Tag Archives: Toyota

News

Toyota Tacoma and Tundra Roll into 2026 with Smart Refinements, Not Reinvention

Toyota isn’t reinventing its trucks for 2026—and that’s very much the point. With the Tacoma freshly redesigned and the Tundra still feeling modern, this year’s updates focus on polishing the edges: more standard equipment, smarter packaging, and just enough visual flair to keep things interesting. Think evolution, not overhaul.

2026 Toyota Tacoma: Small Tweaks, Real Benefits

The Tacoma lineup gets a series of targeted improvements that quietly improve day-to-day usability. Base SR XtraCab models now come standard with a tow hitch, a small but meaningful upgrade that boosts capability without forcing buyers into higher trims.

Mid-range trims—TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport, and TRD Pre-Runner—pick up a blacked-out front Toyota logo, a subtle styling move that aligns them more closely with the brand’s off-road aesthetic. Opt for the TRD Off-Road i-FORCE Premium package and you’ll now get 18-inch TRD wheels wrapped in 32-inch Goodyear all-terrain tires, adding both visual muscle and real trail credibility.

Toyota also adds a Heritage Blue paint option, a nod to the brand’s off-road past that feels right at home on the Tacoma’s squared-off, modern shape.

Tacoma TRD Pro and Trailhunter: Hold the Line

The Tacoma TRD Pro carries over mechanically unchanged for 2026, but it does gain a new model-exclusive Wave Maker exterior color. It’s a bold shade that reinforces the Pro’s position as the halo off-roader, building on the suspension tuning and trail-focused tech introduced with the Tacoma’s full redesign.

Meanwhile, the Trailhunter overland model continues without changes. Introduced alongside the 2024 redesign, it retains last year’s additions, including red-painted tow hooks and an extra prewired auxiliary switch—features that overland enthusiasts will appreciate even if they don’t make headlines.

2026 Toyota Tundra: Comfort, Capability, and Fewer Asterisks

The Tundra sees broader changes, with Toyota focusing on comfort upgrades and standardizing features that previously required trim-level gymnastics.

Inside, the luxury-focused Capstone now features Shale Premium textured leather seats, while Limited trims switch to new black or gray leather upholstery with contrast stitching. Double Cab models gain rear air vents integrated into the center console, and trucks with single-zone climate control adopt Toyota’s SmartFlow system for improved airflow management.

The most impactful upgrade may be the new standard 32.2-gallon fuel tank across nearly the entire lineup. Previously limited to higher trims, the larger tank replaces the old 22.5-gallon unit on SR and SR5 models, dramatically improving driving range—especially for tow-duty owners. Every Tundra now also includes a tow hitch with a 7/4-pin connector, even at the base SR level.

Toyota expands the options list as well. Power running boards are now available on Platinum and 1794 models equipped with the TRD Off-Road package. The SX package steps up to 20-inch wheels, and the TRD Rally package grows more serious with optional availability of the TRD 3-inch lift kit and Tow Tech package.

Tundra TRD Pro: More Comfort, Same Attitude

The Tundra TRD Pro gains ISO Dynamic Seats for 2026—similar to those found in the Tacoma TRD Pro—designed to improve comfort and stability during aggressive off-road driving. It’s a rare example of genuinely functional off-road seating rather than a cosmetic upgrade.

The TRD Pro also benefits from the now-standard 32.2-gallon fuel tank and adds the Wave Maker blue paint color to its palette, reinforcing its status as the most expressive version of Toyota’s full-size pickup.

The Big Picture

Toyota’s 2026 truck updates won’t steal headlines with horsepower wars or radical redesigns—but they don’t need to. By refining trims, standardizing key features, and addressing real-world usability, the Tacoma and Tundra continue to strengthen their case as some of the most thoughtfully engineered pickups on the market. Sometimes, getting better is more impressive than getting louder.

Source: MotorTrend

News

A New MR2 Could Be Toyota’s Most Important Sports Car in Decades

Toyota has been whispering about the return of the MR2 for years, but now the volume knob has been turned just loud enough to make enthusiasts lean in. The latest provocation comes courtesy of a 29-second Gazoo Racing video that feels less like a marketing clip and more like a knowing wink. In it, Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda casually mentions a new mid-engined, two-seat sports car he wants ready for the Tokyo Auto Salon. Subtle? Not really. Effective? Absolutely.

If there’s one executive in the global auto industry who’s earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to sports cars, it’s Toyoda. During his tenure as Toyota president, he green-lit everything from the Lexus LFA to the GT86/GR86 twins and revived the Supra nameplate. He’s also not above getting his hands dirty—or upside down—having famously rolled a GR Yaris rally car during testing under his “Morizo” racing alias. When Toyoda hints at a mid-engine project, it’s worth paying attention.

The breadcrumbs point squarely toward an MR2 revival, likely wearing Gazoo Racing badges. Toyota trademarked the name “GR MR2” in 2025, along with “GR MR-S,” a nod to the name used for the MR2 in Japan. That alone would be enough to stir the pot, but Toyota has been unusually open about the hardware that could underpin this car.

At last year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota confirmed that its future mid-engined sports car would abandon earlier plans for an all-electric layout—previewed by the FT-Se concept—in favor of a new turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. In an era when Porsche, Alpine, and Lotus are all marching toward electric sports cars, Toyota is zagging the other way. For purists, that’s the sound of relief.

The engine in question is known internally as the G20E, an all-new turbo four first seen bolted into the mid-engined GR Yaris M Concept. Toyota says it will be more powerful and more efficient than the current 2.4-liter turbo used in various Toyota and Lexus models, while also being about 10 percent smaller. That’s good news for packaging, especially when you’re stuffing an engine behind the seats.

Official output figures haven’t been released, but expectations are already set. A baseline around 300 horsepower seems plausible, with higher-output versions pushing toward 400 horses. Toyota has even suggested that motorsport applications could see as much as 500 horsepower, though emissions regulations will likely keep road cars well below that ceiling—unless hybrid assistance enters the chat. Given Toyota’s deep bench in hybrid tech, that door is very much open for the future.

Crucially, Toyota is developing this engine the hard way: on the track. Prototypes of the GR Yaris M Concept were slated to compete in Japan’s Super Taikyu endurance series, echoing the company’s Nürburgring development program for the Lexus LFA. Early hiccups delayed the racing debut, but the philosophy remains clear—learn in competition, then bring the lessons to the street.

Power is expected to be routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission developed by Gazoo Racing, already seen in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla abroad, as well as the Lexus LBX Morizo RR. Purists will pine for a manual, but Toyota’s recent automatics have proven sharp enough to blunt most complaints.

Chassis details remain under wraps, but a mixed-metal structure using high-strength steel and aluminum is likely, balancing weight, rigidity, and cost. More intriguing is Toyota’s suggestion that the car could feature all-wheel drive. According to GR engineering boss Naohiko Saito, early testing showed that an AWD, mid-engine layout offered the best performance potential. That’s a departure from traditional MR2 thinking—and a potential game-changer for traction and usability.

Design-wise, expect a modern interpretation rather than a retro throwback. The FT-Se concept provides the roadmap: a low windshield, short nose, and tightly wrapped rear bodywork emphasizing the mid-engine proportions. Think strong rear haunches, sharp surfacing, and body panels stretched taut over the mechanicals. Despite the switch back to combustion power, Toyota doesn’t expect to rely on huge side intakes; airflow is likely managed from the front and underbody, as seen on the GR Yaris M Concept.

At the back, slim LED lighting, an aggressive diffuser, and a subtle ducktail spoiler should make the cut, with optional Gazoo Racing aero bits—wings, flicks, and the like—for buyers who want to lean harder into the track-day aesthetic.

Inside, the formula is refreshingly old-school. Two seats. Good visibility. A low scuttle. A driver-focused cockpit with minimal distractions and compact digital displays. Think Lotus or Porsche in philosophy, not a rolling tech demo.

Toyota sold the MR2 for nearly three decades, and the name still carries weight with enthusiasts who remember lightness, balance, and accessibility. If this new car delivers on those values—while adding modern power, grip, and Gazoo Racing attitude—it won’t just be a nostalgia play. It’ll be a reminder that Toyota still knows how to build a proper sports car. And judging by that sly 29-second video, they’re enjoying the tease just as much as we are.

Photo: Avarvarii

Tuning

Kuhl Racing Turns the Toyota GR86 into a Rally-Ready Rebel

Sports cars are born knowing exactly where they belong: low, stiff, and glued to asphalt. Anything else is heresy. Or at least it was, until Lamborghini bolted all-terrain tires to a Huracán and Porsche sent a 911 drifting into the desert. Suddenly, the idea of a lifted performance car stopped sounding ridiculous and started sounding… fun. Really fun.

Now Japan is weighing in, and it’s doing so with one of the best possible candidates: the Toyota GR86. The result is the Kuhl Racing GR86 Outroad, a rally-flavored reinterpretation of Toyota’s lightweight rear-drive coupe that looks ready to trade apexes for gravel rooster tails. And somehow, it works.

Kuhl Racing isn’t exactly subtle in its approach. The headline change is ride height. The Outroad sits roughly three inches higher than a standard GR86 thanks to a bespoke suspension setup, instantly transforming the car’s stance and proportions. If that’s not enough clearance for your imaginary WRC stage, there’s also an optional hydraulic lift system that can jack the car up an additional 1.6 inches at the press of a button. When you’re done playing rally hero, it drops back down for normal driving duties.

That lift does more than just add drama—it changes the whole personality of the car. The GR86 has always been about balance and approachability, a modern echo of classic lightweight sports cars. Raising it up and toughening it out taps into a different but equally romantic tradition: the idea that driving fast doesn’t require perfect pavement.

Visually, the Outroad looks like it’s itching to throw rocks at passing supercars. Chunky fender flares widen the body to make room for beefier tires, while redesigned front and rear bumpers improve approach and departure angles. Skid plates and protective cladding hint that Kuhl expects owners to actually leave the pavement behind, not just park aggressively at cars and coffee. Auxiliary lights add full rally cosplay energy, and roof rails finish the transformation, because nothing says “weekend adventure” like mounting gear on a sports coupe.

Despite the rugged makeover, the Outroad doesn’t abandon the GR86’s mechanical simplicity. Under the hood sits the familiar 2.4-liter flat-four, unchanged in its standard form. That means 232 horsepower going to the rear wheels—still modest, still honest, still very much in the spirit of the car.

For those who want a little more punch to match the tougher look, Kuhl offers an optional turbocharger kit. With revised cooling and ECU tuning, the turbo setup bumps output by about 50 horsepower. That’s not supercar territory, but it’s enough to make the Outroad feel properly lively, especially on loose surfaces where traction—not power—is the limiting factor. Buyers can still choose between a manual transmission or an automatic, which means the Outroad remains refreshingly democratic in an era of increasingly rigid configurations.

What really elevates the GR86 Outroad from wild show car to legitimate enthusiast proposition is that it’s not just a one-off. Kuhl plans to sell the Outroad as a full conversion package for existing GR86 owners. Better yet, customers can pick and choose individual components. Want the lifted suspension but not the full rally body kit? Fine. Just the wheels and aero? Also fine. Kuhl will happily let you build your own version, dialing the madness up or down depending on your taste—and courage.

Pricing reflects that modular approach. The full Outroad conversion rings in at ¥4,150,000, or about $26,600, assuming you already own the car. The body kit alone costs ¥1,771,000 ($11,800), the wheels add another ¥440,000 ($2,800), and the turbocharger kit tacks on ¥1,250,000 ($8,300). None of it is cheap, but neither is the idea of doing something genuinely different with a modern sports car.

The GR86 Outroad will make its public debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon next month, with sales in Japan planned for later in 2026. Whether it ever officially reaches other markets is unclear, but that almost doesn’t matter. The point is that someone looked at one of today’s best affordable sports cars and decided the solution wasn’t more grip or more downforce—it was dirt.

In a world where performance cars are increasingly defined by lap times and software updates, the GR86 Outroad is a reminder that driving enthusiasm isn’t limited to smooth tarmac. Sometimes, the best way forward is sideways, slightly lifted, and covered in dust.

Source: Kuhl Racing