Dante is a 2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport, named after Dante’s Inferno. Toyota called the paint color Inferno, so the name practically picked itself. Apparently, I like my vehicles with a little drama. The color is basically a rolling sunset with commitment issues. Subtle? Absolutely not. Easy to find in a crowded parking lot? You bet.
I bought Dante in 2021, and since then, we’ve racked up plenty of miles, especially on trips to Colorado. There are trails to ride, mountains to explore, and plenty of opportunities to discover muscles I’d forgotten existed. My favorite trips have been with my teenage son, especially the ones where he learned to drive. Nothing quite bonds a father and son like handing a teenager the keys to a perfectly good truck and watching your life flash before your eyes somewhere on a Colorado mountain road. I learned a lot during those trips, too. Mostly how to keep my mouth shut, how to grip the door handle without making it obvious, and how to say “easy on the brakes” in a voice that sounds calm while your soul is leaving your body.
Dante has hauled mountain bikes up into the Rockies, carried us home tired and happy, and survived enough road trips to qualify for his own frequent-flyer program. He’s a TRD Sport, so he looks ready for adventure even when his biggest challenge of the day is a grocery-store parking lot.