Off-Road Trim 2024 Tacoma prototype spotted (driving with Jeeps) in AZ

[Trob20]

Someone on reddit spotted a prototype driving around Flagstaff, AZ. This prototype appears to be an off road trim based on the tires. OP said it was driving with two Jeep Wagoners.

source:

Sponsored

 

[JLD94]

Interesting, two sightings a day a part. Not sure why it would be with waggoneers..

 

[Mrknowitall]

Interesting, two sightings a day a part. Not sure why it would be with waggoneers..

Local rentals?

 

[Xtreme Thunder]

Interesting, two sightings a day a part. Not sure why it would be with waggoneers..

These three photos were posted on another Tacoma forum back on 1/11/2023. These photos appear to have come a week prior to the ones posted 1/18/2023.

 

[Dr. Carmaker1]

These three photos were posted on another Tacoma forum back on 1/11/2023. These photos appear to have come a week prior to the ones posted 1/18/2023.

Shocking these were missed at all for a whole week, but this always seems to happen with early stuff, because unique prototype sightings fall by the wayside from ignorant discourse burying it (OP of that thread was being made to feel like their dead accurate prediction was incorrect by armchair idiots, who weren't there) or misidentification.

In some cases Reddit's search function absolutely sucks for that matter. This Reddit thread didn't populate at all, even after yesterday's spy shots. 2 thumbs up to the OP, 10/10, and 5 stars, for even spotting that in another state. He should have sold them to news outlets, but didn't know what he had unfortunately. Could've made some good money.

 

[Dr. Carmaker1]

Interesting, two sightings a day a part. Not sure why it would be with waggoneers..

Local rentals?

Although these are from over a week ago, something I didn't expect. it's clear the driver was angry, because they thought the encounter was with a spy photographer and not a casual observer. The decoy vehicles are not rentals, likely part of Toyota's fleet and deliberately done that way, to pretend to the most average observers that it's not a Toyota test vehicle. Anyone catching them and looking past the decoys, means that they've been exposed and it's too obvious to them what the vehicle is. The guy on Reddit is smart, because he saw the first shots of the new body testing and was able to differentiate them from previous mules right there on the fly.

I would only know, like that Doc guy in the comments, because I recognize Toyota camouflage anywhere and it's very unique to their prototypes. Whether Lexus or Toyota, you can tell right away based on the print designs and much more. At Ford, ours is just as specific and even the case with BMW and others.

A note to everyone, all automakers have their unique camouflage and prototype/mule sheathing patterns. Part of the reason why vehicles are not public for testing once first assembled, is because designing camouflage components made to fit the vehicle at the right specs, takes so much time. It can vary depending on the vehicle, time wise to execute.

 

[Xtreme Thunder]

Shocking these were missed at all for a whole week, but this always seems to happen with early stuff, because unique prototype sightings fall by the wayside from ignorant discourse burying it (OP of that thread was being made to feel like their dead accurate prediction was incorrect by armchair idiots, who weren't there) or misidentification.

In some cases Reddit's search function absolutely sucks for that matter. This Reddit thread didn't populate at all, even after yesterday's spy shots. 2 thumbs up to the OP, 10/10, and 5 stars, for even spotting that in another state. He should have sold them to news outlets, but didn't know what he had unfortunately. Could've made some good money.

It's neat seeing actual old school spy photographs from an enthusiast rather than planned "spy photos" by the manufacturer via photographer being tipped off of time and location. Not something you see much of these days.

 

[JLD94]

It's neat seeing actual old school spy photographs from an enthusiast rather than planned "spy photos" by the manufacturer via photographer being tipped off of time and location. Not something you see much of these days.

When I was a teenager we were driving through Colorado on a trip and we saw 3 camoed cars.... this was back before cell cameras though so there was no quick way to take a picture. I don't remember how quickly I figured it out but realized they were what became the 1994 Mustang

 

[Spartan01]

Be cool to borrow it and take pics. Hopefully not full of Ninjas in back seat.

 

[Nuke]

Hope they are using Top Tier fuel!

 

[Dr. Carmaker1]

When I was a teenager we were driving through Colorado on a trip and we saw 3 camoed cars.... this was back before cell cameras though so there was no quick way to take a picture. I don't remember how quickly I figured it out but realized they were what became the 1994 Mustang

Wow, guessing that was around 1992? That's when the first of them really hit the streets, then again maybe pre-autumn 1993, when the car got revealed.

 

[Dr. Carmaker1]

It's neat seeing actual old school spy photographs from an enthusiast rather than planned "spy photos" by the manufacturer via photographer being tipped off of time and location. Not something you see much of these days.

I really do like that, because both of these truly reflect real spy shots of that nature.

October 5, 2021

January 10, 2023

You can see the prototype development progression from mechanical mule to integrated prototype vehicle. So odd though how these spy shots surfaced so close to that patent leak, which Toyota has never been a victim of with their trucks. It's really unfortunate they suffered this leak.

The first patents for the first gen '95 Tacoma were filed in September 1991, for a rough draft mockup from CALTY Newport for the concept truck. The final truck done in 1992, but lucky for Toyota they didn't file in as stupid a patent office as Brazil's.

 

[JLD94]

Wow, guessing that was around 1992? That's when the first of them really hit the streets, then again maybe pre-autumn 1993, when the car got revealed.

Yep, that sounds about right.

Sponsored