Tonka, the brand of die-cast toy trucks, bulldozers and fire engines that has been given as a birthday present to countless youngsters over the past seven decades, just got a gift of its own.
To mark Tonka’s 70th birthday, Toyota’s Australian division converted a top-of-the-line HiLux SR5 double-cab pickup into a driveable Tonka truck with custom sandbox-ready components.
While the re-done bumpers, hood and tailgate are nice, the real star of the show for the four-wheel-drive concept build has to be the black-and-yellow truck’s 35-inch Tonka wheels, which were given an extra six inches of room to operation thanks to a modified suspension.
Powered by a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, the one-off HiLux can generate 174 HP, 309 pound-feet of torque and approximately 1,001 flashbacks to early childhood.
Toyota won’t be selling the truck, but it will be taking it for show-and-tell at auto shows and related events in Australia throughout the year beginning on April 1st at Valvoline Raceway.
Cool of them to share their toys.
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