Is Toyota Finally Building a Ford Raptor and Ram TRX Rival?

The Tundra may be late to the hardcore, high-performance off-roading pickup, but better than never.

Front grille of a white Toyota truck with black honeycomb pattern, four round Rigid lights, and a black metal bumper guard.

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Published March 18, 2026

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Updated March 18, 2026

Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram TRX owners beware, Toyota might be showing you up with a new Tundra variant in the near future. Our friends at The Drive recently received the scoop from an unnamed “insider” close to the matter.

According to the tip, Toyota is secretly working on a new “badass” TRD variant of the Tundra, which could have its sights set on the Raptor and TRX. Although Toyota itself didn’t confirm the work, many details point to the anticipated result.

All roads lead to a supposed Tundra TRD Hammer

Front view of a white Toyota truck with large off-road tires, black grille, four round auxiliary lights, and red TRD suspension components. — Toyota might finally be making a high-performance off-roader out of its Tundra platform.

Rumors about such a prospect have been floating around for some time. But recently, those rumors began picking up momentum and the latest development nudges it closer to a reality.

Over the last few years, Toyota teased the world with some epic Tundra-based concepts at SEMA and other shows. One of which was the 2021 Tundra Desert Chase Concept, which really got the interest brewing for a more high-performance-oriented off-roader variant.

Red Toyota pickup truck with black grille and off-road tires on rocky terrain. — Toyota began hinting at more off-road performance-oriented Tundras with a digital rendering in 2020, during its 50th anniversary celebration for the CALTY design center.

Then, a year later, Toyota released a digital rendering of an aggressive-looking Tundra variant during its CALTY center’s 50th anniversary.

Toyota did follow through on the prospects by producing the Tundra TRD Pro for the current generation. But despite featuring upgraded FOX Shocks with a 1.1-inch front-end lift and factory-equipped all-terrain tires, it still wasn’t a full-fledged Raptor or TRX fighter. And it most certainly left fans wanting more.

White Toyota pickup truck with black grille, roof lights, and off-road bumper in a studio setting. — Rumors point to Toyota’s Tundra TRD Desert Chase Concept from the 2021 SEMA show as inspiration for the new performance variant.

Just last year, spy photos of a new Tundra with more ground clearance and other heavy-duty upgrades began surfacing. And the tip from the company insider, along with recent trademark filings for “TRD Hammer,” are the latest developments.

In the enthusiasts circles, Tundra owners also received company-sanctioned surveys. Said surveys asked about their opinions on a new and supposed “high-performance truck package” that “is designed for off-road enthusiasts, featuring an engineered long-travel suspension and 37″ all-terrain tires.”

White Toyota TRD Pro pickup truck with off-road tires and two spare tires mounted in the bed. — The Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX might finally meet their Japanese match.

According to The Drive and its recent tip, the anonymous source confirmed the tire size, and further described it as being “badass.”

Better late than never

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It’s been almost two decades since Ford changed the full-size pickup game with the OG F-150 SVT Raptor. Ram didn’t follow suit with the TRX until 2021.

GM also didn’t introduce its rivals, the Chevy Silverado ZR2 Bison and GMC Sierra AT4X, until 2022. That leaves Toyota as the straggler, even though it does have an off-roader-lite variant in the TRD Pro.

White Toyota TRD Pro pickup truck with black grille, off-road tires, and roof sunroof in a studio setting. — Do you think the world could use a tougher and more capable Tundra?

Given the popularity of the niche, it only makes sense for Toyota to join the high-po off-roading pickup scene. And if the supposed Tundra TRD Hammer comes to fruition, it might finally put the Detroit Big Three on notice.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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SUVs & Trucks

Is Toyota Finally Building a Ford Raptor and Ram TRX Rival?

All roads lead to a supposed Tundra TRD Hammer

Better late than never

2021 Toyota Tundra TRD Desert Chase Concept

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