Toyota, The Enthusiast Network and Pro Comp Team Up To Make A Tundra Statement
Image vehicles usually have one main purpose. That purpose is to provide a visual example of what a vehicle can look like when taken to a custom extreme. The idea is usually to give viewers something they can often relate to, an idea of what a production vehicle can be with a combination of personal modifications. There is no greater number of image vehicles displayed than at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas which is based nearly completely around the aftermarket.
Over the past few decades it has become clear to most in the automotive world that the SEMA show will usually have some of the most dramatic and even unusual image vehicles of the year. Hundreds of vehicles are built solely for SEMA. And our 2007 Tundra you see here is one of them.
Toyota Motor Sales USA stepped up to the plate and took on top sponsorship honors for the 2007 SEMA Show. With the all-new 2007 Tundra in its first year of production, Toyota Motor Sales USA National SUV & Minivan Product Marketing Manager, Mark Amstock was tasked with the opportunity to place a number of Tundra trucks in the hands of aftermarket media and manufacturer organizations with the premise the trucks would be "customized" to the point of generating aftermarket consumer interest.
We at The Enthusiast Network were fortunate enough to be on this list to receive a prototype Tundra which we could then use to generate aftermarket product installation articles as well as provide the Tundra to many of our advertising partners for product development. Having a 2007 Tundra available not only provided us with the opportunity to generate articles from, but it also inspired us to develop TundraTruckWorld and add it to the large family of make and model specific websites that already exist in the TEN family of automotive consumer community sites.
Toyota provided us with this 2007 Tundra Double Cab 4x4 Limited powered by a 5.7 iForce V8 which was actually built in May of 2006. It was the 31st pre-production Tundra to roll off the Indiana line. Research indicates that one of the truck's purposes was to be used as a demo model on a farm where agricultural consumers could come and drive the truck around and give it a good flogging, then give feedback on their experience. Once the job of being a test mule was complete, the truck was sent to the West Coast where it was then provided to us to serve a more glamorous occupation.
We received the truck just three months prior to the upcoming SEMA show. Like most Tundra owners can attest to over the summer, aftermarket products for Tundras were extremely scarce. Essentially the truck was modded in just 30 days which may not sound that long, but when you consider that most components were one-off prototype parts or first run products, 30 days really isn't enough time. The truck was taken on a milk route through various manufacturer facilities where numerous prototype products were installed and test fit on the truck. Many of the products featured on our Tundra are either pre-production items or the very first production pieces. The limited time frame leading up to the SEMA show kept most manufacturers from having production parts available.
The primary image point for the Tundra was an alliance with Explorer Pro Comp who was the first company to have a full six-inch suspension lift system for the new Tundra trucks. We teamed up with Mark Matthews at Explorer Pro Comp and designed an image concept. The truck received the first production Pro Comp six-inch State II suspension system which has been powdercoated silver to make the suspension parts stand out and easily identifiable. The Pro Comp Stage II suspension consists of a four-inch diff drop front bracket combo along with larger spindles and new Pro Comp MX 2.75c series coil overs. The rear uses a lift block, add-a-leaf and MX6 reservoir shocks. Optional traction bars and stainless steel skid plates compliment the complete Pro Comp suspension package that is available for the Tundra.
With the "theme" of the truck being based around Pro Comp components, the six-inch lift system was teamed with 20x8.5 inch 6066-series Pro Comp Alloy Wheels and 35x12.50 Pro Comp Xtreme M/T off road tires. The combination of the tires and lift made it a little more difficult to get in and out of the truck. The solution was to install a set of AMP Research's new Power Steps which are an electric opening platform step that greatly improves the entry and exit of the truck. The nice thing about the Power Steps is they retract up flush with the rocker panels which prevents them from getting in the way or damaged when traversing off road.
For performance related upgrades, several different makes of air intake systems were installed and documented on the 5.7 engine. The final intake installed and retained was the new AEM Brute Force cold air intake system which opened up the top end a bit while providing that popular intake "roar" that consumers often discuss. Improving that thunderous sound of the iForce V8 was the installation of Bassani's Aft Cat exhaust dual in-dual out exhaust system. The dual side to side tips exiting behind each rear wheel not only look good, but overall the Bassani exhaust provides a great performance sound when throttled.
To dress up the exterior further along the lines of the off-road image the Tundra was taken to Ape Wraps where the graphic side stripe concept was taken from digital to vinyl. Troy Downey at Ape Wraps did a great job of digitally composing the graphic scheme to include our company TEN logo along with the Pro Comp moniker, then applied the artwork to the truck in quick fashion. A Street Scene Speed Grille compliments the graphic pattern of the wrap with the chrome finish blending nicely with the factory chrome surround.
Other additions included fortifying the bed with Rhino Lining's SolorMax color matched bed protective coating followed by the installation of the first prototype off road TireGate. The TireGate replaces the tailgate while providing a means of securing the spare Pro Comp wheel and tire along with adding to the off road appearance. Another great feature of the TireGate is that it functions like a side opening tailgate to allow access to the bed area. To increase secure cargo carrying, a Delta Pro flush mount chest was mounted in the front of the bed which is a great way to haul off road and general vehicle support gear. And speaking of gear, we upped the cargo carrying capacity with the addition of a Defender roof rack from Off Road Unlimited then accessorized the rack with four Pro Comp Motorsports HID 9900 series to light up the trails.
The truck isn't finished, nor will it ever be. The concept of the truck was to market new Tundra products while promoting TundraTruckWorld and the entire TEN automotive websites. The future will definitely include adding more gear that our market partners develop for this model truck and hopefully we will bring it to you right here on TTW.
 The heart and soul of the project was the Pro Comp Stage II six-inch suspension system which gets the Tundra up real nice via a drop bracket system, larger spindles and Pro Comp's new MX 2.75 coil overs. |  Explorer Pro Comp teamed with their brother company Pro Comp Wheels who supplied the 20x8.5 inch 6066-series Pro Comp Alloy Wheels and 35x12.50 Pro Comp Xtreme M/T off road tires. |  The bed takes on a whole new appearance thanks to Rhino Lining Solarmax protective coating which has been color matched to the truck. A Delta Pro low profile truck chest provides a secure place to store gear while the new TireGate is a stylish way to tote that big 35-inch spare while still functioning like a tailgate. |
 Adding to the adventurous appearance while creating yet another place to haul gear, ORU installed one of their Defender roof racks onto the lid of this Double Cab. Pro Comp Motorsports HID 9900 series driving lights are perfect for those nocturnal excursions. |  Bassani cracked open the power production with the installation of their new Aft-Cat exhaust system which has a great sound and really helps to allow the 5.7 iForce engine to reach max rpms. |  |
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