Feast your eyes on the next Tundra. The real truck would be offered with 4 full doors that open just like the current Double Cab, and an Extended Cab(pics.) with a Regular Cab still being contemplated.
Toyota wanted to make it clear to everyone including Nissan that they will not be pushed around and called "underpowered" any longer.
TMS Advanced Product Strategy Group and Calty, Toyota's North American-based, research and design center located in Newport Beach, Calif. are putting the final touches on the "real world" version of the truck in order to hand it over to the powertrain guys to work their magic.
Ever since I bought my Titan, I've also kept an eye on the competition to see what they're up to and here is the preliminaries:
Exterior Features:
Bumpers with integrated tow hooks and special hideaway universal carabiner-type tie-down hooks in the truck bed.
Underneath the rear skid-plate is a multi-functional unit that houses an electric generator, an air compressor and other outlets.
Inside the bed is a solid metal collapsible hidden job box that can be erected for safe storage of tools and supplies.
In the rear tailgate is a hideaway ramp that extends to the ground when the gate is open, allowing heavy items to be rolled into the bed, instead of being lifted.
Interior Features:
The instrument panel and center console arch bend outward, wrapping around each occupant, forming two protective cells.
A wide center console separates at a large center display panel.
console contains an armrest-mounted control-arm that includes all instrumentation and an operational lever that is angled toward the driver.
The seat height and steering wheel angle of the FTX are positioned high. Suspension seats isolate the driver and passenger from rough terrain and include deep center pads styled after a horseman's saddle for comfort.
Floating, foldaway rear seats are styled after recreational boats. The rear seat base is affixed to a center beam, suspending the seats off the floor for under-seat storage.
Over-sized door and pillar pull handles and seat mounted grips assist in getting in and out of the truck.
A large overhead track lamp can be pulled down and slide side-to-side across the cabin.
Toyota FTX Concept Pickup truck Preliminary Specifications
POWERTRAIN
1. 325 HP DOHC V8(Final HP rating to be announced after EPA certification).
2. 300 HP DOHC V8 Hybrid Gas-Electric Engine
DIMENSIONS (inches):
Overall Length: 228.0
Overall Width: 82.5
Overall Height: 77.2
Wheelbase: 149.8
Bed Length: 84.0
Tire Size: 355/55 R22
Note: This is not the production version, but a very close to reality concept.
Tell me what you think?
Will Nissan be tweaking the Titan to stand up to both the quality and power of Toyota?
D-Titan
Last edited by DallasTitan : 01-22-2006 at 10:09 PM.
My opinion is although this truck is very appealing in many regards, I don't believe that this truck or (or any truck like it) will be coming to market any time soon (if ever). From everything that I have read on this truck, it is totally conceptual and simply draws at "hints" as to the actual production version of the next Tundra. A look inside the cab clearly spells out that the interior of the 2006 Tundra will be nothing like this concept. All that said, I hope that I am wrong. Toyota began their reign of disappointment quite some time ago with the release of the T100. Things have not looked much better since those days.
Man, if Toyota builds that thing they will be hurtin'. Just my opinion but that thing reminds me of like the El Camino and Ranchero. Only this one is bigger. Toyota is trying way to hard to incorporate style. They need to simplify that turd.
HOLY JEEZUZ IS THAT THING IS FUGLY!!! BY 2006 I'LL HAVE A BLOWER IN MY TITAN AND I'LL BE PUSHING 325 HORSES WITH THE GAS PEDAL DEPRESSED ABOUT AN 1/8 OF AN INCH. THEN I'LL FLOOR IT AND UNLEASH 405 HORSES WHILE PULLING A TRAILER.
The pictures are for Toyota's FTX concept vehicle (which the next Tundra will be based on but will not be identical to). I saw this vehicle at the Chicago auto show. It looked much nicer in person than in the pictures. It was much better proportioned (except for huge tires). The pictures show a tall body and low-height cab. It didn't look that way in real life. The height of the cab was much better balanced.
I doubt that interior will make it into the production model.
In Februrary, Toyota was still deciding on whether to offer a hybrid. I guess they've decided. Does anyone know if they are planning a full hybrid (like the Prius, Civic, Insight, RX400h, and Escape) or a mild hybrid (like the Silverado) where the electric motor can't drive the vehicle on its own and the fuel savings is around 2mpg?
It's amazing though to think 2 years ago at the Dallas Auto Show I asked the Nissan Product specialist about the upcoming production version of the alpha-T concept, and he said he didn't think it would make it to production; because it was to far fetched...........December 2003 Nissan Titan went into production.
This year I asked the Toyota Product Specialist about the FTX, and you guessed it, "too far fetched"............September 2005 Toyota Tundra begins it's reincarnated life.
The point is that of course this concept will not be on the showroom floors about a year from now, but use your imagination and you see the clear direction Toyota is going with this. The front end is almost production ready.
I can already picture the 'retouched' spy photos of Tundra Mules running around in the Mojave area which bear close resembelance to this concept.
So Foo is correct. In a little over a year from now that Hybrid V8 Tundra will be the "cutting edge styling" winner of the NAIAS.
And yes, if gas is $3.50 per gal. by then, .....oops.... Nissan has no Hybrid engine that could compete at 25-30 mpg.
BTW, yes full hybrid is planned for the product line...... I think the sleeping giant(Toyota) has finally been awakened!
Last edited by DallasTitan : 04-29-2004 at 10:09 PM.
I heard with the new Hybrid Tundra we could be seeing 30 mpg with it. Not too shabby. If gas keeps going up I might have to consider that or a Hybrid Escape. Gas here today was $1.90 and I have a HEMI for the meantine. 3.184 gallons for $6.00
IMO the Toyota FTX Concept is a better looking truck than anything out today. There are a few minor changes I would make, like to the rear windshield and maybe not having that huge skyview roof window, but otherwise it looks great. Very tough and rugged. Someone mentioned the way the wheels and tires are huge on it. To me, that's a good thing. I also like the absence of chrome but I'm sure they'll put some on by production time. I also really like the back bumper area, the way it is integrated, and the utility of its storage compartments. Add to all this a 30mpg hybrid engine with Toyota quality, and you've got a winner. As long as the price is reasonable I think the new Tundra will beat anything else in the market. That said, the Titan will already have a strong foothold by the time the new Tundra really makes an impact.
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04-29-2004, 08:38 PM
In Loving Memory of Chris King
.......too much for that ugly truck
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