Toyota Billabong Ultimate Venza Concept for SEMA 2009

Toyota Billabong Ultimate Venza Concept SEMA 2009

By Thami Masemola
November 3, 2009 3:59 PM
Filed Under: Japanese, SEMA, Toyota, Tuners

Toyota and Billabong have teamed up for this Ultimate Venza project. It's billed as the ideal active sports vehicle to transport passengers and their baggage to mountains, state parks and the beach. The aggressive custom body kit includes a branded exterior paint design, alloy wheels, fender flares, a custom roof rack to carry surf, snow or wake boards, and large Enkei wheels with Nitto tyres. Toyota Racing Development supplied the big brake kit.

Inside you'll find seats custom-upholstered with wet suit materials and coloured in Billabong's latest colours. There is also a heated shower system with a capacity for 10 gallons (38 litres) for rinsing off after surfing or sea swimming. Fun and comfort are incorporated into the concept so gadgets like head rest-mounted LCD monitors, a multi-media DVD head unit and iPod interface are included.

The vehicle will be officially used by people like Billabong Adventure Division to tow their watercraft throughout wave trips.

Press Release (Click to expand)

Toyota/Billabong Ultimate Venza Concept

The Toyota/Billabong Ultimate Venza makes its debut at the 2009 SEMA Show. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. teamed with Billabong and Street Image to create the perfect active sports vehicle that you could take to the beach, lake, mountains, skate park or anywhere in between and have a blast. The Ultimate Venza will be used to support top extreme athletes at future competitions.

Modifying a Venza to meet the needs of extreme athletes was a natural fit. Its vast interior space, versatility, utility and comfort make it a perfect vehicle for people with active lifestyles.

Street Image built the Ultimate Venza by taking a 2009 Toyota Venza as the starting point. The exterior modification of the Ultimate Venza includes an aggressive custom body kit that includes a unique Toyota/Billabong exterior paint design, fender flares and alloy wheels. A custom roof rack was designed and installed to accommodate surf, snow and wake boards. The roof rack lowers to make it easier to load surf boards and also features a hidden cargo rack that extends from the rear bumper for skis and snow boards.

Street Image also installed a front and rear hitch receiver and Grinch Winch to pull wake boarders into waves or snow boarders and skaters across flat land to a jump or rail. Finally, large Enkei wheels with Nitto tires and a Toyota Racing Development (TRD) big brake kit were added to provide superior traction and stopping power when driving off the beaten path or to the beach.

The interior of the Ultimate Venza utilizes genuine Billabong materials and construction. The seats are custom upholstered with wet suit materials and incorporate Billabong's latest design scheme and colors. The headliner is an artistic color collage depicting Billabong athletes in action.

Additional Ultimate Venza interior modifications include "living" features that will allow the athletes to conduct many everyday endeavors while on the go or at competition sites. Among the "living" features located in the rear cargo area is a custom heated shower system with a 10 gallon capacity for rinsing off after surfing.

A Verizon Wireless access point router was installed, allowing the athletes to receive up-to-date surf or snow reports and other important information. The Ultimate Venza was installed with the latest audio and video equipment from Fujitsu Ten's legendary Eclipse brand. The system features a multi-media DVD head unit, iPod interface, head rest-mounted LCD monitors, 18 speakers and 2,200 watts of power. Rear hatch-mounted speakers allow for enhanced sound quality when relaxing during a post-competition tailgate gathering.

The Toyota/Billabong Ultimate Venza Concept will be the official Billabong Team vehicle for use by surf, snow, skate and wake athletes. It will also be used in the Billabong Adventure Division to tow personal watercraft during wave excursions and will be the official Billabong tow vehicle for their wake team. The one-of-a-kind Venza will also be displayed at Billabong surf contests and camps from coast to coast.