The car dealerships serving Garden Grove Ca tell us that the Toyota Tundra is a popular pickup truck that has been in production in the United States since May 1999. At this point, it is fair to say that the Tundra is doing pretty well for itself. Before the Tundra was introduced to the American market, car dealers serving Garden Grove point out that only American automakers manufactured pickup trucks.
This is another factor that makes the Tundra a very special vehicle because, as the car dealerships serving Garden Grove Ca duly point out, the Tundra is the first North American full-size pickup truck to be assembled and distributed by a Japanese manufacturer.
The car dealerships serving Garden Grove Ca give us a brief look back at the Toyota Tundra’s history:
Toyota T100: The Tundra’s Beginning
The Toyota T100 was a Tundra that had its production model years from 1993 to 1998, created the path for the larger Tundra. It was bigger than the compact mini trucks that were around at that time but smaller than the traditional American manufactured full-size pickups.
Although it was meant for the North American market, a part of the world where trucks are the holiest vehicles to exist, it was manufactured at the Hino factory in Tokyo, Japan, and was never sold in Japan.
Toyota T100: It Was Never Called The “T-150”
There was a rumor that Toyota wanted to name the Tundra the Toyota T-150 to carry on the naming scheme that began with the T100. Nevertheless, there was a competitor truck called the F-150, so the name of the T100’s replacement had to be changed to Tundra.
Toyota Tundra First Generation (2000–2006)
The first Toyota Tundra was assembled at Toyota’s then-new Princeton, Indiana plant. It was bigger than the T100 but had the same 3.4-liter V6 base engine that the 2000-2004 models had. Eventually, it was replaced by a 4.0-liter V6 for 2005-2006. A 4.7-liter V-8, which was also used in the Land Cruiser and Lexus LX 470, was also available and produced 245 horsepower for the 2000 to 2004 model years. Then the power went up a notch to 282 horsepower in 2005 and back down again to 271 horsepower in 2006. A manual transmission was available for the first-gen Tundra. Also, there was a supercharger for the 3.4-liter and the V-8 too. The 2003 model year got an added step-side bed, and the Double Cab was added in 2004. Approximately 100,000 Tundras were sold each year, which was substantially more than the T100, and 2005 sold a whopping 126,000 units.
Toyota Tundra Second Generation (2007–2013)
Toyota released an all-new and bigger Toyota Tundra for the 2007 model year. The truck was assembled at the original Princeton, Indiana, plant, but was supplemented by a new plant in San Antonio, Texas. In 2008, all the production was moved to the San Antonio plant. This was when the Japanese car company added the powerful 381 horsepower, 401 pound-feet of torque 5.7-liter V-8 engine to the engine lineup. Plus, a bolt-on TRD supercharger kit was available that increased output to 504 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. Ultimately, Toyota let go of the 4.7-liter V-8 for the 4.6-liter V-8 for the 2010 model year. The 4.0-liter V-6 got a push in horsepower and stayed as the V-6 offering during this time.
Toyota Tundra Second Generation (2014–present)
Even though it wasn’t technically all-new, the 2014 Tundra got a massive facelift with the alterations of the grille, fenders, tailgate, taillights, and interior. The cab and doors were the only two features that had the carry-over sheet metal. Engine options remained the same with the 4.0-liter V-6, 4.6-liter V-8, and 5.7-liter V-8. This was when the luxurious Western-themed 1794 edition trim was added.
The 4.0-liter V-6 was discontinued for the model year 2015, and the 4.6-liter was left out for 2020, which just left the 5.7-liter mated to a six-speed automatic as the only engine option.
Third Generation: Coming for 2022
Expect an all-new Tundra for 2022. The truck has not officially been released yet, but Toyota has been doing a good job teasing us with its new full-size. This Tundra will probably be built on Toyota’s most recent truck chassis christened Toyota New Global Architecture-F (or TNGA-F). It will maintain the coil springs in place of leaf springs while dropping its V-8 powerplant for a V-6-only lineup. There is also word on a hybrid trim on offer.
The TRD Arrives On The Scene
In 2015, the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro was launched. The TRD Pro is a different trim level on the more premium side of things due to its larger shocks that provide more wheel travel, a front skid plate, a TRD cat-back dual exhaust system, unique TRD logos, TRD Pro upholstery, an upgraded audio system, and nifty exterior flare.
A Series Of Special Editions
To honor the Terminator 3 movie, Toyota released a T3 Special Edition in 2003. There was also a Darrell Waltrip Edition in 2006, an Ivan “Ironman” Steward Signature Series Tundra in 2008, and a TRD Rock Warrior package for 2009. For 2021, we saw the launch of the Trail Edition and Nightshade Edition.
Towing the Space Shuttle
It was a magical moment when a factory 2012 Toyota Tundra CrewMax pulled the Space Shuttle Endeavor through the streets of Los Angeles en route to the California Science Center.
Million-Mile Tundra
Remember the story that broke the internet? This was when Victor Sheppard of Houma, Louisiana, drove his 2007 Toyota Tundra over 1,000,000 miles. Because of his million miles of seat time, Toyota gave Sheppard a 2016 version in exchange for ownership of the million-mile Tundra.
Tundra Pie Pro
There was once a pizza-making Tundra. This creative invention debuted at the 2018 SEMA aftermarket show in Las Vegas. This truck was a mobile pizza kitchen on wheels and was built by Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center. It could make a pizza in around seven minutes. Apart from all this, it had a hydrogen fuel-cell electric powertrain.