Here are the official specs for TRD’s new supercharger for the Toyota Tundra: it adds 504 HP, 550 lb-ft of torque, and list price for the entire kit is $5,875. The total cost, including installation, will be around $6,800, if based on a labor rate of $105 an hour.

The evolution towards the 5.7-liter TRD supercharger is truly intelligent design. TRD has developed horsepower/torque pushers for the 2000-03 Tundra, the V-6 Tacoma, the Camry Solara, the Scion tC and others. Tundra watchers knew it was only a matter of time before the wizards at TRD addressed the big ‘07 Tundra. Then, at the November 2007 Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) show in Vegas, a concept Tundra Double Cab was spotted with a supercharger and air-to-liquid intercooler generating “approximately” 500 horsepower. Since the Toyota booth display vehicle was attached to a 10,200-pound gooseneck car hauler, the extra power had to be more than simply wishful thinking.

The Tundra TRD supercharger is an Eaton-Roots, or positive displacement type. Fun fact - the patent comes from when Philander and Francis Roots first used the technology way back in 1860 to ventilate mine shafts. When automakers needed to improve engine performance, they had to choose between increasing engine size or efficiency, and went with efficiency. Gottleib Daimler began incorporating blowers into automotive engines in the early 1900s, and they began appearing in racecars and premium autos by the 1920s. Eaton-Roots type superchargers are reliable yet require almost no maintenance, and have the added bonus of eliminating drag on the engine when their boost is not required.

The Tundra’s supercharger features Eaton’s Twin Vortices System (TVS), which has twin four-lobe rotors that feature a 160 degree twist. This design improves air-handling while reducing noise and vibration. The kit includes 8 new high-flow fuel injectors and lower heat range iridium-tip spark plugs. It also comes with an intercooler, which reduces the air inlet temperature to the engine and allows more aggressive ignition timing.

The supercharger’s air supply comes from TRD’s new high-performance air intake, which is similar to the cold air intake kit which TRD offers as a standalone art. When installing the supercharger, the engine control unit (ECU) is programmed with a new high performance engine management profile, which assists the Tundra in harnessing the supercharger’s extra power while maintaining 50 state emissions certifications. It works by changing the engine’s timing and the transmission’s shift points to maximize power.

It takes approximately 9 hours in install the TRD Tundra supercharger, and Toyota will honor the remainder of their 5yr/60k miles powertrain warranty on the condition that the supercharger is installed by your local Toyota dealer. Adding the supercharger is a safe investment, given TRD’s high quality of engineering and Toyota’s agreement to honor the full warranty.

There’s only one catch if you’re hoping to buy your new Tundra with the supercharger. The TRD supercharger is only authorized to be retailed as a dealer installed or over-the-counter option AFTER the sale of a new Tundra. The supercharger and Tundra cannot be sold together at the same time, or financed together. Your local Toyota dealer may be able to find some sort of compromise or deal, but if you’re determined to have a supercharger on your new Toyota Tundra, be prepared to fork over some cash.