Toyota Racing Development has been an important part of Toyota’s go-fast efforts since the automaker founded the Toyota Sports Corner in 1957. TOSCO became Toyota Racing Development (TRD) in 1976, and in the years since, TRD has graced both Toyota’s racing efforts and showrooms with souped-up cars. TRD is also the name slapped onto Toyota’s coolest Tacoma and Tundra models, but kids are mean.
Thomas reported that Toyota has finally changed the worst car name in America, the bZ4X, to just the bZ. It’s still a bad name, but at least it doesn’t read like “Bees Forks” anymore. Hugh Crawford noted another Toyota with a name that could be misused:
Oddly I haven’t heard GR86 pronounced as great sex, but maybe I’m just not getting out enough.
I did overhear a couple of ten year olds arguing about whether a Toyota TRD trim pickup was a “turd truck” or a “**** truck” , so there is that.’
D-dub:
My inner 10 year old would die happy if I ever saw a plumber driving a TRD Pro.
I have heard some kids call the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro the “Turd Pro,” which is so sad.
I also loved this one from MaximillianMeen:
For the 2026 model year, the bZ4X drops the number and the last numeral, and just becomes the bZ.
TIL that apparently Thomas is Roman.
And one from Frobozz:
They should’ve called it the Beretta.
Thomas also wrote about the next generation of Apple CarPlay, and who on Earth thought this was a good idea? Mechjaz:
You know what I really need is a 112pt letter indicating the transmission drive mode, and a grey-on-grey 12pt afterthought of any actual information.
Matt wrote about how the new Golf GTI will be an EV, but questions if it should “shift” and make sounds. NC Miata NA:
For the authentic GTI experience in the EV world, VW should add a fake water pump that craps out every 40K miles.
Finally, Thomas wrote a viral story about a Toyota seller from Bring a Trailer who learned the hard way what “no reserve” means. Icouldntfindaclevername:
I bought my MGB from BaT. It sold for less than I think it should have, so did other commenters. I met the owner in person since we lived with in the same town. He was pretty unhappy with the low price of the non reserve sale. He was thinking about not selling it, but needed the money. I had spent like 3 years watching prices, and jumped in with the last bid. I wouldn’t have bid on it, if I had to have it shipped, or a long tow. Since it was so close, I thought what the heck.
The Spirit of Jalopnik Past:
Never let someone else’ seller’s remorse get in the way of obtaining a good deal.
Data:
Spoken like a true Ferengi.
Have a great evening, everyone!
No Toyopet TRD?
My favorite iteration of the abbreviation for Toyota Racing Development was the one I saw several years ago at the used car section of a dealership, on one of those little handwritten inventory tags scotch-taped inside the bottom driver’s side corner of the windshield:
“2017 TOY TACO TRD.”
I, uh, do not want that. LOL
I love a good poop joke, but this has to do with what is in my opinion low brow habbit of pronouncing obvious abbreviations as words.
OLED pronounced “OH-lēd.” It means Organic light emitting diode. A newer form of a light emitting diode of which we never pronounced as “lēd.”
SHO pronounced “SHOW” when it means super high output.
This kind of shit grinds my gears and IDK why. I just think it’s an accuracy and awareness thing.
But TRD as Turd, gets a pass, because, poop.
You are not alone in your disdain for people using show insted of S H O.
I call the SHO a show too 😛
Tell me you don’t say “nasa” or “nato”. Pronouncing acronyms as words is so ingrained in language that many acronyms are created with their word-pronunciation in mind. One of my favorites is the Army Tactical Missile System which they definitely named ATACMS on purpose.
How very CVCC of you.
I was gonna be all like “hey but I had a much better comment elsewhere,” till I thought it through and you know what? More ASS for me.
You can always count on Data to make a Ferengi joke when his emotion chip is active.