Why Toyota Doesn't Need A Ford F-150 Raptor Fighter

TheFord F-150 Raptorproved there was market demand for a factory-built hardcore off-road full-size pickup truck in America. In fact, many Raptor buyers were first-time truck buyers; they just thought the Baja-ready machine was straight-up cool. Very soon, theHellcat-powered Ram TRXwill debut and amore rugged Chevy Silverado 1500is also supposedly on its way. But what's the deal for theToyota Tundra?

CarBuzz spoke to Toyota's chief truck engineer, Sheldon Brown, about this topic, though don't expect an all-out Raptor fighter.

"It's tough to talk specifics about the future of the brand of where it's going to go, but I can certainly confirm we're committed to the TRD brand and Pro," Brown said. "It (Tundra TRD Pro) was the ability to take our off-road package and bring that high-speed off-road trail element to it. It's something that we believe to be an aspirational truck. We want to make sure our off-road customers can take it to that next level and push the performance envelope."

我s there any room above theTundra TRD Pro? "We want to find a good balance. I wouldn't rule it (more power) out. But we need to know what is the purpose of the vehicle and how we want it used. We don't want to get into an arms race for power or towing." Although Brown wouldn't admit to us outright, he was essentially telling us no direct Raptor competitor is planned.

However, he did have this to add: "We think we can do better with more exciting product. Stay tuned. We have some cool things in store." Obviously, this is very vague, but Brown also clarified that "electrification makes sense." Moreover, "truck owners value torque and initial response."