Why Toyota, Why!?!?!?

[Hungryhippo]

Toyota is entering the NASCAR series next year

link

[Patto-]

Why? cos they wanna sell more cars in America than they already are.

Last I heard the camry is the highest selling passenger car in the US and the third highest selling car overall.

More than likely they believe that being involved in NASCAR will help convince the southern rednecks that watch NASCAR (who usually wouldn't buy japanese cars) that Toyota ain't so bad.

The racing theme will also help their boring image considering they have no performance model in their US line-up as the article says.

Can't believe they have to use a 5.9 litre iron block carby V8 though. I knew they were bad but I didn't think NASCARs were that ancient.

[Hungryhippo]

that was what made me say why.

iron block carby????wtf???

[shoebox]

It's probably a move by toyota to change priorities in their R&D. A few years ago, they started off by throwing tons of cash into TRD and F1; nascar is probably the next area they're looking at.

[JaiJai]

smart move though I must admit

[gtr660hp]

NASCAR is the 2nd largest watched sport in the U.S behind NFL and generated 100's of millions of dollars in sponsorship...so Toyota are smart...big exposure in a huge U.S market. The cars may be 30 year old tech but NASCAR can teach all other motorsports a thing or two about success and how to keep the fans happy

[siddr20]

parents have the 05 camry.

WORST handling car ever.. Apart from that, i love it!! much better on fuel than my line lol.. but two totally different cars anyways..

But good on toyota to enter.. They should start making the new supras already.

[Beer Baron]

what are the going to do, run a FWD camry in nascar?? gold.

ps, yes i realise they will obviously use a purpose built nascar, with a toyota 'inspired' composite body. in fact the only toyota bit on the car will be the badge.

[Sydneykid]

in fact the only toyota bit on the car will be the badge.

Nope, they are painted on

cheers

[Wink]

The cars may be 30 year old tech but NASCAR can teach all other motorsports a thing or two about success and how to keep the fans happy

There's not much to change when you're just going round and round in circles

[D-limo]

parents have the 05 camry.

WORST handling car ever.. Apart from that, i love it!! much better on fuel than my line lol.. but two totally different cars anyways..

But good on toyota to enter.. They should start making the new supras already.

lol its actually more like 11+ different cars... They use different chassis at pretty much every track. HUGE money..

[Jamesyboi]

they should have a Lexcen NASCAR

[Targa Tom]

It's a no brainer,

Robbie Gordon, Dale Earhardt, Penske, Rousch, YPM, JV & MA.... Ford Chev & Pontiac... NO Honda, Mazda TV audiences bla bla bla...

Buggered if I know

TT

[Frink]

i hope they do. good luck to em...

[scathing]

There's not much to change when you're just going round and round in circles

All the money that Toyota will spend getting their Camry to go round and round an oval track at high speeds will shave valuable tenths off the ability of the road car to do laps of the shopping centre carpark.

And, as any carpark racer knows, a few tenths can make the difference between getting a parking spot and getting beaten by someone in a Commodore who has driven against the painted arrow signs to sneak in.

[SLO-N-STEDY]

i say goodo on them.

they were trying to get into the V8 super cars here with a quad cam V8, but holden and ford kicked up suck a fuss avesco had to deny them.

[kralster]

Massive skill required in NASCAR though.

They get up to like 340 km an hour or so.

Imagine that while banked up at 45 degree's or whatever they get up too.

[AlexCim]

parents have the 05 camry.

WORST handling car ever.. Apart from that, i love it!! much better on fuel than my line lol.. but two totally different cars anyways..

But good on toyota to enter.. They should start making the new supras already.

Mate, I beg to differ on that point 100%.

The 2005 Camry is the Series 2 model of the 03/04/05 generation of Camry.

I own both a Nissan Stagea with the FULL suspension kit from SK and also a 2003 V6 Manual Camry Spotivo. To be honest, I am happy to take either of them up into the hills as they are both very well handling cars. I went on cruises with various cars and Id always lead as usual, where many people would laugh at me at the start when I said "follow the Camry", yet at the end id get questions like "how do you keep those corner speeds".

The one downside of the Camry is the lack of power in areas, specially uphill (Compared to my turbo Stag) and also it does have slight oversteer issues on corner entries, but that is fixable by proper driving.

And, FWD cars dont suck as much as everyone says they do, maybe those people just need to drive good FWD cars...

Anyway, good luck toyota.

[GoldZilla]

Mate, I beg to differ on that point 100%.

The 2005 Camry is the Series 2 model of the 03/04/05 generation of Camry.

I own both a Nissan Stagea with the FULL suspension kit from SK and also a 2003 V6 Manual Camry Spotivo. To be honest, I am happy to take either of them up into the hills as they are both very well handling cars. I went on cruises with various cars and Id always lead as usual, where many people would laugh at me at the start when I said "follow the Camry", yet at the end id get questions like "how do you keep those corner speeds".

The one downside of the Camry is the lack of power in areas, specially uphill (Compared to my turbo Stag) and also it does have slight oversteer issues on corner entries, but that is fixable by proper driving.

And, FWD cars dont suck as much as everyone says they do, maybe those people just need to drive good FWD cars...

Anyway, good luck toyota.

Agreed! If you don't have a Sportivo model, then fair enough. All the motoring mags agree that the Sportivo suspension should have been the ONLY suspension spec released in that series of Camry...

My old man has an '03 Sportivo, and if it wasn't for the fact that he chose a 4cyl auto, it would be a (much more) fun car to drive. It ain't perfect, but apart from the lack of power, I'd rather drive that than the Audi A4 1.8T that my oldies also own (which, unfortunately, is also an auto - TipTronic is NOT the same as a manual). The Audi is too stiff and can hop about in the arse end when you hit a bump mid-corner, throwing the car off-line (even in normal day-to-day driving).

Back on topic...

Toyota know exactly how to market themselves to the world. They make a reliable, non-offensive product which suits the majority of the market who are just after better-than-average transport, and then they market the hell out of it to catch the eyes of this target demographic group.

[PHaT MR30]

Mate, I beg to differ on that point 100%.

The 2005 Camry is the Series 2 model of the 03/04/05 generation of Camry.

I own both a Nissan Stagea with the FULL suspension kit from SK and also a 2003 V6 Manual Camry Spotivo. To be honest, I am happy to take either of them up into the hills as they are both very well handling cars. I went on cruises with various cars and Id always lead as usual, where many people would laugh at me at the start when I said "follow the Camry", yet at the end id get questions like "how do you keep those corner speeds".

The one downside of the Camry is the lack of power in areas, specially uphill (Compared to my turbo Stag) and also it does have slight oversteer issues on corner entries, but that is fixable by proper driving.

And, FWD cars dont suck as much as everyone says they do, maybe those people just need to drive good FWD cars...

Anyway, good luck toyota.

Take a DC2 Type R Integra for a spin, you'll convert to FWD

Did anyone ready that Marcos Ambrose has 16 cars to drive this season in NASCAR? they get shipped all over the country and he has 2 or 4 favorite cars. Nice to have a choice