A new range-topping Toyota Tundra is said to be in development to take on the Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor – and now it appears the forthcoming model has been christened with a name.
According to US website The Drive, Toyota has filed a trademark application for ‘TRD Hammer’, with the name presumably referencing the King of the Hammers off-road race held annually in the Californian desert.
Members of an online forum report Toyota sent a survey to Tundra owners recently to gauge interest in potential names, including TRD Baja, TRD Iron, TRD Pro-S, TRD Bizurk, and TRD Quake, as well as the TRD Hammer.
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Owners were asked to rank the names from one to six, and were given the following explanation:
“This high-performance truck package is designed for off-road enthusiasts, featuring an engineered long-travel suspension and 37-inch all-terrain tyres. With the truck’s unique wide fenders, high-clearance bumpers, and a powerful engine, it achieves exceptional off-road capability and performance.”
The trademark gives a name to a partially camouflaged prototype Tundra that was caught testing in Michigan in July 2025, featuring bolstered guards, suspension changes, and larger mud-terrain tyres.
Interestingly, the wheels on the test vehicle appear to be very close in design to the set of TRD-branded Method wheels fitted to the Tundra Desert Chase concept car shown at the SEMA show in late 2021.
An acronym for Toyota Racing Development, the TRD badge has been retired from most markets – replaced by Gazoo Racing – but continues to be used in the US for sporty and off-road models.
There’s no word yet on what will power the Tundra TRD Hammer, but it’s likely Toyota will turn the wick up on the 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 hybrid powertrain, currently producing 326kW and 790Nm.
While the Ford F-150 Raptor puts out 336kW and 691Nm, Ram is expected to bring the 1500 TRX back in 2026, with the supercharged 6.2-litre V8 to make 579kW and 921Nm.
Despite Australia’s love of performance and off-roading, there’s only a slim chance the Tundra TRD Hammer makes it here – however, if enough buyers express their interest, it could be enough to convince Toyota Australia to consider the model.
The Tundra is currently only manufactured in left-hand drive, so Toyota Australia contracted Walkinshaw Automotive Group for a local remanufacturing program that sees imported left-hook examples converted to right-hand drive.
It’s offered only in Limited and Platinum trim, meaning we miss out on a much wider range of Tundra variants offered in the US. This includes the TRD Pro, which features enhancements like off-road suspension with a 1.1-inch (28mm) front lift, Fox Internal Bypass coil-overs and rear remote-reservoir dampers, as well as 18-inch BBS wheels in all-terrain tyres. It doesn’t offer any extra power, however.
