In this most unusual year, Toyota remains committed to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and today introduces a trio of Supras and an amazing overlanding concept that answers our dreams of adventurous getaways where we can safely reconnect with friends, family, and nature.
Toyota’s ambitious SEMA plans call for a two-wave reveal strategy starting with four debuts as part of its SEMA360 Showcase, Nov. 2-6, 2020. Toyota will unveil more concepts tapping into pure performance, both on and off the pavement, during wave two in the weeks following SEMA360.
In addition to the four builds revealed today, Toyota is also teasing Episode One for two yet-to-be-revealed builds. Follow along on the build journey at the links below:
GR Supra Sport Top Episode 1 – https://youtu.be/QVdOuvyhnvI
TRD Sport Trailer Episode 1 – https://youtu.be/Dibeq49ep44
“When SEMA decided to go virtual, we knew we wanted to be a part of it because when we commit to something at Toyota, we see it through no matter what, and this year is no exception,” said Ed Laukes, group vice president – Toyota Division Marketing. “For 2020, we’re celebrating pure performance, both on and off road. Supra and Tacoma are legendary brands with legendary performance, so it made sense to use them to set the stage this year.”
Highlights from Toyota’s first wave of creations for its SEMA360 Showcase include:
4WD Toyota Owner Magazine Overland-Ready Tacoma
Seizing upon overlanding’s growing popularity, the 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine editors dreamed up their own version of the ultimate rig with heavy duty features that align with Toyota’s ‘go anywhere and push your journey forward’ ruggedness and reliability. This build, based on a Tacoma TRD Off-Road pickup, is a full-on outdoors lifestyle machine fitted with a Magnuson Superchargers Roots-type blower and is capable of carrying adventurers with room for their bikes, kayaks, and camping and hiking gear.
This bold project features one-of-a-kind, eye-catching artwork by Ornamental Conifer, the moniker for British artist Nicolai Sclater who is art director at Race Service, the Los Angeles creative agency and culture hub connecting people who share a passion for car and pop culture. Inspired by enthusiasts’ GR Supra builds, Sclater started with a beautiful canvas, a 2021 GR Supra 3.0 Premium in Turbulence Gray, adding expressions like ‘True to Form’ and ‘Lightning Response’ as nods to past and present Supra attributes. Meticulously working with enamel paint and brushes, Sclater hand painted every letterform and graphic, a painstaking tribute to the lost art of sign painting.
GReddy Performance Formula D GR Supra
Built by Ken Gushi Motorsports and GReddy Performance, driver Ken Gushi currently drives the No. 21 GR Supra in the 2020 Formula Drift Pro class. The build focused on three goals: efficiency, simplicity, and impact. As with all race cars, engineering a design that facilitates efficient and quick repairs can be the difference between winning and losing. The simplicity mandate pared down the package to only things needed in a pro drift racer, resulting in a simple and clean race car. Finally, impact – how the package resonates with drifting fans and accentuates the GR Supra’s already stunning design – provides the visual and performance ‘wow’ factor fans enjoy.
Papadakis Racing Rockstar Energy Drink GR Supra
Built by Papadakis Racing, the 2020 GR Supra with its powerful B58 inline six-cylinder engine proved to be an excellent foundation for the organization’s latest racing project. Driven by 2015 Formula Drift champion Fredric Aasbo, the No. 151 GR Supra enjoys tremendous notoriety thanks to the nine-episode YouTube series that documented the build and earned more than 14 million views. Aasbo and the 1,033-horsepower GR Supra are currently in contention for the championship in the 2020 Formula Drift Pro class.
For more information about these Toyota reveals, please visit the SEMA360 Builder Showcase at http://www.sema360.com/, Nov. 2-6, 2020.
For full SEMA 2020 news, click here.
2020 Toyota Tacoma Positioned to Continue Segment Leadership with Host of New Upgrades
Rod is a blogger, writer, filmmaker, photographer, daydreamer who likes to cook. Rod produces and directs the web series, CUPIC: Diary of an Investigator. He is also the editor, producer and administrator of STM Daily News, a part of the TNC Network.
