My short story on the TRD-prepped Tundra regular cab shortbed has inspired some interesting reactions on the Internet. Some doubt the legitimacy of our 4.4-sec 0-to-60 time. Of course, they also admit they've never driven the truck, but hey, the Internet is full of...uh, people with opinions. Yet others think we test our vehicles, or at least this one, with half a tank of gas and a rolling start on a downhill grade. Comments like that are simply ignorant.

Let me clue those guys in. Our Road Test Editor and "hot shoe," Scott Mortara, takes great pride in his testing regimen. You don't ever want to show up at the test track late, low on fuel (which means you didn't fill the tank less than a mile away), or with the crumbs of your breakfast burrito littering the driver's seat. We test from a standing start with 1 ft of rollout per drag-race tradition. We also use a correction factor that neutralizes climate changes that affect performance throughout the year. Our accel numbers still smoke other outlets that test in the same way. We don't fudge numbers. There's no upside to doing so. How is a 4.4-sec pickup going to affect truck sales? I don't think it will. Let's face it, high-performance; drag-racing pickups are not a large niche in truck-sales figures. And, even though the Tundra kicks butt, I'm willing to guess only a few people in the current economic climate will opt for this package.

Before I drove it, I was treated to reports of the Tundra's performance from both Scott and his assistant, Carlos. I wasn't disappointed when I got behind the wheel. I remember giddily piloting a Dodge Ram SRT-10 around Southern California in 2005, wowing friends and family with the rapid acceleration and big Viper engine. The Tundra doesn't have the mystique and heritage a Viper-powered Ram can claim, but it has the speed and endurance. The SRT had a manual tranny with a long Hurst shifter and cue-ball shifter knob. You feel like you're driving an Ed "Big Daddy" Roth cartoon truck. I liked it...a lot. The Tundra experience more closely resembles the SVT F-150 Lightning, an auto trans behind a huffer, only faster. With the Tundra's oversize 22-in. wheels and tires, I'd give the nod to the Ford on road handling capabilities though.

In 2005, Motor Trend did a "Bang for the Buck" article highlighting the normally aspirated Tundra Regular Cab. The stock 5.7L engine is a powerhouse of precision engineering. Toyota Racing Development has been able to extend the performance envelope by more than 120 hp to over 500 and still protect it with a factory warranty. That's very cool. There's even been hushed optimism of a more powerful package in the future.

The Dodge, Ford, and Toyota possess qualities that elevate them from the average pickup. Time, as in "quarter mile" or "0-to-60", is on Toyota's side right now. Funky, bold, over-the-top Americana is best represented by the SRT-10, while the well-rounded street performance package would favor the SVT.

With the demise of the Ford and Dodge, I'm heartened to see Toyota pick up the street-performance mantle. It's the youngest brand, standing in the shallow end of the legacy pool, making this arguably more important to it than it is to us. Since this is a parts-bin truck Toyota's saved the costs associated with developing and adding a limited-edition version to the Tundra lineup. This makes anything this Tundra accomplishes a plus for Toyota.

I must note Toyota has a short but impressive performance-truck history. TRD has done wonderful things off-road and on the track. For the street? One of my favorite performers is the Tacoma X-Runner with the TRD supercharger.