1 of 8
Paul Giamou Photography Ltd. Paul Giamou Photo
2 of 8
Paul Giamou Photography Ltd. Paul Giamou Photo
3 of 8
Paul Giamou Photography Ltd. Paul Giamou Photo
4 of 8
Perry Mack
Howard Elmer (right) highlights new features of Taco at Ribfest
5 of 8
Perry Mack
Kamloops Ribfest
6 of 8
Perry Mack
Taco at Ribfest
7 of 8
Toyota Canada
Toyota's ready for the trail ride in Cochrane, AB
8 of 8
Perry Mack
Truck bed grill for show at Ribfest
By Perry Mack
More than 150 Tacoma fans gathered to get an exclusive look at the all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma in Cochrane Alberta at the Historic Ranche House. The Cochrane stop was one of many on a cross-country tour to showcase the truck to Tacoma fans nationwide.
Renowned truck expert Howard Elmer was on hand to offer expert truck advice, while attendees took in the beautiful background and the Tacoma TRD Sport prototype on scene. Following the vibrant parking lot scene, where truck enthusiasts admired each other’s custom add-ons, off-roaders headed off to the Waiparous region for some off-roading fun to cap off the evening.
One of the sponsors of the event was Cochrane Toyota, who are stoked about getting their hands on the 2016 Toyota Tacoma. As we have mentioned previously in these pages, the 2005-2015 Tacoma is a little outdated and the refresh is welcome. Kyle George of Cochrane Toyota says, “Toyota hit a home run with the iconic 4-Runner and we see a great improvement to the 2016 Tacoma cosmetics and creature comforts, which customers have been requesting. We are excited to see how the new power train handles.”
Reaction from attendees at the event was very positive, as they poured over the newly redesigned Tacoma.
“The highlight for me was experiencing the culture of the Toyota Tacoma owners. We did an off-road excursion into the Rocky Mountains and had a great turn out of 16 Tacoma’s,” explained George. “The event was so much fun that I'm thinking about making this an annual Toyota Tacoma gathering!”
Next stop for the new Tacoma was Kamloops Rib-fest, where sticky fingers got close to the new Taco – but not too close! Howard Elmer explained some of his favourite features of the new Taco, including enhanced interior detailing with iPhone charging pad and GoPro mount; in the back, a heavier duty rear tail gate and a new lighter composite truck bed - which looks like a liner but is actually the truck bed bolted directly to the frame, and naturally the new and improved engine.
Depending on the configuration, the new Taco in a 4x4 version has a 734 kg (1620 lb) payload and 2948 kg (6500 lb) towing capacity, with the new 3.5L V6 generating 278 hp @6000 rpm and 265 lb-ft @4,600 rpm.
#TacomaTour2016