Toyota to Debut Special Edition Mascot Tundras at the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show

KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 5 -- Toyota is roaring straight into the spirited University of Missouri and University of Kansas rivalry with two college-themed Tundra pickups at the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show, promising fans of either school the most powerful vehicles ever for their sports enthusiasm.

The two-truck face-off will recall a long history of "Border War" sports contests like the 36-28 hard-fought football duel won by Missouri last Nov. 24 at Arrowhead Stadium. And it will be about the most even match-up ever in that fiercely competitive tradition. That's because the same version of the 2008 Tundra, Motor Trend's 2008 Truck of the Year, will represent both schools.

Both Tundra's will feature eye-catching 22-inch Toyota Racing Development wheels, special leather interiors, heated seats and sunroofs -- plus the kind of brute force rarely found outside their respective football fields.

To wrap them in school spirit, the trucks will be emblazoned with school graphics and fans will even be given a chance to take a photographic memento home with them. The auto show is unfolding at an ideal spot to highlight the schools' rivalry, right near the geographic fault line between two universities that are barely a three-hour drive from one another.

Put on by the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City, the show runs from Wednesday, March 5, to Sunday, March 9, at H. Roe Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Mo. It will feature about 500 new cars, trucks, vans, SUVs and crossover vehicles.

On Saturday, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., the mascots of both schools -- Truman the Tiger for Missouri and Big Jay for Kansas -- will be on hand for photography sessions.

Fans of either school can have their photograph taken with the mascot of their choice, creating a souvenir they can bring out during the Jayhawk and Tiger match-ups far into the future.

The program is part of Toyota's effort to show consumers and dealers how special features and accessories on the 2008 Tundra can make a dramatic statement. Whatever the source of the buyer's inspiration, Toyota dealerships in the area can handle the special ordering and accessorizing themselves.

This is the same truck whose introduction Motor Trend cited as a "seismic event." The Tundra Grade vehicles at the Kansas City Auto Show have a 5.7- liter V8 with 381 horsepower and 403 pound-feet of torque. Plus, it has standard features like four-wheel disc brakes with an anti-lock braking system, electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BA). Owners also get driver and front passenger seat-side airbags and roll-sensing curtain airbags with cut-off switch.

Offering a choice of a 4x2 or a 4x4 drivetrain, the Toyota Tundra has scored points for its handling, durability and pulling power, thanks in no small measure to its three engine options: 4.0L V-6 with 236 horsepower, a 4.7L V-8 with 271 horsepower, and a 5.7 L V-8 with 381 horsepower.

The big V-8 gives Tundra a towing capacity of 10,800 lbs. and more than 400 foot-lbs. of torque. That kind of variety extends to its range of configurations: three bed sizes, and three wheelbases, which make it possible to offer five different cab and bed combinations.

This year, Tundra has gone from 31 different models to 44. Seeing the growing popularity of its Double Cab and Crew Max models, a new more affordable Tundra Grade now offers those cab styles. They had previously been restricted to the mid-range SR5 and high-end Limited Grades.

The full-size Toyota Tundra is the largest, most powerful pickup truck ever offered by Toyota. It was designed and engineered in the U.S., and is built at Toyota plants in Gibson County, Indiana and San Antonio, Texas. Tundra's all-new platform features a significantly expanded wheelbase, an increase of 10 inches in overall length, nearly five inches in height and four inches in width.

About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,450 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs over 35,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.6 million vehicles in 2007. For more information about our company, please visit http://www.toyota.com/ , http://www.lexus.com/ and http://www.scion.com/ .