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PreRunner: How Toyota Built a Desert Racer for the Street
Photo: CarBuzz
by Charlen Raymond· via CarBuzz · Jan 8, 2026

PreRunner: How Toyota Built a Desert Racer for the Street

"PreRunner was the last time Toyota made a truck that felt like it had a reason to exist beyond spreadsheet optimization."

— Revvly Take

The N50/N60 Tacoma PreRunner arrived in 1998 as Toyota's answer to trophy truck culture—a 2WD truck with coilover geometry and geometry lifted from actual Baja competitors. The platform proved that you didn't need four-wheel drive to move dirt, just the right suspension tuning and the kind of understated confidence Toyota does better than anyone.

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Charlen Raymond

CarBuzz · Jan 8

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