Summary
- Toyota has the potential to build a mid-engine V8 Camry sports car, despite the stereotype of the Camry as a dull commuter car.
- Toyota has the necessary engineering expertise and motorsport partnerships to develop a high-performance sports car, including the potential for a hybrid system and a manual transmission option.
- The biggest challenge for Toyota would be keeping costs down and ensuring the car remains affordable and lightweight, as seen in previous mistakes with high-priced vehicles like the Lexus LFA. Ultimately, it is unlikely that Toyota will produce the V8 Camry sports car.
If we're being honest, the Toyota Camry isn’t exactly the last word in excitement. The Japanese sedan is often regarded as a rather dull, but extremely reliable commuter car, not something you take to the track or for a canyon road blast.
However, this exclusive HotCars render by digital artist Rostislav Prokop is subverting all expectations, showing that a mid-engine V8 Camry sports car is something that every gearhead never knew they wanted.
On the face of it, Toyota isn’t really equipped to make this happen. However, dig a little deeper, and Toyota have all the ingredients they need to make this a reality.
Can Toyota Actually Build A Mid-engine V8 Camry?
While admittedly, Toyota hasn’t built a mid-engine sports car since the MR-2 went out of production in 2007, the little MX-5 rival had a fantastic chassis, and the engineering team in Nagoya have undeniable experience, building great handling sports cars.
The Toyota engineering team also has a wealth of motorsport partners to help with car development. Toyota Gazoo Racing has been running mid-engine, hybrid prototypes in the World Endurance Championship for over a decade now, while Japanese outfit apr Racing developed and continues to run a mid-engine V8 Prius GT300 car in the Super GT championship.
Toyota has also recently developed a partnership with BMW, culminating in the revival of the iconic Supra with the A90 MK5. With the BMW i8 having gone out of production recently, Toyota could potentially develop an updated version of the i8’s chassis to make the project more financially viable.
While borrowing a chassis from BMW might be the answer, it doesn’t appear that Toyota would need to re-use an engine from the Bavarians like the latest Supra.
Toyota Already Has A V8 Ready For The Camry Sports Car
Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, has been utilizing the naturally aspirated 2UR-GSE 5.0 liter V8 engine in all its top-range sports coupes and sedans for nearly ten years. The most powerful of which is found in the Lexus LC 500 coupe, producing 475 hp and almost 400 lb. ft of torque.
The Japanese automaker was also one of the first adopters of mainstream hybrid technology with the Prius and has continued the push for hybridity with motorsport projects in WEC and the World Rally Championship.
If Toyota were to put the V8 Camry into production, it is highly likely we would see a hybrid system – potentially sending the power to all four wheels through an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. However, if Toyota really wanted a sales hit, a 6-speed manual option would send gearheads into a fever pitch.
The combination of an updated UR 5.0 liter V8 along with a state-of-the-art hybrid system would likely result in the Camry V8 hitting close to 650 HP and 550 lb. ft of torque – more than enough to take on potential rivals like the C8 Chevrolet Corvette and the now discontinued Acura NSX.
Could Toyota Make The V8 Camry Sports Car Affordable And Fun?
Unfortunately, hybridity and AWD systems do add weight and one of the biggest complaints leveled at most modern sports cars – and most of the top-range Lexus sports cars – is that increase in weight is spoiling driving involvement.
The obvious answer would be to build the mid-engined Camry from carbon fiber; however, that gets into the thorny issue of how much a Camry V8 would cost to the consumer, and carbon fiber isn’t exactly cheap. The base price for a 1LT C8 Chevrolet Corvette is set to go up to $67,895 for 2024, with the Z06 set to start at just under $110,000. Toyota would still have to be sensible and keep costs as close to Z06 as possible.
Toyota’s last supercar endeavor, the gorgeous naturally aspirated V10 Lexus LFA, had an astronomical price of $300,000+, and Toyota can’t make the same mistake again if they want the car to sell.
In reality, it’s massively unlikely Toyota will ever produce the V8 Camry sports car. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun imagining what it would look like if they did. For now, though, if you’re looking for a fun V8 sports car, the C8 Corvette looks like your best option. Either that or you wait for Ford’s insane looking 800 HP Mustang GTD set to release in 2025.