in use.
The big question, of course, is whether this home away from home has a toilet — and I’m happy to report that it does. Overall the execution looks a little austere, but it incorporates a shower too, so when you get off the trail and want to have a drink in town, you won’t get any stares from the locals. Or if you do, it at least won’t be because you haven’t been able to shower for a couple weeks. Obviously, the TacoZilla is just a concept right now, but given the exploding popularity of overlanding, I think something like this could be a hit. How about you? Do you think it would be possible for Toyota to make a profit here? Hit me up and let me know!
Photos: YouTube
