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39 a 4x2 Double Cab with a four-cylinder engine is 4,095 lb. for '16 and 3,725 lb. for '15. Sweers addresses the issue of alternative materials like aluminum and magnesium by arguing that based on such factors and required sectional properties, steel is actually lighter in the application that the alternative materials would be. And it is not like he is opposed to using alternative materials. For example, the bed features a composite inner deck made with sheet molded compound, as does the previous generation Tacoma (Sweers: "We surveyed the customers and found that one of the purchase reasons for the truck is its composite deck.") He points out that they have to source the composite deck from a supplier. "If we made it out of aluminum or steel, we could make it ourselves," he notes. The front bumper is made out of aluminum. Sweers says this was done to meet pedestrian crash protection regulations. In fact, pedestrian crash also drove the height of the hood (a steel hood, incidentally, because, Sweers says, it is accommodated by the manufacturing process in the San Antonio plant, and the hood has been already characterized for pedestrian head impact, predicated on the analysis of 1,200 points on its surface), which is increased by 30 mm compared to the previous-generation model. The rear bumper is long-glass fber composite. Steers says it's stronger than steel. It is a three-piece design so that should a section be damaged (although there is a standard rear-view camera for the Tacoma), it can be replaced. However, Steers says that there is a metal beam in the rear to accommodate the tow hitch. There is no mistaking the 2016 Tacoma—there are 29 confgurations including two cab types (extended Access Cab; four-door Double Cab), both with 4x2 and 4x4 setups, and fve model grades—with being a truck. But this doesn't mean that beefy and brawny is without attention to aero. So they've reduced the coefcient of drag for the truck across the board, reducing it by about 23 lb. (depending on model, the Cd is from 0.385 to 0.389), or about 12% compared to the previous generation Tacoma, which is the greatest overall reduction in Toyota's history, according to Mike Sweers. That said, they've maintained the approach angle of at least 29°. Apparently, some competitive trucks have an approach angle that's comparable to that of a Camry. Which, in no one's estimation, is "bad-ass." I N N O V A T I O N O V E R 4 0 Y E A R S O F ■ Reprogrammable ■ Easily automated ■ Thermally insensitive ■ Low cost of ownership Renishaw.com/gauging out for a wide range of parts quickly and easily. Find out how real-world manufacturers experience up to 70% savings by having Equator right on the shop f oor. This dramatic leap forward in manufacturing productivity brings highly repeatable and thermally insensitive gauging to your process control procedures. Bypass your CMM and inspect in real time, switching Renishaw Inc Hoffman Estates, IL www.renishaw.com EQUATOR ™ —the revolutionary system that brings versatile, reprogrammable gauging to the shop fl oor