The Toyota 4Runner TRD Surf Concept will be revealed at SEMA in Las Vegas. Photo: Toyota
Way back in 1984, Toyota debuted the Toyota 4Runner. It was a lot different than the 4Runners we see now — a two-door off road vehicle with a removable rear canopy — and it was quickly a hit among truck enthusiasts. As the years wore on, the design changed pretty drastically. Now, for the most part, they’re four-door SUVs. The only thing that remains the same aside from the name is the off-road capability. But at the 2024 SEMA show in Las Vegas, Toyota is showing off the 4Runner TRD Surf concept vehicle.
It’s a serious throwback to the ’80s version. “The TRD Surf chops off two doors from the production SUV and adds a removable top, echoing the original 4Runner,” Car and Driver wrote. “Toyota also beefed up the suspension, added 37-inch tires, and waterproofed the interior.”
According to reports, the concept was created by converting a 2025 4Runner TRD Limited. It very obviously has two less doors, but it also measures two inches wider. Designers also took the Surf title to heart.
“The deep blue paint is accented by turquoise, found in the stripes on the hood, the Toyota badge in the grille, a lowercase ‘turbo’ script along the doors,” Car and Driver continued, “and a series of stylized curves meant to emulate waves on the outside edges of the front bumper.”
Toyota added the removable top — in my opinion the best feature on it — and this one is meant to be removed by one person.
A 3D printed removable top for those sunny days. Photo: Toyota
“Toyota also waterproofed the interior and installed a front seat that flips forward to let passengers slide into the rear quarters,” Car and Driver continued. “The rear passengers will be happy to find a massive roll bar for protection should things turn upside-down on the dunes.”
When the top is on, the vehicle has a roof rack with mounts built for a surfboard, as well as a light bar above the windshield for those dark nights on middle-of-nowhere roads.
The truck has the same engine as the production model SUV, a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder. And of course, it does an eight-speed automatic transmission to a full-time four-wheel-drive system. In short, aside from a few cosmetic changes, it’s the production model SUV 4Runner with a throwback body plopped on top.
Questionable color scheme or no? Photo: Toyota
For those looking for a certain type of pickup — and those who suffer from nostalgia — the concept 4Runner Surf is likely an attractive vehicle. It debuts on November 5 in Vegas, but sadly, it’s probably unlikely that Toyota will actually put it into mass-production.
