By my reckoning,
I figure I spent about $50 and countless hours playing Ivan "Ironman"
Stewart's Super Off-Road videogame in the late '80s and early '90s. The game
put you in control of an eight-bit Baja Trophy Truck, which you raced
around a pixelated dirt track against friends and a virtual Ivan Stewart.
Stewart is a legendary off-road champ who won the Baja 500 17 times
and was the only driver to earn both the SCORE and Unlimited Class
series championships in the same year.
Some might
say playing Super Off-Road was a waste of time and money. I could have
been doing something more productive, like studying or helping save
the whales. Until recently, I probably would've agreed with
them.
Fast forward
almost 20 years, though, and it's payback time! I'm
seated next to the real Ironman, who’s piloting a brand-new 2008
Ivan
Stewart Signature Edition Double Cab Toyota Tundra. We're
putting the truck through a series of 0-60 sprints to see how fast
this 504-horsepower, 550 pounds-feet of torque, supercharged pickup can
haul. But more about that in a moment.
Unlike earlier
Ivan Stewart Edition Tundras that used his name and little else,
this truck has Ivan's fingerprints all over it. He's
been involved in every key decision since its inception last year, choosing
its forged 20-inch Alcoa wheels and General AT2 all-terrain tires, Bilstein
shocks, Magnaflow exhaust, and other custom hardware.
"I
chose the same parts that I would drive on my truck," Stewart
said. "For
a person who buys this truck, I want them to know it's my name
and my credibility that’s behind it. Nothing
would be worse than if you lived in East Cupcake, Ohio, wanted to look
cool to your friends and neighbors, and bought a new truck with no-name-parts
because you’re not familiar with the industry. You bring it home
and your buddy, who’s familiar with off-roading, says, 'that
was stupid.' Now you've just embarrassed yourself and you're
stuck with a truck that won't work because the parts weren't
picked to work together. With my truck, you can drive it on the street
or off-road. And, if you drive it within its parameters, it will last
years and years."
Stewart
also partnered Toyota Racing Development, Toyota's
racing and aftermarket parts division, for powertrain and marketing collaboration.
Toyota has sponsored Ivan’s race efforts for more than 25 years.
TRD
developed the Tundra's all-new 5.7-liter V-8 supercharger and
brake kit, both of which come with the truck's top-of-the-line
option package.
Toyota and
TRD are hoping Ivan's name will help
sell more trucks and parts in today's difficult sales environment.
"This
is a great opportunity to capitalize on Toyota's investment
in me and my investment in them. We've been great partners," Stewart
said.
