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Toyota is bringing back the Tacoma X-Runner—well, in concept form at least. The concept truck sits on a widened track and features a lowered suspension.The truck is powered by a modified version of the larger Tundra’s twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6, which produces 421 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque.Toyota likes to emphasize the off-road chops of its Tacoma mid-size pickup truck, but this decidedly street-oriented concept truck caught our eye at the 2023 SEMA show in Las Vegas. Toyota brought back the X-Runner name from the past and applied it to a 2024 Tacoma sport-truck concept with a lowered suspension and extra power, among other modifications.ToyotaThe Tacoma X-Runner concept features a version of the larger Tundra’s twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 engine. The engine produces 421 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque in this application—a big increase over the 2024 Tacoma’s most powerful setup, a 326-hp four-cylinder hybrid. A solid axle from the Tundra with a 4.30:1 final drive and an electronic locking differential splits torque to the rear wheels. The exhaust pipe now routes to just below the rocker panel on the side of the truck. ToyotaUnder the amped-up bodywork, you’ll find the air suspension from the Tundra that Toyota says helps the Tacoma ride at a lower height while still being able to carry a load. The team behind the truck also customized the length of the control arms due to the lowered stance of the Tacoma. Toyota also strengthened the frame and widened the track width of the car by roughly three inches. The springs are stiffer and 2.5-inch Bilstein shocks are found at each corner. The truck rides on a set of Lacks Enterprises 21-inch carbon-fiber wheels with forged aluminum centers on Michelin 285/45R21 Sport Tires.The display truck is finished in the same Speedway Blue as the original Tacoma X-Runner that debuted at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show. We don’t know if that hints at a production version of this truck with a similar performance package, but we would be excited to see something like this hit the streets in the near future.More SEMA BuildsAssociate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

The 2024 Ford Mustang is getting a new supercharger kit courtesy of Ford Performance.With the regular 5.0-liter V-8, Ford claims the kit will raise horsepower from 480 to at least 800.The supercharger debuts on the Ford Mustang FP800S concept, which previews a package of other Ford Performance parts.Just because Dodge isn’t building any more V-8 Hellcats doesn’t mean Ford isn’t interested in making new Mustangs with 800-plus horsepower. That’s what’s on the menu with the new Ford Performance supercharger kit, which debuts on the Ford Mustang FP800S concept at this year’s SEMA show.Supercharged 5.0The Mustang’s naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 is good for 480 horses off the showroom floor. That figure rises to at least 800 horses with the Whipple 3.0-liter supercharger, which also comes with obligatory upgrades to the air and fuel systems. Ford says the kit is compatible with the automatic and manual transmission, and the company says a version that’s specially designed for the Mustang Dark Horse is also on the way.FordThe supercharger kit is compliant with CARB regulations, and it comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty from Ford Performance. The Mustang kit will be available next year, but a price hasn’t been released.Mustang FP800S ConceptJust like it did with the Ford F-150 FP700, the company has now revealed a similar treatment for its pony car. Not only does the Mustang FP800S concept have the new supercharger, but it has a Borla Extreme cat-back exhaust with four 5.0-inch tips. The concept also has a lowered ride height, carbon-fiber aero elements, and it’s fitted with stronger half-shafts. FordThe supercharger kit is available separate from the FP800S package, which we think will make it to production. We especially like the Mustang concept’s appearance, mixing white wheels and matching grille nostrils with a body-side stripe that looks appropriately racy. New Ford Mustang ReviewsThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

AEV took a 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD and outfitted it to look like a formidable flatbed pickup truck.The regular-cab model adds steel bumpers, a huge brush guard, off-road lights, and a winch.The heavy-duty Sierra is powered by a Duramax diesel 6.6-liter V-8 that breathes through a snorkel air intake.American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) knows how to make a tough truck even tougher. Take the 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD hat the company transformed for this year’s SEMA show. What started out as a regular-cab, long-bed model is outfitted with all manner of AEV add-ons that turn it into a heavy-duty overlander.A Sierra HD for SEMAThe Sierra HD Grande concept looks like it could drive through a brick wall. That’s mostly because of its huge grille guard, which is an AEV prototype that provides protection for the headlights too. It features four powerful off-road lights, and below them is a 12,500-pound ComeUp winch.That winch is integrated into a steel front bumper that’s the same one found on the Sierra HD AT4X AEV Edition. Just like that truck, the concept has the AT4X suspension that includes Multimatic spool-valve dampers and a 1.5-inch lift. Those buoy giant 40-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires mounted on Salta XD wheels. Should one of those go flat, there’s a full-size spare in the truck’s eight-foot aluminum flatbed.To better ensure its underbody doesn’t get too banged up on treacherous terrain, AEV bolted on stamped steel skid plates. There’s also a custom steel bumper out back with a 9500-pound winch. Other accessories include an ARB air compressor and a snorkel air intake, which lets the Duramax diesel—a 6.6-liter V-8 making 470 horsepower and 975 pound-feet of torque—breathe should the truck need to wade into water.AEVAEVThe Sierra HD Grande concept looks formidable. That’s what oversize tires and a big brush guard will do. Its custom paint isn’t something you’ll find on a factory model, and neither are the prototype AEV front fender flares. While a 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD regular cab starts at just over $47K, this concept’s mix of custom elements make it priceless. Extra Sierra HD ReadingThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

This Toyota FJ Bruiser, which honors the 1966 FJ45 pickup’s styling, is appearing at the 2023 SEMA show in Las Vegas.There’s quite a bit more power this time around, though: in place of the six-cylinder engine from the 1966 vehicle, Toyota sourced a 725-hp V-8 from a NASCAR Cup car. The truck rides on a set of Method Double Standard beadlock wheels and 42-inch BFGoodrich Krawler T/A KX tires.SEMA is about going above and beyond, and Toyota nailed that idea with this concept. The manufacturer just revealed a high-riding, V-8 snarling FJ45 concept called the FJ Bruiser. As can be intuited from the name, the concept pays homage to the 1966 FJ45 pickup truck. This time around, there are quite a few serious modifications. ToyotaThe team at Toyota must have concluded that the FJ45 from the Sixties wasn’t nearly tough enough, because Toyota’s Motorsports Garage fabricated a full tube frame and roll cage, which they then mated to the vintage FJ body. A full trailing-arm suspension, with Fox shocks and Eibach springs, was added to suspend the chassis. The whole contraption rides on a set of Method Double Standard 20-by-10-inch beadlock wheels and 42-by-14.5 R-20 BFGoodrich Krawler T/A KX tires to provide gobs of traction off-road. A modified 358-cubic-inch NASCAR Cup Car V-8 produces 725 horsepower. Power is transferred to the wheels by way of a three-speed automatic transmission built by Rancho Drivetrain Engineering. Exhaust is managed through a custom MagnaFlow exhaust system. More on the Land CruiserThe FJ Bruiser retains the FJ45’s solid axle but adds new front and rear differentials along with a new transfer case that provides four two-wheel-drive speeds and four four-wheel-drive speeds. According to Toyota, the gearing setup allows the Bruiser to crawl at 12 mph while revving to 7000 rpm in the lowest gear and up to 165 mph at 7000 rpm in the highest gear.ToyotaIn the event that the horsepower outmaneuvers the huge tires, Toyota fitted a conveyer belt complete with treading underneath the truck. Like some sort of Mad Max–devised treadmill, the Tank mode can be activated from the cabin for those pesky instances where you find yourself supported by the gas tank rather than your tires. Associate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More