Retro-look for Toyota Tacoma is very polarizing
Love or hate, it’s different
The one problem with the Toyota Tacoma being so long-lived in model run and reliability is that there are tons of them on the road. It makes it tough to stand out. Or at least it did before coachbuilder Flex Automotive revealed the Windansea.
Modern vehicles with classic bodywork are a big thing in Japan. Look at companies like Mitsuoka to see just how far these conversions can go. Flex, a Tokyo-based company, has been building retrofitted Toyota Land Cruisers for its home market for more than 55 years under the Renoca (renovation car) brand. The Windansea is its first for the U.S. market, sold from a new shop in San Diego.
Flex says that it “combines beauty and strength, conveying a design that melds nature with city life.” We think that it is a very unusual attempt to combine the look of classic Toyota pickups with the design of the 3rd-gen Tacoma.
The Renoca conversion adds a flat and boxy hood and nose to the Tacoma. It gets a vintage-look Toyota text grille and a beefy steel bumper. It also has vintage-look hubcaps. Renoca can go further with the design, adding the usual aftermarket accessories like bed racks, a lift, step bars, and the rest.
Renoca has re-done the cabin, too, with reupholstered seats, new floor mats, and audio system upgrades.
This is a bring-your-own-truck deal, and the Windansea kit will run $52,800. For that, you get professional installation as well as the kit, and it comes with a complete paint job. The kits are made in Japan, and the waiting list is 2-5 months.
