Toyota Creates Bad-Ass Homage to Marty McFly’s Pickup

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By the time director Robert Zemeckis released the cleverly titled Back to the Future II sequel to his 1985 megahit Back to the Future, the DeLorean DMC-12 had been essentially reduced to a punchline. Inaccessible whether in bone-stock or modified-for-time-travel versions, the DMC-12 had achieved novelty status; the leagues of rabid fanboys and waves of post-boomer nostalgia wouldn’t arrive for nearly a decade.

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Marty McFly’s very real and very obtainable 1985 Toyota SR5 Xtracab pickup, however, was a dandy of a consolation prize. (1985-model pickups and 4Runners are highly regarded by Toyota enthusiasts, as it was the only model year where the solid front axle appeared in tandem with the legendary fuel-injected 22R four-cylinder engine.) Its reputation for rugged durability and off-road prowess were set in stone by BTTF II’s 1989 release date, and the pickup had fully transcended its West Coast cult status. Even those of us residing in cornfields were smitten with it, and Toyota is betting that many of us will get similarly hot and bothered over its 2016 Tacoma in McFly trim.

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To ensure not a single heartstring goes unplucked, Toyota zeroed in on the original truck’s exact shade of black, rendered the tailgate logo in 1985 style, snagged and fitted—with some modification—some vintage ’85 truck mudflaps, mounted tubular front and rear bumpers, a light bar, and, of course, included a full complement of KC HiLites lamps with period-correct bright yellow “KC” covers. (Updated LED elements replace the filament units that were likely used on McFly’s truck.)

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Modern TRD wheels offer a reasonable resemblance to those of the movie trucks, and the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T.A.s look like new-old stock. A factory lift is used for the proper stance, and Toyota reworked the head- and taillamp lenses slightly to mimic the originals. It’s too bad they had to wait for a special occasion to put together the truck many of us would build given the time and access to a blank check. Although at this point the 2016 Tacoma McFly edition is still just a promotional item, it’s clear that Toyota has struck a sweet spot. Let’s hope they carry through with a production model.

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