TRD and TRD Pro: What to Know in 2025

Quick Facts About Toyota TRD

• TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development.
• In addition to developing racing technology, TRD engineers increase the off-road capability of several Toyota models.
• Toyota TRD models and their performance components are covered by the carmaker’s factory new car warranty.

If you aren’t quite sure what Toyota TRD is or its relationship to TRD Pro, you aren’t alone. TRD has become so pervasive within Toyota’s product lineup that a TRD version of the Camry was available from 2020-2024. Here, we will untangle some of the mysteries of TRD and its influence on certain Toyota models. Use the jump links if you want to skip ahead.

• What Is TRD?
• What Makes a Toyota TRD Special?
• TRD vs. Aftermarket Modification
• What Are the Levels of Toyota TRD?
• What 2024 Toyota Models Offer TRD Grades?

What Is TRD?

TRD is the acronym for Toyota Racing Development, which was officially launched in 1976 but had begun making Toyota cars go fast nearly two decades earlier. In fact, TRD took root in 1957. That’s when a group of Toyota engineers, working within the newly organized Toyota Sports Corner (Tosco) motorsport branch, prepared a Toyopet Crown Deluxe model for a 19-day endurance event in Australia.

Although Toyota’s entry didn’t win the event, it did finish. This performance provided Tosco enough confidence to enter its Crown Deluxe into the Yomiuri Round Japan Rally the following year, producing a win. With this, Toyota’s racing tradition was off and running. By the late 1960s, the group built purpose-built race cars in collaboration with Yamaha. The oil crisis of the early 1970s brought a change of direction for Tosco, which put its racing efforts on hold, returning its attention to developing competitive touring cars. The Celica Turbo gathered some victories, sparking the idea to develop racing components for street cars. To this end, Toyota rechristened Tosco as Toyota Racing Development.

TRD in 2025

Today, TRD is still the point of Toyota’s competitive racing spear. For example, it builds the engines for Toyota’s entries in various NASCAR series. TRD continues developing higher-performance versions of Toyota vehicles, primarily concentrating on off-road excellence now. It also designs and engineers performance parts to customize Toyota models like Mopar does for the Stellantis family of brands: Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Chrysler.

Is TRD Off-Road a 4×4?

The Tacoma TRD Off-Road is a 4×4, however, don’t be fooled. You must opt for the 4-wheel drive (4WD), otherwise, the “Off-Road” following TRD is meaningless as far as off-road capability goes. The RWD version still has much of the same equipment as the 4WD version, but it won’t be more off-road capable than any other RWD Tacoma.

Although every 4-wheel drive Tacoma can perform off-road, the TRD Off-Road is for more aggressive forays into mud, sand and rocks. Targeting off-roaders who believe the adventure of traveling to a hard-to-get-to destination is the reason for going in the first place, TRD Off-Road amps things up.

What Makes a TRD Toyota Special?

When you see TRD imprinted on a vehicle exterior, you can be assured that TRD was involved in its development. The first thing to know is that there isn’t a set standard for what TRD brings to a vehicle. TRD’s level of engagement varies from vehicle to vehicle and trim level to trim level. For example, TRD had less impact on the Tacoma TRD PreRunner trim than on the Tacoma TRD Off-Road. Among the common components it influences:

• Suspension
• Shocks
• Brakes
• Exhaust
• Wheels
• Air intakes
• Gearbox
• Drivetrain
• Skidplates

Moreover, TRD creates exterior styling components, too, like hood scoops, body cladding, and other exterior accent pieces. The cabin also gets the TRD touch which can include everything from the upholstery accent stitching to the shift knob to the floor mats.

TRD vs. Aftermarket Modification

Many committed off-roaders spend thousands of dollars modifying their stock vehicles with aftermarket components and parts to maximize off-road capability. For them, creating that ideal off-roading vehicle becomes a matter of pride. However, the do-it-yourself approach is a time suck and expensive. A driving force behind TRD-engineered Toyota models is to create that ultimate off-roading truck or SUV at the factory with performance components explicitly engineered for various Toyota trucks and SUVs. In other words, vehicles like the Tacoma TRD Pro can tackle the gnarliest terrain the moment they roll out the showroom door.

TRD Pros and Cons

Pros

• Model-specific: Toyota TRD means the performance components integrate seamlessly with a particular Toyota model to maximize capability, safety, and performance.
• Economy of scale: Because the cost of the TRD engineering and upgraded components are spread across thousands of vehicles, the combined cost is less than adding performance components and parts piecemeal.
• Time saver: Although modifying a vehicle for off-roading can be satisfying, doing so requires a lot of vehicle downtime. Every hour spent modifying a truck or SUV is an hour it’s not on the trail.
• Additional options: Simply because you bought a Toyota TRD vehicle doesn’t mean you can’t add any more performance upgrades. That avenue is still open to you.
• Factory warranty: Next to the seamless integration of purpose-engineered TRD components, arguably the greatest advantage of buying a TRD model is all the performance upgrades are covered by your Toyota’s new car limited warranty.

Cons

• Purchase price: Yes, economy of scale reduces the combined cost of TRD factory modifications; however, it loads all the cost on the front-end purchase price. Your budget may be better served by buying a less capable Tacoma SR5 and, over time, adding the desired modifications.

Do-It-Yourself Pros and Cons

Pros

• Freedom of choice: Hundreds of aftermarket manufacturers and suppliers offer thousands of performance components and parts. This variety allows you to modify any pickup or SUV to be your ideal trail warrior.
• Low purchase cost: By planning and executing your aftermarket modifications, you can better control the costs of both the vehicle and the aftermarket modifications to match your budget requirements.
• Self-satisfaction: There is a degree of pride to be gained when you cobble together exactly the off-road truck or SUV you want.

Cons

• Warranty issues: Not only will any aftermarket components not be covered under your Toyota new car warranty, but some might even void it.
• Time suck: Whether you do the modifications yourself or have them done professionally, they will take time. This is downtime during which your vehicle won’t be available to you.
• Expense: In the long run, adding aftermarket components one by one can be more expensive than buying them as a package integrated into a new vehicle.

What Are the Levels of Toyota TRD?

TRD doesn’t mean the same thing from model to model and trim to trim. When associated with any specific trim level,  the TRD name indicates some direct involvement in defining that grade. Let’s see how TRD influences the Tacoma model lineup.

Toyota Tacoma TRD

An excellent example of varying degrees of TRD influence, the Tacoma enjoys an ironclad reputation for off-road capability due almost entirely to the impact of TRD. Of the Tacoma’s seven core trim levels, TRD is a major contributor to four.

• Tacoma TRD PreRunner: A rear-wheel-drive, 2-door, 2-seat truck with off-road looks and components.
• Tacoma TRD Sport: More looks than capability, a sport-tuned suspension, a decorative hood scoop, and other TRD interior-exterior appearance pieces.
• Tacoma TRD Off-Road: This is the most affordable serious off-road trim. Its upgrades include shocks, special drive modes with Crawl Control, an electronically locking rear differential, and more.
• Tacoma TRD Pro: The ultimate in Toyota off-roading, TRD has tinkered with almost every aspect of this grade to ensure a level of capability to address every terrain. It builds on the TRD Off-Road with performance components like a TRD cold-air intake, Fox shocks, additional ground clearance, an electronic disconnecting front stabilizer bar, a steel rear bumper, available IsoDynamic performance seats, and more.

Besides its sport-tuned suspension, the TRD Sport is an appearance package. Four-wheel drive is optional. To a certain degree, the same can be said about the TRD PreRunner because TRD’s influence was to make a RWD Tacoma look and feel like a 4WD TRD Tacoma. In other words, the two uber off-roaders of the bunch are the TRD Off-Road and the TRD Pro.

Toyota 4Runner TRD

The 4Runner is also a major platform for TRD. It doesn’t share a PreRunner grade but does offer the other three. Additionally, the 4Runner has a TRD Off-Road Premium trim that is the TRD Off-Road grade with a few extra convenience features.

What 2025 Toyota Models Offer TRD Grades?