Toyota Drops New 'Back To The Future' Tacoma, We All Say 'Check Out That 4×4'

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

Toyota unleashed Wednesday its version of Marty McFly’s dream truck based on a 2016 Toyota Tacoma for one day only. The truck added a special paint scheme and … wait, one day only?

The trucks went on display Oct. 21 in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas before presumably bursting into flames.

At least Toyota detailed how it built the 1985-esque truck for the one day we’ll ever get to see the truck.

Here’s what it took to make the “4×4” possible:

  • Custom 1985 Toyota Truck Exterior Paint
  • Off-road Suspension
  • Toyota Racing Development (TRD) Wheels
  • BFGoodrich Tires
  • Custom front and rear Tubular Bumpers
  • Custom Light Bar
  • KC HiLites Gravity LED G46
  • KC HiLites Daylighter Gravity LED
  • Custom “D-4S” Fuel Injection Badging
  • Custom Tailgate with Iconic “TOYOTA” Logo
  • Custom Vintage Headlight and Taillight Design
  • Mud Flaps 1985 Toyota Truck

All of which sound legit, except for the D-4S Fuel Injection badging because the Toyota 22R engine in the 1985 truck wasn’t really all that advanced — it only had fuel injection for the first time in 1985.

(As a matter of fact, I think they revved to like 4,000 rpm before giving up, really.)






Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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  • Whynot Whynot on Oct 22, 2015

    They really should just make those taillights and tailgate standard.

  • WildcatMatt WildcatMatt on Nov 06, 2015

    It's funny, the wife and I re-watched BTTF1 shortly before BTTF day. When Marty opened the garage, we both commented at the same time. Me: Y'know, that's a nice looking truck. Her: Y'know, that's a terrible looking truck. I could do without the lift, but the rest? Yes, please.

  • CoastieLenn I would do dirrrrrrty things for a pristine 95-96 Thunderbird SC.
  • Whynotaztec Like any other lease offer it makes sense to compare it to a purchase and see where you end up. The math isn’t all that hard and sometimes a lease can make sense, sometimes it can’t. the tough part with EVs now is where is the residual or trade in value going to be in 3 years?
  • Rick T. "If your driving conditions include near-freezing temps for a few months of the year, seek out a set of all-seasons. But if sunshine is frequent and the spectre of 60F weather strikes fear into the hearts of your neighbourhood, all-seasons could be a great choice." So all-seasons it is, apparently!
  • 1995 SC Should anyone here get a wild hair and buy this I have the 500 dollar tool you need to bleed the rear brakes if you have to crack open the ABS. Given the state you will. I love these cars (obviously) but trust me, as an owner you will be miles ahead to shell out for one that was maintained. But properly sorted these things will devour highway miles and that 4.6 will run forever and should be way less of a diva than my blown 3.8 equipped one. (and forget the NA 3.8...140HP was no match for this car).As an aside, if you drive this you will instantly realize how ergonomically bad modern cars are.These wheels look like the 17's you could get on a Fox Body Cobra R. I've always had it in the back of my mind to get a set in the right bolt pattern so I could upgrade the brakes but I just don't want to mess up the ride. If that was too much to read, from someone intamately familiar with MN-12's, skip this one. The ground effects alone make it worth a pass. They are not esecially easy to work on either.
  • Macca This one definitely brings back memories - my dad was a Ford-guy through the '80s and into the '90s, and my family had two MN12 vehicles, a '93 Thunderbird LX (maroon over gray) purchased for my mom around 1995 and an '89 Cougar LS (white over red velour, digital dash) for my brother's second car acquired a year or so later. The Essex V6's 140 hp was wholly inadequate for the ~3,600 lb car, but the look of the T-Bird seemed fairly exotic at the time in a small Midwest town. This was of course pre-modern internet days and we had no idea of the Essex head gasket woes held in store for both cars.The first to grenade was my bro's Cougar, circa 1997. My dad found a crate 3.8L and a local mechanic replaced it - though the new engine never felt quite right (rough idle). I remember expecting something miraculous from the new engine and then realizing that it was substandard even when new. Shortly thereafter my dad replaced the Thunderbird for my mom and took the Cougar for a new highway commute, giving my brother the Thunderbird. Not long after, the T-Bird's 3.8L V6 also suffered from head gasket failure which spelled its demise again under my brother's ownership. The stately Cougar was sold to a family member and it suffered the same head gasket fate with about 60,000 miles on the new engine.Combine this with multiple first-gen Taurus transmission issues and a lemon '86 Aerostar and my dad's brand loyalty came to an end in the late '90s with his purchase of a fourth-gen Maxima. I saw a mid-90s Thunderbird the other day for the first time in ages and it's still a fairly handsome design. Shame the mechanicals were such a letdown.
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