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Flex Automotive is adding a new retro-styled truck to its Renoca series of modern Toyotas with classic faces. While Flex previously dealt mostly with modern Land Cruisers, and the occasional Hiace van, it now offers a modified Toyota Tacoma and it’s called the Renoca Windansea.
The Windansea is based on the third-generation Tacoma but Flex replaces its entire front fascia with a custom-built one designed built one that resembles the old 60 Series Land Cruiser. That means it gets the classic circular headlights, a rectangular grille with a corresponding hood, a big front bumper, and a metal skid plate. That’s pretty much it, though. Aside from some black trim, on the fenders and windows, and new wheels, the Windansea’s face is its biggest visual change from a third-gen Tacoma.
Admittedly, there are some additional options you can spec for your Windansea, such as a lift kit, side steps, roof lights, and a bed rack, but you can add those things to any Tacoma using aftermarket parts.
Inside, you can get a dashboard cover, new seats, sound system upgrades, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and Weathertech floor mats. But, again, you can do the same things to any Tacoma.
Flex’s other Renoca models, based on the 80 and 100 Series Land Cruisers, are more cohesive looking. As cool as it is to take a Tacoma and give it a retro Land Cruiser redesign, this one seems disjointed. The rectangular 60 Series face, with its flat lines and sharper corners, doesn’t work as well with the Tacoma’s rounded edges and curved A-pillars as it does with other Land Cruiser models. It isn’t bad looking but it just doesn’t look right. The Renoca 106 (100 Series Land Cruiser with a 60 Series face) and the Wonder (80 Series with a 60 Series face) both look more cohesive.
The Windansea uses the Tacoma’s V6, which is a 3.5-liter unit with 278 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. It also only uses a six-speed automatic and four-wheel drive. If you want one, the kit is built in Japan and then shipped to Flex’s San Diego location and assembled there. Prices start at $52,800 before any add-ons, which includes the used Tacoma, paint matched to the donor car, wheels, and tires.
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