Toyota has just dropped the Camry GT-S concept. Toyota says it was “inspired by” what the carmaker does on the racetrack. Well, the brand happens to be very involved in racing, through its GR (Gazoo Racing) outfit that’s about to fully assume control of Team Haas in Formula 1.
A Camry will never have much to do with F1—neither will any Mercedes model. But the GT-S designation in Toyota history has meant a great deal, just as GR does today. We think Toyota’s doing more here than meets the eye, but here are the details of the concept that will debut at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers’ Association show (SEMA) in Las Vegas in early November.
Looks For Go And For Show
Kevin Hunter, executive design director for Toyota North America, called this concept “The high-performance hero of the Camry lineup. He said the design team’s remit was to… ” imagine the next evolution of the Camry XSE through aggressive front, side, and rear enhancements that reinforce Camry’s unique position in the world of sport sedans.”
Mainstream Sports Sedans Are A Shrinking Category
Well, that world is shrinking. Sporty sedans above $50,000 are soldiering on, where you can get an Audi A5, BMW 3 Series, and several Mercedes, including the new CLA, but below 40 grand sedans are a dying category. Sports sedans are pretty much non-existent, and maybe that’s because brands like Toyota haven’t emphasized sportiness in the category? The TRD Camry with a 302-horsepower V-6 is history. Now all Camrys are hybrids. But, if anything, we think Toyota knows exactly how to make hybrids quick.
What’s It Got?
Don’t get excited about this part; the GT-S Concept retains the 232-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid with three electric motors on the AWD version.
A Real-World Build
Still, Toyota says they’re bringing the concept to SEMA as a realistic design proposition for a (possible) future car. They made the strong point that SEMA typically sees the opposite—wild builds that will never make it to production, and that the Camry concept is anything but that.
As such, its mods include totally doable changes the manufacturer could make, including adjustable coilover shocks at each corner, that drop the ride height by 1.5 inches, and eight-piston calipers providing quicker grab of oversized, 365mm front brake rotors, with six-piston brakes at the rear pinching 356mm rear rotors. Toyota added 20-inch wheels shod with 245/35R20 tires. (Stock goes up to 19s, with 235/40VR19, so this upgrade isn’t that extreme.)
Toyota’s CALTY Design Research squad, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, added visible bling by revising the rear fascia and bumper, shaped to fit a performance exhaust, and also modified the sides and nose with, respectively, skirting and a spoiler. The two-tone paint scheme is called “Inferno Flare.”
TopSpeed’s Take
Just because sister brand Lexus has killed off the LS, and partly-owned Subaru has vaporized the Legacy, doesn’t mean sedans have to be retired to the dust bin. In fact, an executive at a rival carmaker told TopSpeed recently that they’re expecting renewed interest in sedans from a subset of young buyers who were raised in nothing but crossovers and are bored by the sameness of that shape.
Not to mention, Camrys do sell well for Toyota. And, they pretty much own the space, along with the Honda Accord. So we can certainly see room for Toyota to bring along a hot Camry, and it makes perfect sense to either bring back GT-S as a label, or to house it under the GR squad’s tuning responsibilities. Even keeping it as a hybrid is fine, since Toyota can work serious magic by delivering earlier torque from their 2.5-liter four with augmented electric propulsion. And with all-wheel-drive tweaked for sportier power, the GT-S could be exceptionally fast and fun.
Plus, the Camry line with its own spicier halo car sure wouldn’t hurt for bringing in a younger buyer. It won’t be a GR Corolla, but not everyone wants that. So our ask is simple. Dear Toyota: Do This!