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Wait, Did Toyota Just Make the Camry Cool, Again?

‘Yota’s latest Camry concept could test the waters and signal a sportier variant that may also revive one of the brand’s most iconic badges.

Rear view of an orange Toyota Camry GTS with illuminated taillights and black trim accents.Toyota USA
A black and white portrait of a smiling man with short, dark hair. He is wearing a light-colored blazer over a collared shirt. The background is plain and unobtrusive.

By Chris Chin

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Let’s be honest, the Toyota Camry has never been a beacon for coolness on four wheels. In fact, it’s always been the opposite. If you wanted to fly under the radar and blend in with the rest, the Camry was always one of the top tools for that mission. But the Japanese auto giant wants to change that with its latest SEMA concept.

More specifically, it appears Toyota’s trying to make hybrids cool with the Camry GT-S Concept. Named after one of Toyota’s most iconic nameplates, “GT-S,” the latest Camry concept looks to pick up where the last performance variant left off, the Camry TRD.

Making hybrid power cool…sorta

Orange and black Toyota sedan with aggressive front grille and sleek LED headlights on black background.
The Toyota Camry GT-S is the company’s latest pitch at an enthusiast-aimed variant.
Toyota USA

The shockingly fast and fun-to-drive Camry TRD may be no more. But the Camry GT-S Concept has the potential to be a proper fill-in.

The hot Camry TRD was one of a few recent attempts to give its bread-and-butter midsize sedan more of a pulse by making it appealing to enthusiasts. It featured sport-tuned suspension, steering, and even the Camry’s top-spec 301-horsepower 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6.

White Toyota Camry with black roof and sporty black wheels driving on a curved race track.
RIP to history’s only truly fast and fun Camry, the 301-horsepower V6-powered TRD.
Toyota USA

But sadly, Toyota discontinued the TRD Camry as stricter fuel economy and emissions compliance rendered the V6 obsolete. However, the automaker shifted its focus to the Camry’s next most powerful powertrain, the gas-electric Camry Hybrid.

White Toyota Camry sedan with black roof and spoiler driving on a wet race track with green grass and cloudy sky.
The world never saw a Camry as potent and fun as the V6 TRD model, but it might not be the end of its saga.
Toyota USA

The Camry GT-S Concept may start life as a humdrum gas-electric Camry, which was designed and engineered primarily for commuters and families looking to save on gas costs.

Orange and black Toyota Camry GTS sedan with black alloy wheels on a black background.
The Camry GT-S Concept spices up the loaded Hybrid XSE trim.
Toyota USA

With advancements in hybrid powertrains, however, the Camry Hybrid now punches out a healthy 232 total system horsepower. Yes, it’s not as tire-scorching and fun as the ‘ol V6.

It’s still far better than the Camry’s pedestrian and base naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which is only good for 184 hp and 163 lb-ft.

Close-up of the front corner of an orange and black car with illuminated LED headlight and black honeycomb grille.
The Camry GT-S Concept’s exterior body kit features aggressive air ducts, similar to the TRD kit.
Toyota USA

A more aggressive body kit complements the GT-S’s sportier origins(that’s actually reminiscent of the one found on the previous TRD model), along with larger blacked-out multi-spoke wheels and an epic two-tone Inferno Flare exterior.

Orange and black sporty sedan with black wheels and tinted windows on a black background.
Custom adjustable performance coilover struts help improve handling and reducing the center of gravity, while lowering the vehicle by 1.5 inches.
Toyota USA

A set of adjustable performance coilover struts reduces ride height by 1.5 inches. A big-brake kit with ridiculously massive eight-piston calipers at front and six-piston clamps at the back boost stopping power.

Testing the waters for another potential sporty Camry

Glossy black multi-spoke Toyota wheel with orange brake caliper and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tire on an orange GT-S car.
Massive black-painted 20-inch multi-spoke wheels give the Camry GT-S Concept a sinister look.
Toyota USA

The latest Camry GT-S Concept isn’t one that’s exactly scheduled for production. But it could potentially inspire another sportier variant, as Toyota’s chief designer for its CALTY Design Research center explained.

Front view of an orange and black Toyota sports car with illuminated LED headlights and black alloy wheels.
Although a concept and a design study, the Camry GT-S does appear almost production-ready.
Toyota USA

“The Camry GT-S Concept is more than just a SEMA one-off—it’s a study in what a performance and style package could mean for Camry in the future,” Adam Rabinowitz said in his statement. “Our goal was to create something aspirational yet attainable, and to use this platform to gather valuable feedback from consumers.”

Bringing back the GT-S badge

Close-up of a black side skirt with "GT·S" lettering on an orange car near a black wheel.
The Camry GT-S Concept also revives one of the automaker’s most iconic badges and trim levels.
Toyota USA

If the GT-S Concept makes it into production in some form, it would revive one of Toyota’s most beloved badges, once associated with its iconic sports cars.

Throughout the 1980s and up into the 2000s, Toyota utilized the “GT-S” badge to designate the sportier variants of its Celica, MR2 and even Corolla models.

Two 1983 Toyota Celica GT-S cars, one white liftback in the foreground and one black sport coupe in the background, parked on a paved area with hills in the distance.
The “GT-S” badge designated sportier variants of some of Toyota’s most iconic models.
Toyota USA

The GT-S badge never made it to the Camry in its entire history. And that’s because Toyota never thought to make a sportier version of its family sedan. At least, to the degree of a full-fledged TRD or even a GT-S variant.

Blue Toyota MR2 sports car with rear spoiler parked on a road with grass in the background.
The 1995 MR2 GT-S is another example where Toyota specified sportier versions
Toyota USA

But with automakers looking to market electrified and even hybridized vehicles as cool — and even performance-worthy — this could signify a new chapter for the Camry in a way never seen before. We’re all for it.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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