I mean, if you need a 4door car and don't want it to suck your soul out, you could do a lot worse than this. My S197 GT is only rated for the same power which I'm going to believe is justification for a supercharger.
20 years ago when we moved here the neighbor had a stripped down car in his garage. I asked what it was and he said "it's a Camry. But it's a RACING Camry. " And now you can buy them from the factory instead of building them. What a brave new world.
I still can’t get past the cowcatcher front end that Toyota Motor has embraced across their product line. I mean, just how many wandering cattle does anyone encounter in Suburbia these days?
nderwater said:Every time I see TRD on a car or truck my brain automatically shouts TURD.
(no offense to Toyota fans, it's just something I can't unsee)
I would rur TuRD stickers on The Sh!tbarge for sure.
What interesting times we live in. I really like the styling of the 300 horsepower Camry, honestly more than the styling of the new Corvette. And how about that turbocharged and all wheel drive Kia!
I see Camrys all the time around here, I think they look great.
I think I like the styling of the Accord more, but the Toyota V-6 is very good.
Two of my children currently lust after new Camrys. They are 21 and 23, respectively. Both have cool cars -- a FiST and a supercharged Miata.
I'd say Toyota knows what they are doing.
I like it! But I'd like it more with a body-color roof and wing delete as no-cost options.
300hp is getting near normal for sedans these days. It's a different way of thinking when you see a sedan that can pull on an old Mustang or Camaro.
300hp + LSD = good. Of course, the Kia Stinger starts just a couple of grand more, will get cash on the hood, is RWD and, most importantly, is not atrociously ugly like this monstrosity. Toyota's designers are high as heck (and are apparently passing their stuff to BMW designers given the new BMW grilles).
Looks like Toyota took feedback and is reacting to the market..
Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:300hp + LSD = good. Of course, the Kia Stinger starts just a couple of grand more, will get cash on the hood, is RWD and, most importantly, is not atrociously ugly like this monstrosity. Toyota's designers are high as heck (and are apparently passing their stuff to BMW designers given the new BMW grilles).
The last time I walked into a Kia dealership I had to burn the clothes I wore because I couldn't wash the stink off. Kia makes attractive cars these days, but their dealership network hasn't quite caught up.
ZOO (Forum Supporter) said:I'd say Toyota knows what they are doing.
I had four work cars x 2 years each for sales. Two Impalas and two Venture vans. Once I rented a Camry for a 4-hour banzai run to Muncie and back the same day.
My first thought was - did the engineers at GM ever drive a Camry? I'd rock it.
MrFancypants said:Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:300hp + LSD = good. Of course, the Kia Stinger starts just a couple of grand more, will get cash on the hood, is RWD and, most importantly, is not atrociously ugly like this monstrosity. Toyota's designers are high as heck (and are apparently passing their stuff to BMW designers given the new BMW grilles).
The last time I walked into a Kia dealership I had to burn the clothes I wore because I couldn't wash the stink off. Kia makes attractive cars these days, but their dealership network hasn't quite caught up.
Fair enough, although around here, Toyota dealerships are maybe 90% of the gross as well. But yeah, Kia, Dodge and Nissan stores are the worst.
OK we still haven't answered the question of what's it like to drive. It makes power but does it have dead steering and appliance feedback brakes etc? Is it a joyless soul suck box? So is it beige or not?!!!
irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:z31maniac said:irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:I'll be honest, even the normal upper-trim Camrys look pretty good compared to most of the bleh stuff in their class these days.
That tail is horrible though, looks like a pep boys add-on. Otherwise, looks pretty cool. Nice to see they actually add some real performance stuff to justify the badge (though the general thought of a "TRD" Camry still seems kind of funny). Too bad they didn't add an LSD and a manual transmission availability, which would have definitely gotten them some buy-in from the younger "performance driving" crowd.. The thought of a 300hp Camry at the track passing actual sportscars does amuse me somewhat :)
You really think any "young performance driver" is going to drop $30k+ on a TRD Camry?
I suspect the few buyers this does get are going to be the "I have a wife and kids and can't afford a BMW" types.I mean, is there another $30k sedan out there with 300hp and an LSD? (and...Toyota reliability)?....
When I was in my 20s, I drove a Maxima, as did a ton of people my age. Why? Because it had the power, it had the LSD, it had the style that the Camry/Accord didn't have then. No reason Toyota couldn't flip the script on that, since the Maxima is an old-people's car with CVT now and the Accord is very nice and a favorite of 60-something suburbanites, but totally unremarkable style-wise.
BMW buyers are predominently about the image, because there is absolutely nothing special about the driving dynamics, reliability, or interiors of most of the "affordable" BMWs...IMO. And let's be real. Most of the people buying in that category woud'nt know FWD from RWD if it bit them in the ass, and don't care. None of them will buy a Camry. They'll buy a used BMW if they can't afford a new one, because they want to say they have a BMW. They don't actually care about the car itself that much. I actually race BMWs, and woudn't even give a passing thought to actually buying a new one. But I certainly WOULD give a passing thought to buying a 6MT, LSD-equipped 300hp Camry. And yeah, I'm in my low 40s, which is the demographic car-makers car about (by "young" i meant "younger demographic, not old people" - though maybe that's wishful thinking on my part lol. And I actually buy brand-new cars, which is the demographic that matters most to manufacturers .
So yes, I'd consider a $30k Camry 100 times more than I'd consider whatever garbage BMW is putting out in the gutter of their price range.
Yeah, I get that. I just found the "young, performance, FWD, Camry" an interesting set of demographics for which I'm curious if there is a strong demand. I guess Toyota will find out!
I also buy new cars, 3 of the last 4 have been "performance cars." '10 Speed3, '13 Mustang GT Track Pack, '15 BRZ.
We will see what happens next year. I might buy another new car for the first time in a few years, but there isn't really a need. My lady has an '18 Mazda 3, I've got the NC. We don't have kids, so we've really got everything covered.
I'm a RWD, stick shift fiend, and I don't hate that car. Except that black one with the black rims. Further proving black cars with black rims look like ass.
I don’t hate the idea. It looks ugly from the front and with the wing, but a reliable 300hp sedan sounds great, but I haven’t driven one.
Tom1200 said:Is it a joyless soul suck box? So is it beige or not?!!!
I'd put money on it. It may not be beige on the outside but it will be on the inside. I've often wondered just how Toyota manages to so successfully engineer the fun out of an automobile.
True story, just after reading this thread this morning we had to go into town. Our country roads have become so busy with city people that if you get stuck behind a slow poke you could very well be there for the whole trip because you can't pass. As we turned on one of the main roads I noticed a newer Camry ahead, said oh no, and explained to my wife how I thought Toyota drivers are the worst. Sure enough he was flirting with the speed limit the whole time and we were part of a 15 car convoy stuck behind him, but after about 10 minutes I saw my chance and went for it. On the way back out of town, same road, we were at the back of a similar convoy going 10-15 km/hr under the limit. At the front, an older Camry.
I wish they could separate the vents in the back bumper from the taillights by an inch. Visually, having the taillight branch out into a vent like a tributary to a lake doesn't work.
I'm also disappointed that they don't have a manual option. I know they don't sell well, but having such an option would go a long way towards making it seem like they were trying with this car. I've heard claims about some sort of magical modern automatic transmission that is as good to drive as a manual, but I have yet to actually find one of these. (Note - so far I haven't driven anything with a DSG type design, only conventional planetary / torque converter designs.)
And yes, I want to hear about if the suspension tuning actually paid off, or if this is really just another tape package.
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