{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Why Is Toyota Racing This Tundra On 37s? Deep Dive! | Ep. 326","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/why-is-toyota-racing-this-tundra-on-37s-deep-dive-ep-326","audioUrl":"https://audio2.redcircle.com/episodes/d8558afd-5343-4038-96c3-ad7441827638/stream.mp3","description":"( https://www.alltfl.com/ ) Check out our new spot to find ALL our content, from news to videos and our podcasts! Is Toyota finally building a true Raptor and TRX killer? In this episode, Andre sits down with Skylar Watson, a Senior Engineer at Toyota, to go behind the scenes of their factory-backed Mint 400 effort. They didn't just bring a show truck to the desert; they brought a pre-production Hybrid Tundra TRD Pro and put it through one of the most grueling off-road races in America. From the decision to run 37-inch tires to the surprising performance of the stock i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, we break down how this \"passion project\" is serving as a real-world rolling laboratory for future Toyota trucks.The guys also dive deep into the rumors surrounding the \"TRD Hammer\" trademark and what it means for the enthusiast market. Skylar shares what it’s like to navigate the \"carnage\" of the desert at night and how the engineering team is using \"Genchi Genbutsu\" (going to the source) to improve the trucks you can actually buy at the dealership. Whether you're interested in the instant torque of hybrid racing or hoping for a factory wide-body Tundra, this deep dive covers the future of Toyota’s off-road DNA.( http://www.patreon.com/tflcar ) Visit our Patreon page to support the TFL team!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy"},"annotations":[{"startTime":118.6,"endTime":126.56,"type":"car","title":"Ford F150","url":"/cars/ford/f-150","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/2022_Ford_F-150_Lightning_Rear.jpg","quote":"study information and restrictions, visit forhurs.com.  Some say that Toyota is working on a true Ford F-150 Raptor competitor, maybe even a  Remt-RX competitor, with the next TRD Hammer because they trademarked that name.","canonicalId":"car:ford:f-150","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup truck known for being a high-volume, mainstream choice for work and everyday driving. It’s often discussed because Ford’s performance and off-road variants (like Raptor) set benchmarks in the truck world. In this episode, it comes up in the context of competitors and future “Raptor-style” rivals.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Ford F-150 is a large pickup truck made for hauling, towing, and daily use. People talk about it a lot because Ford also makes high-performance versions for off-road driving. The podcast mentions it when discussing possible future competitors to that kind of truck.","imageAttribution":"UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":149.28,"endTime":153.14,"type":"car","title":"Toyota Tundra","url":"/cars/toyota/tundra","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/2007-Toyota-Tundra-DC-1.jpg","quote":"...le  weeks ago where Toyota was competing with the Tundra.  Yeah, but Toyota was actually nice enough to al...","canonicalId":"car:toyota:tundra","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The Toyota Tundra is Toyota’s full-size pickup truck, built for towing, hauling, and long-distance use. It’s significant in truck discussions because it competes directly in the same market as other major full-size pickups. The podcast references it in a comparison context, noting Toyota’s involvement and positioning.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Toyota Tundra is a large pickup truck made for tasks like towing and carrying things. It’s a direct competitor to other big trucks in the same category. The episode mentions it while talking about how Toyota is competing in that space.","imageAttribution":"IFCAR (Public domain)"}},{"startTime":283.6,"endTime":288.9,"type":"concept","title":"research and development","url":"/glossary/research-and-development","quote":"Is this just a weak connectivity for these guys? Or is it some development, some research and development toward actually making something that a regular customer could go out and buy?","canonicalId":"concept:research-and-development","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Research and development (R&D) is the process of testing and improving products through experiments, prototyping, and data analysis. In automotive racing, R&D often uses track or trail testing to uncover what changes actually improve performance and reliability.","simplifiedExplanation":"R&D is how companies figure out what works and what doesn’t. They test ideas—sometimes using race or prototype vehicles—so they can improve the final product you can buy."}},{"startTime":329.6,"endTime":364.7,"type":"concept","title":"Mint 400","url":"/glossary/mint-400","quote":"...to compete in the Mint 400, because if you're not aware, the Mint 400 is a pretty rugged race. It is not an easy competition to just take a factory vehicle off of the assembly line...","canonicalId":"concept:mint-400","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The Mint 400 is a famous off-road race held in the Nevada desert, known for punishing terrain and long-distance durability demands. The segment emphasizes that it’s difficult to take a near-stock vehicle and immediately make it race-capable for this kind of environment.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Mint 400 is a tough off-road race in the Nevada desert. It’s known for rough ground and it really tests whether a vehicle can survive and keep going."}},{"startTime":355.1,"endTime":364.7,"type":"concept","title":"Nevada desert (near Las Vegas)","url":"/glossary/nevada-desert-near-las-vegas","quote":"I mean, it's in the Nevada desert, near Las Vegas, Nevada. And so, there's everything out there. There's sandy washes, there's big boulders and rocks...","canonicalId":"concept:nevada-desert-near-las-vegas","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The Nevada desert location near Las Vegas is part of what makes the Mint 400 so demanding—drivers deal with sand, washboard surfaces, rocks, and big obstacles. The segment lists sandy washes and large boulders to illustrate the variety of stresses a race truck must endure.","simplifiedExplanation":"The race is in the Nevada desert near Las Vegas. That area has sand, rocks, and rough trails, so the truck has to handle a lot of different kinds of bumps."}},{"startTime":447.4,"endTime":452.5,"type":"concept","title":"pre-production vehicle","url":"/glossary/pre-production-vehicle","quote":"...it started its life as a non-sellable, off-the-line pre-production vehicle that is a hybrid TRD Pro.","canonicalId":"concept:pre-production-vehicle","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A pre-production vehicle is an early build used to validate engineering before mass production. It lets teams test durability, systems integration, and real-world behavior—often including racing or extreme off-road conditions.","simplifiedExplanation":"A pre-production vehicle is an early version of a car or truck made before it goes on sale. Engineers use it to test things and make sure everything works reliably."}},{"startTime":593.3,"endTime":598.3,"type":"concept","title":"official finisher laps","url":"/glossary/official-finisher-laps","quote":"And for class by class, there's official finisher laps. ... So the Mint 400 name comes from four laps of around 100 miles per lap.","canonicalId":"concept:official-finisher-laps","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Official finisher laps” are the number of laps required for a vehicle to be considered a finisher in its class. The transcript emphasizes that these lap requirements are set by the sanctioning body and can differ by class.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Official finisher laps” means how many laps you must complete to count as finishing the race. The rules can vary depending on your class."}},{"startTime":632.7,"endTime":637.2,"type":"concept","title":"side by side drivers","url":"/glossary/side-by-side-drivers","quote":"There were other vehicles out there, like professionally side by side drivers that ran a full four laps...","canonicalId":"concept:side-by-side-drivers","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Side-by-side” (SxS) refers to off-road vehicles with two seats and a roll cage, commonly used in desert racing and off-road series. The transcript uses it to distinguish different vehicle types and their ability to run the full required laps."}},{"startTime":709.2,"endTime":712.9,"type":"concept","title":"durability","url":"/glossary/durability","quote":"I think we had confidence in the vehicle and the platform in its durability.\n\nThere was no question of us finishing.","canonicalId":"concept:durability","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Durability in off-road racing means the vehicle can survive repeated impacts, vibration, and heat cycles without critical failures. The speaker ties Toyota’s confidence to the platform’s ability to finish the event.","simplifiedExplanation":"Durability means the truck can take a beating and keep working. In a race, it’s about not breaking down when things get rough."}},{"startTime":759.6,"endTime":763.0,"type":"concept","title":"Kaizen constant improvement","url":"/glossary/kaizen-constant-improvement","quote":"I mean, the spirit of Toyota is Kaizen constant improvement. And we really believe that.","canonicalId":"concept:kaizen-constant-improvement","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement—making small, ongoing changes to get better over time. In racing and engineering, it often means iterating on setups, processes, and parts based on what you learn at the track.","simplifiedExplanation":"Kaizen is the idea of always trying to improve a little bit. Instead of one big change, you keep learning and making small updates over time."}},{"startTime":1059.3,"endTime":1066.9,"type":"concept","title":"regenerative breaking","url":"/glossary/regenerative-braking","quote":"...every corner in that desert, in that environment, we were able to use the hybrid system and then a lot of regenerative breaking and adding energy back into that system.","canonicalId":"concept:regenerative-braking","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.92,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Regenerative braking is when the electric motor switches roles and acts like a generator during deceleration. Instead of wasting all that energy as heat, it converts some of it back into electrical energy stored in the battery.","simplifiedExplanation":"When you slow down, regenerative braking helps turn some of that motion into electricity. That electricity goes back into the battery so you can use it again later."}},{"startTime":1121.2,"endTime":1163.2,"type":"concept","title":"roll cage","url":"/glossary/roll-cage","quote":"Now, the truck has to have a roll cage. I mean, it has to have a lot of safety equipment, obviously, because safety is number one in any racing. So then the truck is now heavier.","canonicalId":"concept:roll-cage","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A roll cage is a reinforced metal frame installed inside a race truck to protect occupants during rollovers or crashes. In racing, it’s often required by rulebooks, and it can add significant weight compared with a stock cabin.","simplifiedExplanation":"A roll cage is a strong metal framework inside the truck. It helps keep you safer if the truck flips or crashes, but it usually adds weight."}},{"startTime":1344.8,"endTime":1350.2,"type":"term","title":"ground clearance","url":"/glossary/ground-clearance","quote":"ride height a little bit with some additional ground clearance rules also\nallow us to add some skid plates underneath.","canonicalId":"term:ground-clearance","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Ground clearance is the distance between the lowest part of the vehicle and the ground. More clearance helps prevent the undercarriage from scraping on obstacles and can improve off-road capability.","simplifiedExplanation":"Ground clearance is how much space your truck has between the bottom and the road. If you have more of it, you’re less likely to hit rocks or ruts underneath."}},{"startTime":1382.3,"endTime":1388.3,"type":"concept","title":"flat tire","url":"/glossary/flat-tire","quote":"I'm clapping because, well, a flat tire and not only slows you down, right?\nYou have to change it.","canonicalId":"concept:flat-tire","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A flat tire is when a tire loses air pressure, usually from punctures or damage. In endurance-style driving, flats are costly because they slow the vehicle down and require a tire change, often ending momentum or strategy.","simplifiedExplanation":"A flat tire is when your tire goes low on air. It’s a big problem because it slows you down and you have to stop to fix or replace the tire."}},{"startTime":1480.1,"endTime":1485.3,"type":"term","title":"shooting head forms at hoods","quote":"His day job is actually a safety crash technician.\nSo he's shooting head forms at hoods.","canonicalId":"term:shooting-head-forms-at-hoods","priority":0.2,"confidence":0.55,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Head forms” are crash-test dummy heads used to measure injury risk in pedestrian/impact safety evaluations. “At hoods” implies hood/upper-front impact testing, where engineers assess how the vehicle’s front structure and hood shape manage head impacts.","simplifiedExplanation":"In crash testing, they use special dummy heads to see what happens when someone’s head hits the front of a car. Testing hoods helps engineers design the front to reduce injury in pedestrian-type impacts."}},{"startTime":1586.7,"endTime":1595.3,"type":"concept","title":"driving in the dark","url":"/glossary/driving-in-the-dark","quote":"I mean, and also, were you in the driving in the dark, racing in the dark at this point? Yes, yep.","canonicalId":"concept:driving-in-the-dark","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Racing in the dark adds major challenges: reduced visibility, glare from headlights, and harder depth perception on uneven terrain. Teams often adjust driving approach and rely more on spotters/navigation.","simplifiedExplanation":"Driving in the dark is harder because you can’t see the terrain as clearly. It usually means you have to drive more carefully and depend more on guidance."}},{"startTime":1638.7,"endTime":1646.0,"type":"concept","title":"whoops","url":"/glossary/whoops","quote":"you can get color changes in the whoops and the terrain. And sometimes it's a little bit more recognizable.","canonicalId":"concept:whoops","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Whoops” are repeated, closely spaced bumps that cause the suspension to rapidly compress and rebound. They’re a major off-road handling challenge because they can unsettle the chassis, reduce traction, and fatigue the driver quickly.","simplifiedExplanation":"Whoops are those repeating bumps in the dirt. They make the truck bounce a lot, so you have to drive smoothly to keep control and not lose traction."}},{"startTime":1664.9,"endTime":1674.2,"type":"concept","title":"pre ran","url":"/glossary/pre-ran","quote":"is I kind of pre ran, so to speak, Vegas, Torino course before it was ever run, right? So so it was like a groomed course.","canonicalId":"concept:pre-ran","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.86,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Pre ran” means the driver/team drove the course ahead of the official race to learn the terrain and plan lines. In off-road events, pre-running helps reduce surprises at speed and improves navigation and pacing.","simplifiedExplanation":"Pre-running is when you drive the course before the race to learn where the bumps and hazards are. It helps you go faster later because you’re not guessing."}},{"startTime":2363.7,"endTime":2395.3,"type":"brand","title":"General Motors","url":"/glossary/general-motors","quote":"[2363.7s] And what General Motors has been doing, our producer, Colin, I know this really well. [2369.3s] Colin, I went Vegas, Torino, we pre ran that in Colorado, ZR2.","canonicalId":"brand:general-motors","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"General Motors (GM) is the parent company behind brands like Chevrolet and GMC, and it’s referenced here in the context of off-road truck development. The speaker argues GM should expand its wide-body/off-road offerings to compete with rivals.","simplifiedExplanation":"General Motors is the company that makes brands like Chevrolet. In this discussion, they’re being called out for needing more factory-built off-road/wide-body truck options."}},{"startTime":2375.5,"endTime":2387.5,"type":"brand","title":"Chevy","url":"/glossary/chevy","quote":"We, we were there watching the Mint 400 where Chevy was participating. [2381.3s] Ford does a lot of this too.","canonicalId":"brand:chevy","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Chevy” refers to Chevrolet, GM’s brand. The segment uses Chevy’s participation in desert racing to support the idea that motorsport involvement helps validate and market off-road truck development.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Chevy” means Chevrolet. The speaker is pointing out that Chevrolet shows up in off-road racing, which helps prove their trucks and sell the idea to buyers."}},{"startTime":2406.5,"endTime":2412.2,"type":"concept","title":"rock crawling","url":"/glossary/rock-crawling","quote":"And we take a lot of these wide body trucks and we rock crawl them because rock crawling is the majority of what we have here in Colorado.","canonicalId":"concept:rock-crawling","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Rock crawling is slow-speed off-roading focused on climbing rocks, ledges, and uneven terrain with maximum traction and control. It typically rewards low gearing, good tire grip, and suspension articulation more than raw speed.","simplifiedExplanation":"Rock crawling is off-roading where you go very slowly over rocks and obstacles. The goal is to keep traction and control so you can climb and maneuver without spinning out."}},{"startTime":2529.0,"endTime":2538.2,"type":"concept","title":"TRD","url":"/glossary/trd","quote":"[2524.7s] Yeah.\n[2525.0s] So they publish a lot about what they're doing and the name DRT is kind of cool\n[2529.0s] because it's dirt racing team and, and DRT minus one vowel is dirt, dirt, but\n[2535.6s] it's also TRD backwards.","canonicalId":"concept:trd","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"TRD is Toyota Racing Development, Toyota’s in-house performance and motorsports branding. In the truck world, TRD often shows up on off-road packages and parts meant to support racing-style durability and traction.","simplifiedExplanation":"TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development. It’s Toyota’s performance and racing brand, and it usually means the truck has off-road or durability-focused upgrades."}},{"startTime":2642.8,"endTime":2650.4,"type":"car","title":"Ford Mustang","url":"/cars/ford/mustang","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/1966_Ford_Mustang_coupe_white_001.jpg","quote":"Jim Farley hinted that, like, Will a Mustang be a Raptor?","canonicalId":"car:ford:mustang","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The Ford Mustang is Ford’s iconic sports car. The transcript is speculating whether Ford could apply “Raptor-style” off-road thinking to a Mustang, or create an off-road supercar concept—basically blending performance-car branding with desert-racing capability.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Ford Mustang is Ford’s famous sports car. The conversation is joking/speculating about whether Ford could make a Mustang that’s built for off-road adventures too.","imageAttribution":"Hans-Jürgen Neubert (CC BY 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2811.8,"endTime":2834.9,"type":"brand","title":"Hyundai","url":"/glossary/hyundai","quote":"Hyundai unveiled a concept on 37s too... So which, and it's very cool because credit where credits do Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, these brands are willing to throw something against the wall and see if it sticks.","canonicalId":"brand:hyundai","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Hyundai is mentioned as a brand willing to take risks with concept vehicles and unusual designs. The hosts also group Hyundai with other Hyundai Motor Group brands (Kia, Genesis) as companies that experiment rather than staying conservative.","simplifiedExplanation":"The hosts are pointing out that Hyundai is willing to try new, bold ideas. They’re saying Hyundai (and related brands) will test concepts to see what catches on."}},{"startTime":2811.8,"endTime":2820.8,"type":"term","title":"37s","url":"/glossary/37s","quote":"And now, once again, speaking about New York City, Hyundai unveiled a concept on 37s too. This was their boulder named after Boulder, Colorado.","canonicalId":"term:37s","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“37s” refers to tires roughly 37 inches tall. On trucks, going to 37-inch tires typically requires lift/clearance work and is strongly associated with off-road capability and a more aggressive stance.","simplifiedExplanation":"“37s” means very large tires—about 37 inches tall. Bigger tires help with ground clearance for off-roading, but they often require suspension and fitment changes."}},{"startTime":2839.6,"endTime":2856.4,"type":"concept","title":"throw something against the wall and see if it sticks","url":"/glossary/throw-something-against-the-wall-and-see-if-it-sticks","quote":"credit where credits do Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, these brands are willing to throw something against the wall and see if it sticks. They're willing to put themselves out there a little bit and try something different.","canonicalId":"concept:throw-something-against-the-wall-and-see-if-it-sticks","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"This phrase describes an automotive strategy of testing bold ideas—often through concept vehicles or experimental styling/tech—then keeping what resonates with consumers. It contrasts with more conservative approaches where brands avoid big risks.","simplifiedExplanation":"It means trying new ideas and seeing what people actually respond to. In car terms, that often starts with concepts or prototypes before committing to production."}},{"startTime":3062.7,"endTime":3064.5,"type":"brand","title":"Volvo","url":"/glossary/volvo","quote":"Some more massive, pretty interesting things that I got to do in Virginia with\n[3062.7s]  some Volvo semi trucks.\n[3064.5s]  So we're looking forward to talking a little bit more about that.","canonicalId":"brand:volvo","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Volvo is a major manufacturer of commercial trucks and is known for building heavy-duty semi trucks used in long-haul freight. In the context of this episode, it sounds like the hosts attended a Volvo semi-truck program or event in Virginia.","simplifiedExplanation":"Volvo makes big trucks that are used for hauling goods. The hosts are saying they went to a Volvo semi-truck event where they got to learn or experience how those trucks work."}},{"startTime":3062.7,"endTime":3076.4,"type":"concept","title":"semi trucks","url":"/glossary/semi-trucks","quote":"Some more massive, pretty interesting things that I got to do in Virginia with\n[3062.7s]  some Volvo semi trucks.\n[3064.5s]  So we're looking forward to talking a little bit more about that.\n[3067.2s]  Yeah.\n[3073.2s]  Fair enough.\n[3073.9s]  Yeah, you had to walk 10 miles around a convention center.\n[3076.4s]  I was pulling big trailers or big semis.","canonicalId":"concept:semi-trucks","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Semi trucks” refers to heavy tractor-trailers used for long-distance hauling. They’re typically built around a powerful diesel engine and are designed to pull large “big trailers” efficiently over highways.","simplifiedExplanation":"A semi truck is a large truck that pulls a trailer, usually for long trips. It’s the kind of vehicle you see hauling freight across states."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"www.tfl-studios.com","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/why-is-toyota-racing-this-tundra-on-37s-deep-dive-ep-326/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}