What’s cooking? Toyota and celeb chef Tim Love dish up a Tundra mobile barbeque

By Andrew Hard Published October 26, 2015

Toyota Tundra Tim Love — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Like barbeque and most things, barbeque and big trucks go together pretty well.

There’s a ton of room in the bed for grills, stereo systems, drink holders, and seating, so it’s only natural for pickups and BBQ to be combined officially. Toyota has done just that in collaboration with celebrity chef Tim Love, who you may know from appearances on Iron Chef America and Top Chef.

Recommended Videos

The one-off SEMA concept is a mobile tailgating machine, with a 27-inch Solaire infrared grill, two taps for beer and wine, cold storage coolers, PlayStation 4, three LED HD TVs, and six full-range Rockford Fosgate speakers onboard.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

All you need is some food, drinks, and friends to share them with.

“My cooking is about having fun and putting a surprise twist into classic dishes,” explained Love. “This Tundra is definitely perfect for my style. It’s capable of serving up delicious food and a great time to all of my tailgating friends.”

1074948293106796422 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

For the times when you want to take the party to the campground, the exterior of the Tundra has been bolstered for rustic excursions. The Tim Love Edition wears a fully motorized Leer camper shell, Ready Lift leveling kit, Thule roof rack, Bushwacker fender flares, multiple light bars, and 22-inch DPR wheels with Toyo MT Tires.

“This ingenious build highlights why the Tundra is the truck of choice for so many hard-working Americans,” said Steve Appelbaum, Toyota’s Engagement Marketing Manager. “It’s more than capable of hauling equipment to the job site during the week and then pulling tailgate duty at the stadium on game day.”

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

Cars

Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.