Meet the HellTaco: Is It the the Wildest, Most Powerful Tacoma Ever Built

When you absolutely, positively need to build the most insane Tacoma on the planet, Stellar Built and Meso Customs are just the team to do it. The HellTaco isn’t your average grocery getter - this beast packs a supercharged 6.2L Hellcat V8 where Toyota’s gutless V6 used to live, and that’s just the beginning of this wild ride.

What started as a simple long travel build spiraled into something completely bonkers. Stuart from Meso Customs wasn’t satisfied with the factory 3.5L, so he twin-turboed it. When that motor grenaded, he considered dropping in a 2JZ but decided he wanted some American muscle instead. Enter the Hellcat engine - all 1,000 horsepower of supercharged fury stuffed into a Toyota cab.

The engine swap meant everything else had to be completely reimagined. CJ from Stellar Built grafted on a Ford Bronco Twin Traction Beam front suspension to handle the massive power and provide ridiculous wheel travel. The factory Tacoma frame ends right behind the cab, with everything aft of that being custom tube work designed around a 60-gallon fuel cell, dual spare setup, and 28 inches of rear travel.

The roll cage isn’t just safety equipment - it’s literally the chassis now. Every tube ties into every other tube, creating a fully integrated structure that’s welded to what’s left of the factory frame. The cage dictates where everything goes, from the PRP seats to the Behemoth transfer case that had to be divorce-mounted behind the 8-speed TorqueFlite transmission.

Building something this radical requires serious attention to detail. The front clip is a one-piece fiberglass unit that hinges forward for engine access, held in place by high-powered magnets and a mechanical latch. No visible hardware anywhere - everything’s mounted from behind with custom laser-cut brackets and 3D-printed stainless steel components.

The 3D printing game is strong on this build. Custom exhaust manifold adapters transition from the Hellcat’s D-shaped ports to round primaries, while a 3D-printed Z-pipe crossover promises better flow than traditional X or H-pipes. Even the light mounts are 3D-printed 316 stainless, TIG-welded to the tube work for a seamless look.

Out back, the Curry 9-inch rear end runs 40-spline axles with 4.56 gears and dual Wilwood calipers on each side - one for regular braking, one for the hydraulic handbrake. The whole rear cradle is removable for access to the fuel system, batteries, and CBR oil and transmission coolers tucked behind the cab.

The mad dash to SEMA 2024 was real. With just weeks to go, the team was still installing bedsides, wiring harnesses, and dialing in the King suspension. The custom dashboard houses the factory Hellcat radio and gauge cluster, while Baja Designs lighting provides illumination through laser-cut bronze mesh grilles.

Rolling on Volk TE37s required custom machined lug nuts with a special key to clear the wheel’s inner dish. The roof panel got the Rolls-Royce treatment with a starlight headliner, because why not add some luxury to your desert missile?

The HellTaco made it to SEMA and earned a spot in the Battle of the Builders top 40. Seeing it fully assembled for the first time was worth the sleepless nights and last-minute thrash sessions. This thing represents everything wild about the pre-runner scene - taking a platform and pushing it so far beyond its original intent that it becomes something entirely new.

Stuart’s vision was to build something his family could enjoy while still being capable of serious desert running. Mission accomplished. The HellTaco proves that with enough creativity, fabrication skills, and willingness to throw conventional wisdom out the window, you can create something truly special. Now comes the fun part - taking this beast out for some proper testing and seeing what 1,000 horsepower feels like when the suspension has room to work.