Wheel well gap?

Can anyone explain to me why trucks have such a large wheel well gap around the tire? My Tacoma is my first truck, and I’ve noticed the gap is much larger than on a car. I’ve searched Google and TW and haven’t come up with much, but I’m genuinely curious. Is it to allow for the bed to move when hauling stuff and the wheels to flex when off-roading? Or do truck manufacturers just want to leave room in case folks want to add bigger tires?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

 

It's just the design of the truck.

 

Thanks for the reply! I guess that’s exactly my question—why are trucks designed that way? Just for aesthetics? Or is there a purpose to it?

 

It's a functional thing. Different vehicles have different needs and are designed accordingly. A sports car generally doesn't need a lot of suspension travel to do what it does best and a small gap is good for aerodynamics and looks. With a truck it's typically expected that they will need much more ground clearance and suspension travel than a sports car so they are designed as such.

You can even see the difference between different trucks. There are 2wd, base model Tacomas that come with smaller tires and are closer to the ground. Then there are the Pre-Runner, Pro, Off-Road...etc trim levels which come with larger tires, different suspension, more ground clearance, more load hauling capability...etc.