2020 TRD Camry Looks Good On Paper

[Atmo]

Originally Posted by HKz

what is so wrong with fake exterior design elements?

Didn't say it was wrong, but can't see how fake design elements help sales.

It's a trend at the moment. I'd rather they put their effort into expanding useful tech like adaptive headlights.

Fake stuff and severe angles may be giving way to a more rounded, conservative styling theme. I'm encouraged by the new 2020 Corolla sedan (vs. hatch with fake exhaust tips) that are taking things down a notch.

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by HKz

what is so wrong with fake exterior design elements? At least being fake means no maintenance required.. If it looks good that is all that matters...

Except it doesn't look good - it looks FAKE. And maintenance? What maint is required for a functional air vent? In the 5 years I've owned my latest car, not a single air vent has required maintenance. They're all functional too.

[DarkPira7e]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

Except it doesn't look good - it looks FAKE. And maintenance? What maint is required for a functional air vent? In the 5 years I've owned my latest car, not a single air vent has required maintenance. They're all functional too.

He may have been thinking of ducting that may need to be checked for holes/fracturing

[HKz]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

Except it doesn't look good - it looks FAKE. And maintenance? What maint is required for a functional air vent? In the 5 years I've owned my latest car, not a single air vent has required maintenance. They're all functional too.

guess what, they look good to me! Non functional means no air passes through them which means no dirt and grime gets pushed through. Plus, the Camry is a family car, there is very little need for functional aero and they aren't trying to impress enthusiasts here, so take off your glasses... Sure it is a little pretentious but no car designer wants to design something to be "clean"/"bland" (same side of the coin just depends who you ask) every generation...


who cares at this point, all manufacturers are to blame here...everyone does it now from eco brands to super cars, they black out so much of the exterior designs to give the illusion of larger grills/intakes/vents..

[WolfpackS2k]

Fake is Fake, not a fan. At least on higher end cars it's usually blended in better. I only take up arms when it's overt.

Of course, to each his own!

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

Fake is Fake, not a fan. At least on higher end cars it's usually blended in better. I only take up arms when it's overt.

Of course, to each his own!

I agree with you. These days the illusion of performance is a bigger priority to car makers than the performance itself

[Quentin]

Car makers only build what customers will pay for. Most buyers can appreciate an attractive car every day even if the suspension is only a little sporty and the acceleration is only “quick”. A high performance car is downright miserable a lot of the time to a lot of buyers. So, here we are.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HKz]

Originally Posted by Quentin

Car makers only build what customers will pay for. Most buyers can appreciate an attractive car every day even if the suspension is only a little sporty and the acceleration is only “quick”. A high performance car is downright miserable a lot of the time to a lot of buyers. So, here we are.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

exactly...the truth is most consumers don't want to admit that they are superficial, they want something to look badass while it coddles them..nothing wrong with that.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by HKz

exactly...the truth is most consumers don't want to admit that they are superficial, they want something to look badass while it coddles them..nothing wrong with that.

And that is not new but has happened many times over automotive history. The only things that changes are what the current design fad may involve.

[Atmo]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

Fake is Fake, not a fan. At least on higher end cars it's usually blended in better. I only take up arms when it's overt.

Of course, to each his own!

Right, and what we see with contemporary fake is the designer's lack of imagination hoping to create demand by poaching functional design elements from dream cars in the hopes that buyers will move their over styled cars to their short list.

Most of the time it works, sometimes it doesn't, but either way the design cues (and colors) are approved years ahead of production and reality may take a year or so to overcome wishful thinking on the manufacturer's part.

"Special Editions", like the TRD Camry, are the exceptions where manufacturers can rely on limited production to help sales no matter what color or trim is on the bodywork. Most enthusiasts would've been happier with the mechanical changes alone, more in character for a sleeper, than an IMSA worthy spoiler.

We'll see in a year. With big sedans being dropped from so many lineups, maybe it'll attract a new type of buyer looking for NASCAR nostalgia now that Supra will replace it, another weird TRD twist.

[ZDan]

It is totally possible to make a design that is clean and neat and attractive and sporty without resorting to hideous fake vents and "aggro" hard lines everywhere. Mazda is doing it RIGHT:
https://jalopnik.com/the-2019-mazda-...own-1830690640

[Quentin]

The 3 hatch c pillar is totally wrong, though. Possibly one of the worst hatch looks I’ve seen in the modern era.

And again, different strokes for different folks. Some people like the aggressive looks of a Mustang, some people like the smoother looks of an 86/Miata. It would suck if everything had the same design philosophy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Atmo]

I first read the leaked MSRP a few days ago on an outlier site but blew it off as clickbait. Today it was confirmed by the CarsDirect order guide according to MSN Autos.

I'll believe it when I see it on the Toyota site but if true, you can get a TRD Camry for less than a TRD 86 and far less than an XSE V-6.

If you haven't driven the updated 3.5L with direct/port injected V-6, you're in for a treat. It's a butter smooth, quiet (will be louder with standard TRD exhaust), flat power curve engine that is a perfect match for the chassis. It also is rated 22/32/26 on 87 octane.

If they finally dialed in the 8A/T (some complain about early upshifts even in Sport mode, two software updates issued so far to correct it), this is a DD worth considering (finally, Android Auto + Apple Car Play) even with the F/F chassis and 60/40 weight distribution. It looks like TRD went to great lengths to test and tune the suspension properly.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news...035/ar-AAGbFoK

They're building 6,001 of them for the 2020MY = 4 per US dealer (don't know about CDN availability) so by next summer they'll be heavily discounted like the 86 TRD is today. With factory cashback and dealer discounts, it should be easy to snag a TRD Camry for ~$28K by then.

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

I agree with you. These days the illusion of performance is a bigger priority to car makers than the performance itself

...And to car owners. The worst offender to my sensibilities is caliper covers, but I am just as guilty as others by having unnecessarily large (4.5”) exhaust tips on my Greddy Supreme SP catback, when it does almost nothing for sound or performance, or by having the OEM ground effects and “rear diffuser”; they just make the car look sporty with minimal improvements to air flow and downforce.

And is it worse to have fake looking items or unused items? This is what most of the industry is about.