The Toyota Camry has been a big volume seller for the Japanese automaker, especially in the North American market. The Camry provides all the bells and whistles that you can get with the equivalent Mercedes or Audi but is cheaper. Toyota’s sedan over the years isn’t exactly known for its handling capabilities, opting for comfy ride quality instead. However, there is a sportier TRD edition of the Camry though and has proven to be a hit on the sales charts. However, Toyota has just revealed what can be the most extreme Camry ever.
The automaker along with TRD, its motorsport arm, has unveiled the new TRD Camry Next Gen that will compete from next year in the Nascar Cup Series. Toyota has a well-established presence in Nascar with previous Camrys and racing versions of the Tundra and Supra. The new TRD Camry is based on the new Nascar Next Gen rules which means that it will be a completely new vehicle and will differ from the current Cup Series machines.
According to Toyota, the TRD Camry Next Gen is designed to resemble its production equivalent closer than before. "There has been a substantial amount of work put into the Toyota TRD Camry Next Gen car by all of our partners, but specifically everyone at TRD and Calty Design," said Paul Doleshal. He is the group manager of motorsports and assets at Toyota Motor North America. "This is our topline, track-inspired performance Camry and it seemed only fitting for it to take its spot on the race track."
The Toyota TRD Camry Next Gen comes with new 18-inch forged aluminium wheels with a centre-locking nut instead of the previous 15-inchers with 5 lug nuts. There are hood vents, a composite body while the underbody is sealed, and revised bumpers. There’s a massive rear diffuser, a first for Nascar and the Camry Next Gen is finished in TRD’s signature black/red/white livery. The new-generation cars also come with a raft of safety enhancements including roll bars and legacy hood flaps. The driver has also been shifted back to sit closer to the car’s centre line.
The powertrain is a 5.8-litre V8 that makes 550 or 670 hp depending on the track and is mated to a new 6-speed sequential shift transmission. Camry’s have won 155 Nascar Cup Series races since 2007. The new TRD Camry Next Gen will hope to continue this success rate when it competes at the Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2022.
