Toyota is pulling out all the stops for SEMA 2024, with a huge entourage of custom builds that go beyond the usual OEM trick of slapping on a bunch of accessories. Need proof? The Toyota 4Runner TRD Surf Concept takes an off-road SUV, chops off the roof over the rear portion of the cabin, and creates an SUV-cum-pickup truck built for surfers. In a word, it’s wild, and it shows Toyota still has a fun side.
Engine 2.4L Turbo Inline-4 Hybrid
Horsepower 278-326 hp
Torque 317-465 lb-ft
Transmission 8-Speed Automatic
Drivetrain 4WD
Towing Capacity 6,000 lbs
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Built as a tribute to Southern California’s surfing culture, the TRD Surf Concept revives a long-dead styling attribute commonly associated with 1980s off-roaders like the Ford Bronco of the era – and the original Toyota 4Runner – with a removable roof over the rear portion of the cabin and a conversion from four doors to two. Built by the Toyota Motorsports Garage, Toyota sees this as a callback to a time when the OG 4Runner was a staple among surfers in So-Cal, leaning into this theme heavily with its removable roof and surfboards loaded in the back.
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A Mechanical Overhaul For Off-Road Supremacy
This TRD Surf Concept started out life as a 2025 4Runner TRD Limited, which has been left mechanically unchanged in most core areas. That means the 2.4-liter turbocharged iForce four-cylinder engine remains unchanged, delivering 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque to a four-wheel drive system through an eight-speed automatic gearbox with a dual-range transfer case. But the Toyota Motorsports Garage saw fit to give it a custom exhaust for a unique sound.
Toyota completely overhauled the suspension of the 4Runner TRD Surf Concept, equipping it with long-travel suspension and billet aluminum front upper and lower control arms. The steering needed revisions, too, and the concept sports custom front axles and the rear-end housing from the new Toyota Tundra. The finishing touch on the bottom end is a set of four 37-inch tires on 17×8.5-inch custom wheels.
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With the mechanical elements left mostly stock, though, TMG set to work on the wild bodywork.
Combining Old And New Fabrication Techniques
The biggest challenge in a build like this isn’t the visual aspect – it’s easy to chop off a roof and call it a day – but in making it perform as well without half its body as it does in stock form. For Marty Schwerter, lead builder and Director of Operations at Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center, this was a non-negotiable.
“Engineering a legitimate, removable top; going from a 4-door to a 2-door while maintaining functional windows; flipping the front passenger seat for improved rear seat access; and adding 2 inches of width to both sides were all just tip of the iceberg issues,” Schwerter said. “What makes this build so stellar has less to do with the changes themselves and more to do with the amazing way that they all work together – the result is truly greater than the sum of the parts.”
TMG started the process with a test run on a fifth-generation 4Runner to work out the kinks, before developing the in-house-built removable top with extensive CAD modeling and traditional fabrication techniques, merging these with 3D printing technology for continuity, precision, and symmetry. The goal was for the roof to be easily removed by a single person – which, anyone who’s ever removed the hardtop from something like a Mazda Miata, will know is no easy feat.
Once the roof was sorted, the rear doors had to be fixed in place to create a two-door SUV, while retaining the rear window functionality.
Surfer-Specific Modifications
The standard 4Runner isn’t built to have its interior exposed to the elements, but the TRD Surf Concept isn’t a standard 4Runner, and so Toyota went to town with a weatherproof interior. Changes to the cabin included:
Soft waterproof flooring A flip-forward front passenger seat for ingress to the rear seats A custom surfboard “Travel Quiver” Custom blue-and-black upholstered seats with TRD Surf embroidery and contrast stitching A rear roll bar with integrated high-mounted stop light
Toyota has even thrown in a couple of custom surfboards to capture the aesthetic perfectly, which can be mounted to a custom roof rack built into the removable roof. And then, to finish it all off, the concept received a custom paint job with dark blue swirls and vivid turquoise Turbo and TRD Surf badging.
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“The 2025 4Runner reminded me of the original, with its rugged look and powerhouse 4cyl engine. I knew it had the potential to be the ultimate beach cruiser. We wanted to create something that would resonate today while paying homage to the past. The removable top was a must, just like the original, and we made sure it’s as functional as it is stylish.”
– Marty Schwerter, lead builder and Director of Operations at Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center
Not A Production Car, But We Can Dream
Sadly, the 4Runner TRD Surf Concept is nothing more than an exercise in creativity, labeled by Toyota as “a special project prototype vehicle, modified with parts and/or accessories not available from Toyota that may void the vehicle’s warranty, may negatively impact vehicle performance and safety, and may not be street legal.” That puts a huge dent in our hopes that Toyota would actually put something like this into production.
Toyota
But, we know Toyota has changed the way it thinks and is now an enthusiast brand in many ways. At last year’s SEMA Show, Toyota told us that it would consider putting the Tacoma X-Runner Concept into production if there was enough demand, so we’re sure the same could be said of this 4Runner concept. That means it’s on every one of us to go to the Toyota stand at SEMA 2024 from 5-8 November and beg Toyota to build it.