Toyota introduced its new model for the NASCAR Cup Series on Monday, taking the cover off of a familiar nameplate, the Toyota Camry XSE, but with a fresh new look.
The Camry XSE replaces the Toyota Camry TRD that the manufacturer utilized in the first two seasons of NASCAR’s Generation 7 series car. The Camry XSE is a 2025 model, that will be available to consumers beginning in the spring of 2024.
“What’s most important, really, is the process, the commitment that the OEMs have with NASCAR, to make sure that we race what we sell,” said David Wilson, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) USA president. “It wasn’t always that way. It was just since 2013 that we came to this new way of doing it, and honestly, I think it’s still one of the best initiatives that NASCAR has brought to the sport because it’s allowed our fans to truly identify a Toyota Camry versus a Ford Mustang and a Chevrolet Camaro.”
When the Camry XSE does hit the track, viewers should note significant differences from nose to tail. Toyota, its TRD arm and the Calty Design studio collaborated on the race car’s design, and much of the street-car version’s thoroughly restyled look carries over.
Up front, the Camry XSE race car features what the manufacturer calls “hammerhead styling” with the slim upper grille opening that connects to the sharply angled headlights. Below that feature, an expanded lower grill is flanked by a pair of curved vents; above, the hood is shaped by distinctive new lines and reworked duct exits. Out back, slimmer taillight details cap off the updated rear of the car, with sloping corners that lead to the bumper from the redesigned quarter panels.
The overall design of Toyota’s new Cup Series racer serves to bolster the brand identity tied to one of its longest-running and best-selling vehicle names. But there’s also a competition component, Wilson says, that’s another important piece to the effort. So far, the early tests and computer modeling have him hopeful that the Camry XSE ticks both boxes, staying competitive within the series’ performance equation.
The Toyota Camry XSE will make it’s debut on February 4th in the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
-Blake Smith, host of Let’s Talk Racing