Toyota GR Camry will rock you

The mild-mannered Clark Kent character of the Toyota Camry has been transformed into something far more muscular thanks to new GR (Gazoo Racing) parts now available for the sedan in Japan.

But unlike the Toyota Aurion TRD from 2007, there’s no supercharger for this front-drive cruiser – not yet, anyway.

Toyota Australia says it’s not seeking to shake up the mid-size passenger car segment with a sporty new Camry just yet, but hasn’t shut the door on a Toyota Camry GR Sport model – akin to the Toyota C-HR GR Sport – in future.

“A GR Sport version of the Camry is not something we would rule out for future introduction, but is not something we have plans to introduce to the Australian market at this stage,” a spokesperson said.

Given a facelifted version of the current Toyota Camry will launch in Australia soon, it could be an opportune time to introduce a sporty new flagship model.

Dressed up with a ground-hugging and more aggressive body kit – front and rear bumpers, side skirts and stainless-steel exhaust system with quad 76mm outlets – and fitted with matching black 19-inch alloy wheels, the GR-spec Toyota Camry may not qualify for superhero status but certainly takes the sedan to a higher level.

There’s also a bootlid spoiler at the back and a ‘GR Performance Damper’, the latter claimed to reduce noise and vibration and improve high-speed steering stability.

All the add-ons are available to Japanese customers under the GR Parts accessories and customisation banner.

Should rivals such as Kia, which offers the muscular Kia Stinger, be worried? Not at this stage, particularly given the Japanese-market Camry fitted with every single accessory from the GR parts bin offers no meaningful engine and chassis modifications.

In the US there is a more intense version of the car, the Toyota Camry TRD which features ‘track tuning’ for the chassis and a freer-flowing (and louder) exhaust system.

But Toyota Australia has previously stated that it remains focused on the GR sub-brand rather than TRD.

If Toyota Australia was to offer a Camry GR Sport it would almost certainly benefit from subtle changes to the suspension to improve handling dynamics.

A full-blown Toyota GR Camry, however, would be a different proposition, as models like the GR Yaris tend to cut a different path with significantly uprated engine performance.

The Toyota Camry is currently priced between $28,990 and $45,290 plus on-road costs in Australia, and there are three powerplants offered: the range-topping 3.5-litre V6 (224kW/362Nm), along with 2.5-litre four-cylinder mills in regular (135kW/235Nm) and hybrid (131kW/221Nm) guise.