Toyota Gazoo Racing transforms Hilux Tamaraw into race-prepped pickup

We've already seen Toyota modify the Hilux Tamaraw (AKA Hilux Champ in Thailand) into various body styles. At the 2024 Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS), Toyota Motor Philippines showcased three customized versions of the Hilux Tamaraw. These included an RV, a cafe food truck, and what looks like a sports truck.

Clearly, the all-new Hilux Tamaraw was built with customization in mind. Over in Thailand, Toyota Gazoo Racing just revealed a highly-modified Hilux Tamaraw that was built with one thing in mind, dominate the track. That's right, you're looking at a race-prepped Hilux Tamaraw that was built for the Super Pickup championship in Thailand, and boy does it look good.

What originally started as a bare-bones budget pickup truck, Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand gave the workhorse the magic touch. For starters, the single-cab pickup gets a custom body kit along with a racing livery to match. It gets a distinct front bumper with a splitter, a massive air inlet to guide air towards the intake, and a massive radiator to keep the engine at working temperature.

The race-prepped pickup truck also comes with bolt-on fenders, a diffuser on the rear bumper, lightweight alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires, and a massive rear wing that's aptly placed on the tailgate for extra downforce.

While not seen up close, the interior of the Hilux Tamaraw has been stripped of any dead weight. It gets a Sparco racing seat for the driver, a Sparco steering wheel, and a racing-style roll cage bolted directly to the chassis for extra protection in the event of a rollover.

Under the hood, the Tamaraw gets an upgraded version of the brand's 2.4L 2GD-FTV turbo-diesel engine. It gets a new turbocharger, a custom exhaust, a redesigned air intake, and an updated fuel delivery system. No exact output figures were revealed although we're quite sure it makes more than the factory 150 PS and 400 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to a manual gearbox that drives the rear wheels.

Last but not least, a lowered suspension setup, complemented by negative camber on the front wheels, gives the pickup better handling.

With the Toyota Hilux Tamaraw ready to take on the Super Pickup championship in Thailand, should Toyota Motor Philippines hold a one-make race featuring the all-new Tamaraw? After all, they already have the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup, so why not complement it with the all-new Tamaraw?