SEMA 09: Tacoma Midnight Rider

[Rex Raider]

2009 Toyota Tacoma Midnight Rider Debuts at SEMA

Tundra Midnight Rider Tailgater by Brooks & Dunn

The Midnight Rider Tundra Tailgater by Brooks & Dunn is a tribute to the legendary country music duo’s career that has spanned over 20 years. The Tundra full-size pickup has been a sponsor of Brooks & Dunn for the past three-plus years and the Tundra Tailgater is Toyota’s way of celebrating the music duo’s upcoming 2010 farewell tour.

The concept for this one-of-a-kind Tundra Tailgater was developed through Toyota’s partnership with Brooks & Dunn. Inspired by the music duo’s large truck-devoted fan base, Toyota wanted to push the boundaries of bed utility and capture the imagery of the truck trucker. Built by The B.A.D. Company, the customized Tundra CrewMax Limited full-size 4x2 V8 pickup was a perfect fit for the ultimate tailgating vehicle.

The Ultimate Tailgating Experience® occurs when you slide out the tailgate, exposing a Grill N Chill® cooking area from Go! Products. The pull-out Grill N Chill features a cooking space with countertops, infrared barbeque, beverage tap and ice chest. An electronically operated tonneau cover enhances your tailgate party with a bed-installed 42-inch flat screen TV and sound system by Kicker. The sound system features a dual subwoofer system and a separate amp, four two-way speakers with tweeters and separate crossovers, and dual two-channel amps with separate equalizers and speaker control units.

On the outside, the truck features custom black paint treated with silver metallic flakes. The exterior is accented by custom western-engraved silver door handles, a front grille adorned with a chrome Brooks & Dunn logo steer skull, a chrome-accented steer skull tailgate handle, and a hand-tooled black saddle leather-trim tonneau cover surrounded with custom Brooks & Dunn silver conchos, all created by noted silversmith, artist and horseman, Clint Mortenson of Mortenson Silver & Saddles. Also added is a Brooks & Dunn license plate frame recognizing 20 years of hit music. The exterior is topped off with 20-inch Mickey Thompson “Classic Lock” polished aluminum wheels with 35-inch Mickey Thompson “Claw” off-road tires, Bushwacker bolt-on fender flares, a three-inch suspension lift, and Toyota accessorized chrome tube steps.

Inside, The B.A.D. Company complements the exterior of the Tundra Tailgater with black leather trim seats and silver accents. Also added is a hand-tooled silver cupholder faceplate and custom saddle horn shift knob highlighted with a silver cap. The interior features a Toyota navigation system and rear seat entertainment. Audio was upgraded with Kicker speakers including one subwoofer, one two-way speaker with separate tweeter crossover in each door, four more separate tweeters mounted throughout the cab, and three amps with an equalizer.

In addition to celebrating 20 years of great music, the vast exposure of the Tundra Tailgater at the 2009 SEMA Show and the Brooks & Dunn farewell concert tour allows Toyota the opportunity to gauge consumer reaction towards the various interior treatments and bed utility, which can help influence future design possibilities.

Tundra Midnight Rider Tailgater by Brooks & Dunn Features

B.A.D Company
• Custom black paint treated with silver metallic flakes
• Silver western-engraved door handle surrounds
• Bronze cast and chrome plated Brooks & Dunn logo steer skull on front grille and tailgate handle
• Brooks & Dunn custom license plate
• 20-inch Mickey Thompson “Classic Lock” polished aluminum wheels
• 35-inch Mickey Thompson “Claw” off-road tires
• Bushwacker bolt-on fender flares
• Three-inch suspension lift
• Toyota accessorized chrome tube steps
• Custom black leather trim seats

Kicker (www.kicker.com)
• Kicker speakers in the cab including one subwoofer, one two-way speaker with separate tweeter crossover in each door, four more separate tweeters mounted throughout the cab, and three amps with an equalizer
• Sound system in bed features a dual subwoofer system and a separate amp, four two-way speakers with tweeters and separate crossovers, and two two-channel amps with separate equalizers and speaker control units

Go! Products (goproductsusa.com)
• Tailgate pull-out Grill N Chill featuring a cooking area with countertops, grill infrared barbeque, beverage tap and ice chest

Mortenson Silver and Saddles (www.silverandsaddles.com)
• Silver western-engraved door handle surrounds and pulls
• Bronze cast and chrome plated Brooks & Dunn logo steer skull on front grille and tailgate handle
• Custom saddle horn with engraved silver Brooks & Dunn ornamental cap shift knob
• Hand-tooled silver cupholder faceplate
• Hand-tooled black saddle leather tonneau cover surrounded with custom Brooks & Dunn silver conchos

[give_it_all_]

I like it minus all the garbage in the bed, and the door handles...maybe lift it another inch or so.

[plane]

Ghastly and overdone.
Not really a useful concept.
The fake wheel rivets are so Jeep Compass.
As a bonus, the chrome cow skull is beyond repair.
Ditch it now.
F-. And that's putting it gently.

[Ironghost]

No wonder they quit country music. Backing this would get them laughed out of Nashville.

[Uzzy]

Well at least you won't get hungry while you're stuck in the mud waiting for a GMC to come pull you out.

[American_Muscle]

looks better then the tundra show truck they had out

[darndot]

looks better than the hot rod truck.

[vanshmack]

They should have slathered it in some football team's colors and sell it as the ultimate tailgater's truck.

It did make me hungry, though.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by vanshmack

They should have slathered it in some football team's colors and sell it as the ultimate tailgater's truck.

It did make me hungry, though.

Now there's a good idea. Though technically, I guess you could call it a Raider Nation truck, but the skull on the front should be the Raiders logo. It would also mean that the truck SUCKS!

(About the only way it could suck worse is if they painted it Honalulu Blue and Silver)

[vanshmack]

Originally Posted by Uzzy

Now there's a good idea. Though technically, I guess you could call it a Raider Nation truck, but the skull on the front should be the Raiders logo. It would also mean that the truck SUCKS!

(About the only way it could suck worse is if they painted it Honalulu Blue and Silver)

So true...

Actually, it's a match made in heaven...Toyota and the Raiders. One is in permanent decay, living on past glory while the other is showing signs of decline while getting by on reputation.

[ZvetteGuy]

The bullhead skull shows that it's a dying breed... nicely done... nicely done!

[Canyonaro]

I like the tires and wheels...........yeah that's about it.