A Toyota answer to desert-running performance trucks like the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX may be closer than previously thought. Toyota recently filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the details uncovered by The Drive suggest the automaker is preparing to announce something more aggressive.
Filed on March 10 by Toyota Motor Corporation, the application covers the name "TRD Hammer" within the class of automobiles. The name alone doesn't tell us much — Toyota could theoretically be planning a line of TRD-branded hammers for its most dedicated fans. But this isn't the first time the TRD Hammer designation has surfaced.
A February post on the Tundras.com owners' forum, also highlighted by The Drive, reveals that Toyota surveyed Tundra owners about names for a future vehicle. Participants were asked to rank a list that included TRD Baja, TRD Iron, TRD Pro-S, TRD Hammer, TRD Bizurk, and TRD Quake in order of preference. The survey included a description of the hypothetical product.
That description read: "This high-performance truck package is designed for off-road enthusiasts, featuring an engineered long-travel suspension and 37-inch all-terrain tires. With the truck's unique wide fenders, high-clearance bumpers, and a powerful engine, it achieves exceptional off-road capability and performance."
The description points toward the kind of desert-focused performance truck that would challenge the Raptor and TRX head-on, though it could also describe something oriented more toward rock crawling, like the Chevy Silverado ZR2.
Toyota hadn't responded to a comment request from Car and Driver at time of writing. If the trademark leads to a production vehicle, however, we may not have to wait long before Toyota reveals more about the high-performance Tundra — one that now at least has a potential name.
