Apparently, SEMA is happening again, and this year, Toyota will be showing up with the Camry GT-S concept. Is it a radical transformation that will cause you to reevaluate your understanding of what a Camry could be? Nope, not at all. But its Inferno Flare paint does look outstanding, and I’m going to need Toyota to start offering it on production cars immediately. Is it going to be a color every single person will want on their new Camry? Of course not. But don’t pretend the world wouldn’t be ever so slightly better if orange paint were an option.
If you were expecting a Camry with a Supra engine or something truly exciting, I have bad news about the powertrain. As Toyota put it, “Unlike the over-the-top builds that often headline SEMA, the GT-S stays rooted in reality with its 232 horsepower, stock 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid system remaining unchanged.” And if you want to know what changes Toyota made to the interior, there aren’t any. Again, in Toyota’s words, “The interior, too, remains true to the production Camry, underscoring the build’s mission to highlight exterior design, stance, and chassis tuning as a natural extension of Camry’s existing capabilities.”
While that may be a little disappointing, you have to admit, it’s at least some great spin. Toyota didn’t build this car on a limited budget. It merely kept the GT-S rooted in reality and highlighted exterior design, stance and chassis tuning. Naturally. (Also, if you’re the one who wrote this, I mean that as a genuine compliment, even if I am being a little sarcastic here.)
Changes to the Camry GT-S
So what did they change? Well, aside from a performance-y body kit and the aforementioned orange paint (plus a black hood and roof, as well as a few other black accents), “[t]he team also focused on upgrades to complement the pronounced GT-S bodylines.” In other words, it gets a handling kit that includes adjustable coilovers at all four corners, which lower the ride height by about 1.5 inches. They also added a big brake kit that includes eight-piston calipers gripping 365-mm front rotors and 356-mm rotors with six-piston calipers around back. Then they added 20-inch performance wheels wearing a set of 245/35R20 tires.
Oh, and it also has a sports exhaust. Can’t forget the sports exhaust. That’s very important, even if it’s hard to see in the press photos provided.
None of that is going to make the Camry GT-S any quicker in a straight line, but I’d be willing to bet it makes the Camry a lot more fun to drive. And allegedly, the new Camry is already a lot more fun to drive than its predecessor. Since it’s a SEMA car, I doubt any journalists will get to drive it so they can find out, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if the GT-S concept previewed an upcoming Camry TRD. We weren’t exactly blown away by the last Camry TRD, but maybe the improvements Toyota made to the non-TRD Camry will translate into a more fun-to-drive package this time.
New Camry TRD?
I, of course, can’t know that for sure, but Toyota does appear to hint that this GT-S concept previews an upcoming Camry TRD a few times in the release, including in this statement from Mike Tripp, Toyota’s VP of marketing:
Camry has always been a core part of our lineup, and with the GT-S Concept we’re showing what’s possible when you infuse a sport sedan with even more attitude and performance-inspired personality. This build is intentionally grounded in reality—it’s the kind of car customers can picture themselves driving home. SEMA gives us the chance to test new ideas, listen to enthusiasts, and explore how we continue to evolve Camry in ways that excite and inspire.
I could also be wrong here, but all this talk of a Camry with a handling package being “grounded in reality” sure sounds like we’re talking about a car that’s headed to production in some form or another. Assuming it does, that form needs Inferno Flare paint as an option, or else we riot. I demand an orange Camry, and you should too.
