Forget the Presidential Election: Toyota Needs Your Vote for Dream Build Challenge

Posted by Mark Williams | October 20, 2012

Forget the presidential election: After months of project planning, torch welding, plasma cutting and skilled craftsmanship, Toyota's Dream Build Challenge custom-vehicle build-off is now ready for you to decide the winner.

Here's the background: Toyota chose four professional racecar teams and had each one build very different custom cars or trucks for the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Each team had a theme and had any and all tools from their own garage at their disposal. The team leaders were NASCAR racers Clint Bowyer (Prius) and Kyle Busch (Camry), plus NHRA hot shoes Antron Brown (Sequoia) and Alexis DeJoria (Tundra).

All you have to do is go to the Dream Build Facebook page and vote for your favorite custom vehicle. (Here's a hint: We want you to vote for Alexis' Extreme Tundra Desert Runner.) You can also watch several youtube.com videos of each project as it progresses through the (sometimes complicated) build process.

After the vote-collecting Facebook page opens, fans will be able to vote once per day for the next 10 days. During this time, you can track the teams' progress as they head to the finish date. Fans can also change their vote from day to day while competing for daily prizes, plus a chance to win the main giveaway: the Toyota Racing Dream Trip Grand Prize.

Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time Oct. 29, right before SEMA opens. Votes will then be tallied in the early morning hours. "Top Gear USA" host Rutledge Wood will announce the winner live at 11 AM Oct. 30 at Toyota's SEMA Show press conference. The winning team will be awarded $50,000 for its designated charity, with second place receiving $25,000, third place $15,000 and fourth place $10,000.

So get out there and vote!

TUNDRA OFF-ROAD PRE-RUNNER--ALEXIS DEJORIA (NHRA)

FAMILY DRAG RACING SEQUOIA--ANTRON BROWN (NHRA)

"ROWDY" EDITION CAMRY--KYLE BUSCH (NASCAR)

TEKKED-OUT PRIUS--CLINT BOYER (NASCAR)

BUILD LEADERS--ALEXIS, ANTRON, CLINT, KYLE

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Comments

ALEXIS DEJORIA has good taste in her front skid plate design, just about looks like my setup...

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/oxi3/DSCI0027.jpg

I vote for the desert truck!

I just put into my front bumper the infrastructure for the Warn 8,000 lbs. winch that will be installed post-winter. Custom rock sliders also post-winter...

Posted by: oxi | Oct 20, 2012 2:36:21 AM

Lol at the poor nascar boys! I didn't think out was possible to make a sequoia look good!

Posted by: toycrusher84 | Oct 20, 2012 8:53:47 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Et1qBCnv3c&feature=fvwrel

Posted by: johnny doe | Oct 20, 2012 9:32:30 AM

@oxi,

ALEXIS DEJORIA's setup is much cleaner. Look at the front end. Her design is much sleeker and cleaner with the smaller led lights down low and the skid plate painted to match. The body panels have also been built out to fit the larger tires.

Posted by: Dave | Oct 20, 2012 9:50:12 AM

"just about looks like my setup..." - oxi

You wish....

Posted by: Dave | Oct 20, 2012 9:51:32 AM

Love the Tundra!

I feel sorry for the teams that had the Camry and Prius to work with. While they are solid, reliable, efficient transportation for the masses, it would take a miracle to make them cool.

Posted by: Dav | Oct 20, 2012 10:41:23 AM

I vote for a fire at the factory.

Posted by: scott | Oct 20, 2012 2:00:17 PM

I bought a Ram. It has cost me thousands in repair bills. I will never buy anything made by those turds at Dodge again. I wish I bought a Toyota instead.

GUTS

GLORY

TOWING BILLS

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS

BAD TRANSMISSION

CHEAP PLASTIC PARTS

RAM!!!!

Posted by: MadRamBuyer | Oct 20, 2012 2:26:21 PM

GOOOODDD LLLLAAAAAWWWWWWDDDD!!!!!

i wanna see what that sequoia runs lol lol.

and that desert Runner Tundra is really slick!

Posted by: hemi lol | Oct 20, 2012 3:05:52 PM

Toyota is recalling a breathtaking 7.4 million vehicles worldwide for a power window glitch that is a potential fire risk. It's the single biggest recall in the industry since Ford recalled 8 million cars in 1996 for an ignition issue that also could have caused engine fires.

Flames

Fires

Ford & Toyota!!

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 20, 2012 6:29:01 PM

And the SEMA winner is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUNHBe89r6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOhP0lxPw7Y&feature=related

Posted by: SEMA PRESIDENT | Oct 20, 2012 6:38:51 PM

I'll still take the Raptor XT for off road, and the SEMA Juiced Dodge Charger V-10 for the raod..............

Posted by: sandman4X4 | Oct 20, 2012 6:56:28 PM

For a second I thought we could vote on what bits we would like to see thrown together.

Posted by: Mr Knowitall | Oct 20, 2012 7:22:41 PM

The Tundra is cool, same for the Sequoia. The Camry looks ok. I'm not sure how one could make a Prius look good.

Posted by: Lou | Oct 20, 2012 9:05:18 PM

@Dave,

oxi said it looks just ABOUT like oxi's setup...

He didn't say it looked the same!

Give credit where credit due! oxi's setup is one of the best if not THE BEST daily driver tactical off-road trucks on the road today!

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/oxi3/DSCI0040.jpg

Posted by: Jay | Oct 20, 2012 10:15:23 PM

How old are you guys?

12 or 13?

Posted by: oxi | Oct 20, 2012 10:53:01 PM

@scott,

Really a fire at a U.S plant?

You wish death and destruction upon U.S. citizens?

I may report you as a terrorist, I would be careful of your comments. People like you do not deserve to live among society, lunatics and crazy folks deserve to be locked up because they wil do harm to innocent folks!

Stop being a RACIST with you hatred for a name!

Posted by: oxi | Oct 20, 2012 10:55:46 PM

oxi for preisdent!

Posted by: off-road king | Oct 21, 2012 9:29:15 AM

oxi for president! Vote for oxi!

Posted by: off-road king | Oct 21, 2012 9:29:47 AM

I voted for the desert truck too! It looks just like your setup!

Posted by: jamie d. | Oct 21, 2012 9:51:03 AM

Oxi for president of the toyota owners club! I would realy like to see you on the trails some day oxi, with my stock Dakota, I know for certain I would be the first one out the other side.

Posted by: sandman4X4 | Oct 21, 2012 9:53:02 AM

@ sandman4x4

really a stock dakota vs a tacoma of any kind you will lose...... not bein mean to you but ANYONE in the off road world will tell you the same. your dakota has half the approach and departure angles of a tacoma, several inches less in ground clearance and you have 2 open diffs, you lose no matter what you may think bub.

Posted by: hemi lol | Oct 21, 2012 12:13:47 PM

Hemi LOL: my 2003 Dakota reg cab 4X4 has factory lmtslp 3:92 rear diff. with the torsen bars adjusted to the highest, to the point that I was able to get the front end aligned at a lisenced shop, and can fit 32" tires, I have a 5spd with a 4.7 V-8 CAI headers and chip, that is the only thing that is not stock, the chip, headers and cai! I have been to Eping NH 1/4 an ran 14.9/99mph and have gone 115mph before common sence took over, but it was still climbing, I have run on the beach almost every day since new, and have towed many 5000+ trailers, and have carried 1400-1500lbs loads regulary, and in the mud I have yet to get stuck, with other stock trucks, no (mud runners) I run Toyo M/T's and the truck is very good off road (for a stock suspension) truck, and I have reg. gone out with plenty of taco's and have never once been left behind, to the point of them looking back at some times I am not leading, and they always look back and shake their heads, but I have never had to be pulled out, I wish I could post picture here but can't I am not sure what my approach angle is realy good, all you need to do is look at one of that yr and you will tell, the departure is not that good, but I have had no problem, and as far as ground clearence goes, I have measured 10 1/4" at the rear diff. and 14" at the front skid plate, (factory) and the tranfer case has even more and a skidplate, along with the gastank, (factory option), to top it all off when I bought it there was $3000/rebates, so the truck only cost me $19,400!, and I have only had to replace the ball joints, (factory recall but I bought MOOG out of pocket because they have grease fittting the factory has none), and the wather pump was replaced at 62K under the 7ry/70k warranty. You will have to take my word for all this but I swear it is true! O one more thing, those guys in the taco's I mentioned, they have had to have their FRAMES replaced, (by toyota) but still, mine is still fine! and no rust anywhere on the truck at all. Not to mention this truck is run hard and put away wet, most of the time, but I do wash it reg. and wax it at leat 4-5 time a yr.

Posted by: sandman4X4 | Oct 21, 2012 3:16:57 PM

My money is on the Dakota. Go Sandman4x4!!!!! GET R DONE!!

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 21, 2012 8:15:39 PM

That SEQUOIA has that Nitro Chrysler Hemi in it. If you can't beat um join um.

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 21, 2012 9:36:53 PM

A stock Dakota will not do well against a stock Tacoma off-road!

The Tacoma wins because of better approach/breakover/departure angles...

Higher running ground clearance...

Coil sprung front suspension with leaf springs above the axle in the rear, so rear lower shock mounts do not sit so low begging to get hit...

Tacoma and Toyota small pickups in general have a solid history and reliability...

Howmany Dakota's do you see out their modded? Now how many Tacoma's?

Big differance the after market for a Tacoma vs. a Dakota, that again proves the Tacoma is stronger off-road...

I just have an SR5 version Tacoma acces cab model and it dwarfed Dakota's in stock form, meaning more ready and more capable to off-road than the lower Dakota!

By the way I beat a Dakota with the V8 with my Tacoma X-Runner at an autocross, so you can take that V8 and bury that idea!

And my 4-cylinder Tacoma comes with 4.10 gears stock in the rear 8.4 inch axle, so once again a better low range than your Dakota!

Tacoma wins hands down!

Want additional proof?

Tacoma is still in production, what happened to the mighty Dakota?

Posted by: oxi | Oct 21, 2012 9:45:07 PM

The DAKOTA 4x4 you can get a 5.9L Magnum engine. Towing anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8XPSElOm8o&feature=related

The reason why people buy Toyota is not because their mighty.
They get good gas mileage. People are cheap.

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 21, 2012 10:35:24 PM

@ Hemroid V8 stop smokeing crack your mind is getting really messed up! That pos dakota is 6 feet under where it belongs and that stain of a truck is giveing alot of old owners nightmares to this very day.

Posted by: Harley f150 | Oct 21, 2012 10:58:29 PM

Said a man who bought a motorcycle I mean ford truck. LMFAO!

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 21, 2012 11:43:40 PM

Did you get a pair of leather chaps when you bought your Harley F150? So do you wear them when you ride I mean drive your truck LOL.

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 22, 2012 2:18:29 AM

Why don't you stop spamming the board with all of your mindless Ford propaganda. You are about as bad as Frank and FordTrucks1.

Posted by: HEMI_4U | Oct 22, 2012 6:53:27 AM

All guts

All glory

Factory Air Ride Susepension!

The most aero and BEST breakover approach and departure angles.

2013 RAM!!!

Posted by: HEMI | Oct 22, 2012 7:50:05 AM

Guys guys all I am talking about is my 2003 Dakota! that is all! oxi: the Dakota died because the last gen was ugly! and the reason the after market does not cover the Dakota is realy down to marketing, the taco is cheep, and have sold is hugh #'s that is why, but I would take MY STOCK Dakota and hook it to ANY STOCK taco of the same yr. with its original frame, and see who pulls who! I know I would pull your taco anywhere! thru mud, out of mud sand out of sand (I have #'s of times) even tundras! out of sand! new ones (you want to talk about ground clearence? I can crawl under my STOCK Dakota, can you crawl under any new stock tundra? I am sure you can crawl under a taco (I have to see how bad the rust was on one) then at the new frame after the job was done, on not one not two, but three of them I know of around here! You can drive whatever you want, I wont start with the smack, but I wont take it either!

Posted by: sandman4X4 | Oct 22, 2012 9:54:52 AM

That Tundra tank is just too big and heavy for serious off-roading!

Posted by: oxi's conscious | Oct 22, 2012 10:27:41 AM

Hahaha the mopar queens jobless and mad at the world! Stop spamming your garbage the Hemroid crew thinks u can change truck owners minds with your guts glory made in China bs! Its such a laugh reading your comeback posts in a few years Harleyf150 name will be gone maybe i will be blogging under Raptor or Fx4 i wonder what new Ford truck i will buy?

Posted by: Harley f150 | Oct 22, 2012 10:41:18 AM

Ride on, Ride on.lol

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 22, 2012 12:11:30 PM

@sandman4X4,

Can you stop with the HATRED!

The Dakota was a fine pickup but in the off-roading world, not up to par with a Tacoma!

The Dakota sat too low to the ground and they focused on that V8 too much to worry about off-road ability!

I beat a Dakota with the 5.9 with my 4.0 Tacoma because I had a better tuned suspension and 6-speed manuel, that auto was too slow to respond...

Posted by: oxi | Oct 22, 2012 3:34:27 PM

ok bub you bumped your head, were here on planet earth.......... have you looked at a Tundra? seriously? the Tundra has 2 inches MORE ground clearance than EVERY half ton truck. puff, puff, give brother......... The STOCK Tundra has almost the same approach angle as a Raptor (Tundra 29/raptor 30.3) and a MUCH better departure angle (actually the tundra is 2 degrees better but who's countin lol) (Tundra 25 degrees/ raptor 22.8). by Comparison the approach angle of a stock f150 is MORE than 5 DEGREES LESS than a tundra!!!! the Dakota of yours is 25 degrees front 4 less than tundra, its 21 departure again 4 less than tundra. ground clearance on a dakota is 9.4 inches, f150 is 8.6, the raptor 9.5 and AGAIN a STOCK 4x4 Tundra is 10.4!! this is the important stuff that the people on this site seem to ignore

FYI if you hooked up to any 2003 tacoma v6 optioned like your truck it most likely would be a TRD off road package that has a rear locker and would drag your truck on any ground surface. I'm sorry but 3 wheels pulling will beat 2 wheels pulling any day. If you saw a new tundra stuck in sand they DONT know how to change the traction settings, PERIOD. there is NO stock truck on the road (other than a raptor) that would fair better in sand than a Tundra simply because there is no other truck than can send power to more than one of the front wheels, a Tundra is the ONLY one again other than a raptor. so simply put, EVERY 4x4 tundra has this as a STANDARD feature and only one low volume truck from ford can you even option for something like it............

http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/exterior/

http://www.toyota.com/tundra/specs.html

http://autos.jdpower.com/research/Dodge/Dakota/2003/Truck/specs.htm

Posted by: hemi lol | Oct 22, 2012 5:32:25 PM

I'm going out on a limb here, but I predict a Toyota will win this Dream Build contest ;)

Posted by: Lou | Oct 22, 2012 10:10:45 PM

Looks just like yours?

Well then, that Tacoma and yours are too wide and too tall for REAL off-roading!!!!

Looks like a g'd tank!

Posted by: oxymorons | Oct 22, 2012 10:21:43 PM

Why didn't anybody make a simple, diesel powered pickup with proper solid axles? I'd vote for that before any of these abominations.

Posted by: Dinobot666 | Oct 23, 2012 9:03:26 AM

Both the Tundra and Camry look nice. Granted, I'm not a Toyota fan, but i would go for the Camry just for the looks, and if the motor is powerful enough to match the looks.

Posted by: imoore | Oct 23, 2012 4:19:18 PM

I cant believe any of you can read, I have never said ALL Dakotas have anything you claim I said! but MINE has 32" toyo tires, and has just over 10" under the rear diff. and just over 14" under the skid plate at the frt diff.! as far as approach and departure angles I have no idea but that yr 2003 it was better than the lattest (awfull)! , and I have never been stuck in sand or mud when following others that have behind me, and as far as the engine, mine is a 4.7ohc V-8 not the 5.9 w/4sp auto, also I have a 5spd standard with 3:92 lmtslp rear, I would love to get out there with any tacoma that is stock, V-6 even with a TDR blower on it even though my Dak weighs 4,575 with a 1/2 tank of gas, what does a reg cab tacoma, or ext cab V-6 weigh? one other point, where have I ever used the word hate oxi? never, if you have read that from reading into my post I am sorry, but that was never my intention.

Posted by: sandman4X4 | Oct 23, 2012 4:43:37 PM

a double cab tacoma 4x4 weighs in at 4155. during stock tests by PUTC had it running a 16.43 at 85.1 MPH. ALTHOUGH zeroto60times.com has it at "2011 Toyota Tacoma TX Pro Double Cab 4x4 0-60 mph 7.3 Quarter Mile 15.6" which is quite a bit faster than the run that PUTC did.
with the blower everything changes dramically! you probably dont want anything to do with that comment you made.

for reference the link is
http://www.zeroto60times.com/Toyota-0-60-mph-Times.html

You said "I have been to Eping NH 1/4 an ran 14.9/99mph" so why would you wanna run a tacoma with a blower it will LEAVE YOU SITTING! you proof? click the link to a random tacoma double cab running a 13.91 with the TRD charger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cOBcIqIvSI

You like your dakota i get it........... but a Tacoma is a better choice overall no matter how you look at it. you can convince yourself but if you do the same things with the tacoma as you did to your dakota you lose, each and every time. I think you would be suprised just what a stock tacoma can do offroad, you may change your mind if you saw it in person.

Posted by: hemi lol | Oct 25, 2012 10:53:28 AM

hemilol: ok I get it, a stock Dakota wont run with a TRD blown tacoma that weighs 5oolbs less! ok I admit it, but what would happen if I put a Paxton blower on the Dakota? and warrantees dont account, because my Dak is 10yrs old. I have never said a taco is bad, I just like America company's products, you could say a support American co. and everything American I can.

Posted by: sandman4X4 | Oct 25, 2012 3:22:01 PM

@Sandman4x4, Just stick this in. http://www.classicindustries.com/mopar/parts/mn1971.html

SMALL BLOCK 360 MAGNUM
CRATE ENGINE
Part # BPEG75455
455 HORSEPOWER
460 FT. LBS. TORQUE

http://www.jegs.com/p/Mopar-Performance/Mopar-360-Magnum-Crate-Engine/1710916/10002/-1

http://www.jasperengines.com/pdf/MOPAR_360_Panther_Crate.pdf

http://www.proformanceunlimited.com/specs/360_380_al.html

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 25, 2012 7:05:35 PM

HemiV8: the only problem I have with the 360's are weight! I don't know of any aluminum block 360's. Chevy on the other hand has the LS series engines that with a little more work would go right in and weigh a lot less! and make power also! or I could just get the vortec put on the 4.7 I have now and make nice power. Not many folks know that the 4.7 is a laft over 3 gen removed M B engine! and it is a very durable engine!

Posted by: sandman4X4 | Oct 26, 2012 9:39:06 AM

@sandman 4x4, here is an aluminum 410 block from Mopar.
http://www.jegs.com/i/Mopar-Performance/312/P5153378/10002/-1

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 26, 2012 2:41:37 PM

HemiV8!!!!! wow, that is great, now all I have to do is sell the Ford eccocrap, take all the $ and get one of these built! I can only inagine the faces in the rear view of the folks I leave in the dust in my little red reg cab Dakota! with all the HP that would produce! and weigh les than the 4.7 to boot!

Posted by: sandman4X4 | Oct 27, 2012 9:06:19 AM

@sandman4x4, I would take an american V8 over a jap V6 any day of the week and twice on sunday.

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Oct 27, 2012 11:15:44 AM