The Toyota Sienna R-Tuned Concept is at home on the track
Okay, so you’re probably thinking, “coolest minivan ever? Is there such a thing?”
I’m here to tell you that yes, yes there is. And it’s a souped-up Toyota Sienna that’s more at home on the track than on the school run.
For this year’s SEMA Show in Vegas, Toyota created the Sienna R-Tuned Concept—a performance people-mover that’s capable of outpacing the Camaro SS on the track. Yep, this is no ordinary minivan.
The Sienna R-Tuned Concept is powered by the exact same motor that lives under the production Sienna’s hood—a 3.5-liter V6. But thanks to the addition of performance tires, wheels, brakes, double-adjustable shocks with racing springs, and a clutch-type limited-slip differential (all added by performance shop DG-Spec), this Sienna can complete a lap of the Streets of Willow Springs course near Los Angeles in just 1:27. Compare that to the Camaro SS, which finished the 1.7-mile lap one full second later, and you’ll see that this minivan really does have swagger.
“When we produced the Sienna SE, we started moving in the direction of more sportiness beyond what you would find in a family hauler,” said Andrew Lund, chief engineer for the Sienna at Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “With the Sienna R-Tuned, we wanted to see if we could create a vehicle that would push the limits even farther. We definitely proved that it’s possible.”
Check out the Sienna R-Tuned Concept this week at Toyota’s SEMA Show display.
Gallery: Toyota Sienna R-Tuned Concept
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