Photoshop:



The frames could be the same, but the bodies are definitely different. I had to flip the taco image around, so that's why it doesn't show the gas door.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess it's like the current Tacos with an American frame, Toyota body, engine, and drivetrain. The Colorado just happens to (maybe) share the frame this time.

It could be that GM's new Colorado is actually a rebadged Taco body on a GM chasis, both trucks may be built at the NUMI plant in Fremont. It may appear that appear that Toyota is copying GM, since the Colorado was released first.

I always though that the Tundra looked more like an evolved T100 and not a copy of the F150, since the new F150 debued between the T100 and the Tundra(that was going to be badged the T150, but Ford assumed their loyal buyers were to stupid to know the difference and may end up buying a Toyota, so Toyota had to rename the truck).

Iv'e noticed some disturbing inter-breeding with Toyota lately, and I don't mean just the rebadged Matrix/Vibe car:

Dana/Spicer builds frames for the Tundra. they even brag about it in thier website. The idea of joint GM-Toyota enterprise frame sourced from Dana would make some financial sense.

Keep in mind that the Tacoma and the Colorado were designed at a time gas was under $1.50/gal. Drivetrain and chassis were probably done approved before the blackout in '04 ,which would have made gasoline at the time about $1.35/gal.


now for anyone who's been to Australia, you've probably taken notice that the Holden (GM) trucks are re-badged Isuzus, and the Fords are rebadges Mazdas, while the reverse is true up here in teh states. Toyota chooses to produce two variants for each market, as stated before.

The really nice thing that everyone has missed here is that toyota is not stupid. if anything, they have learned the core of capitolism is that you can sell whatever the customer asks for. Toyota now has a void in thier product offerings in that they have no small pick-up. if the gas prices hold (and I hope they do) it would be a very small leap for toyota to start importing turbo diesel Hi-Lux trucks. If needs be, they even have two Tacoma plants, and one could be converted to assemble hi-lux trucks. hopefully, the new tacoma will just die and be buried as a footnote for what not to do.

and forgive my crappy spelling it's still early here <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />