What is TRD? A Look at Toyota's Performance Parts Division

TRD has become synonymous with Toyota owners who want to make their vehicles perform better both on the road and off.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Apr 19, 2024 | 3 min read

Toyota

It's become almost commonplace for automakers to offer an in-house high-performance division aimed squarely at enthusiasts. Toyota Racing Development (TRD) is the automaker's factory tuning shop that stretches back decades.

For years under the TRD name, Toyota has offered trim packages, parts, and accessories for street and off-road vehicles in addition to standalone models. TRD also has a long history of supporting Toyota's racing ambitions across the globe.

TRD's presence in North America may have evolved slightly over the years, but it remains an intriguing purveyor of go-fast parts and go-anywhere gear for Toyota owners who want to add capability, functionality, and style to their vehicles.

Toyota

The History of TRD

TRD has been in business in the U.S. since 1979, when its initial focus was building versions of the Toyota truck that competed in the prestigious Baja 1000 off-road race. (The Baja 1000 is an annual event that Toyota won in 1993 and 1998 with driver Ivan "Iron Man" Stewart, adding a class win in 2012 with Andy Bell.)

Off-roading was only the start for TRD's motorsports efforts. Eventually, those efforts grew to include IMSA sports-car racing, rallying, Le Mans-type endurance racing, open-wheel Formula Atlantic Championship and Indy Racing League, Touring Car, NASCAR, NHRA Funny Car, and Formula Drift.

Toyota

Naturally, with such an enormous and varied racing effort underway, many of TRD's performance developments on the track and in the desert's dusty wash were also applied to production vehicles. Toyota began offering TRD-spec body kits and other parts as accessories through its dealerships in Japan in the mid- to late 1990s, as well as trim levels for vehicles such as the Tacoma truck.

Toyota

Current TRD Models

TRD offers various factory-backed parts, including engines, suspension components, brakes, superchargers, and wheels. All of these parts are available through Toyota dealers and can be purchased as accessories on new Toyotas. You can also purchase TRD trims and complete models.

The current crop of TRD U.S. models skews heavily toward off-road vehicles. The TRD and TRD Pro badges have become associated with some of the most reliable and capable trail-ready vehicles on the market.

Toyota

Each of Toyota's pickups is available in TRD editions. These include the midsize Tacoma TRD Pro, the Tacoma TRD Off-Road, and the full-size Tundra TRD Pro. There's also the midsize 4Runner TRD Pro and TRD Off-Road plus the Sequoia TRD Pro full-size SUV.

Toyota additionally sells the Tacoma TRD Sport and the 4Runner TRD Sport as street-oriented models with suspension improvements and styling updates to reflect their more aggressive character.

Rounding out the asphalt performance lineup is the Toyota Camry TRD, the hottest version of the brand's strong-selling midsize sedan.

Toyota

What's the Difference Between Toyota's TRD and GR?

TRD isn't the only performance badge available from Toyota. Over the past several years, the company's Gazoo Racing division has moved from competing exclusively in sports-car racing into marketing street cars.

Currently, Gazoo Racing, or GR, is a sub-brand Toyota offers that counts the GR86 compact sports coupe, the GR Supra grand tourer, and the GR Corolla hatchback in its lineup. Each GR vehicle is strictly designed for the road, which means that, at Toyota, TRD continues an undisputed dominion over the dirt and rocks off-road.

Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.