Toyota’s 5.7L V8 Tundra
If a mere 381 horsepower in your Tundra just simply doesn’t
get your heart rate up, Toyota
has a pretty nifty package
you can get, that pumps the 5.7 liter V8 up to an autobahn-burning
504 horsepower and stump pulling 550 lb-ft of torque and it’s no joke. The
package is listed in the TRD parts guide and can be ordered across the counter from
Toyota
dealerships.
The truck begins life as a base SR5 regular cab before the
crew at TRD gets their hands on it, where they bolt on the $5875 Eaton Twin
Vortices supercharger and a $1065 cat-back dual exhaust system. Add to that
TRD’s big brake kit with 16” cross-drilled rotors sporting 
massive six piston
matching red brake calipers for $2795, a package that hauls the nearly 5200lb
truck to a stop from 60-0 in less then 130 feet. The 22” tire and wheel combo
costs $4699 and adding the TRD lowering suspension, TRD rear anti-sway bar and
the hard tonneau cover, the total for this hot rod pick came to $45,656.
Common sense aside, this is one very cool truck and while
I’m not usually a truck guy, I have enjoyed driving the Ford Lightning and the
Dodge Ram SRT10 and now this bad boy, and while none of these trucks makes a
whit of sense, they were and are a blast to drive, especially this one. It
probably goes without saying that my week in, what some refer to as the Thundra, went way too quickly. The “come
and get me” red Tundra has a great look as the lowering kit brings the truck
down about 2 inches in the front and 2.5 in the rear. Not only does it look
great
but with all the suspension work and huge 285/35, 22-inch meats, the
truck actually handles pretty well albeit with a ride that’s a bit choppy but
in truth, it just adds to the aura. One thing that took a bit of getting used
to was modulating throttle input. It is very “responsive” to say the least and
does require a bit of getting used to.
Driving this supercharged machine is an exercise in
restraint because it really wants to fly and keeping the rear tires from spinning
was; well let’s just say it’s not easy to do. The supercharger turns the stock
381 horsepower 5.7L
V-8 into 504 horsepower tire melting monster. The supercharger and cat-back dual exhaust are
the heart of the system that allows power 
producing air to flow freely generating performance numbers like 0-60 in 4.5
seconds and a ¼ mile time in the mid-thirteen’s. Those numbers are that of
muscle cars and hardly what you’d expect from a pick up.
I will be the first to admit; jazzing up a truck like this
makes no sense at all, may border on excess and certainly doesn’t do much for
conserving fuel. But when I see how many trucks are on the road today that are
clearly not work trucks, I’m sure there are a significant number of people out
there that will love having this kind of performance, style and dependability available
to them regardless of how much sense it makes. If you want one, check with your
Toyota dealer
because this is not a production vehicle. That said, when you buy from Toyota and have them install
it, no warranties are 
voided although you always check with the dealer for
special conditions to warranties
One thing to keep in mind, just because this truck has all
the goodies you’ll find on muscle cars, it’s still a truck which means it
really isn’t well suited for racing through twisties, it’s nose heavy and trust
me when I say the rear-end will get away from you in a heartbeat. But that
aside, it is definitely a thrill ride and I’d love to do it all over again.
