Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.The Last Car You'd Call "Bonkers"For decades, the Toyota Camry has been the poster child for sensible cars. No matter where you are, it's never been the car you'd pick for excitement. But that reputation might be in for a shake-up, at least for now.At the Super Taikyu Fuji 24-Hour Race, Toyota decided to have some fun. Two teams – Akio Toyoda's GR Gazoo Racing crew and Hiroki Nakajima's Toyota Racing group – went head-to-head. The mission? Take the North American Camry and turn it into something nobody would expect.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat happened next was anything but ordinary. Instead of just tweaking a couple of sedans, both teams built cars that looked ready for the Tokyo Auto Salon. But underneath all the wild styling, Toyota was also hinting at something bigger: the Camry is coming back to Japan soon.Nikolai Aksenov/YouTubeView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleThe GR Camry Packs Seven Cylinders And 700 HorsepowerThe most outrageous creation came from the GR team. No official images have been released yet, but short videos have been circulating around. Dubbed the GR Camry, the white-bodied sedan features aggressive aerodynamic upgrades, widened fenders, and a motorsport-inspired appearance. Yet the real story lies beneath the sheet metal.Toyota's engineers stuffed two engines into this Camry. There's a three-cylinder up front, and a four-cylinder where the back seats and trunk used to be. Put them together, and you get something Toyota's never done before: a seven-cylinder, all-wheel-drive car.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe end result? A four-wheel-drive sedan with a claimed 700 horsepower. The inside is gutted – no rear seats, just a roll cage and racing gear. Toyota says this was all about seeing how wild a Camry's performance could get while still keeping one foot in reality.https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kdodWznABdwMeet The Bosozoku-Inspired RWD TR CamryIf the GR Camry is all about modern racing, the TR Camry pulls straight from old-school Japanese car culture.The TR Camry is blacked out and dripping with attitude. Thinkclassic bosozoku: huge bolt-on fenders, a giant front spoiler, towering rear wings, and an exhaust that looks like it belongs in a manga. Step inside and it gets even wilder – there's a chandelier, a crystal shift knob, and all sorts of throwback touches that are over-the-top on purpose.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut under all that flash, the TR team didn't mess around. They dropped in a new 2.0-liter sports engine, mounted it lengthwise, and switched the car to rear-wheel drive. And yes, it's got a manual gearbox.https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n2qkfKd7If4The Real News: The Camry Is Coming Back To JapanHidden beneath all the theatrics was Toyota's biggest announcement. Just like the Tundra and the Highlander, the company confirmed plans to introduce the North American-built Camry to Japan in the fall of 2026. Unlike the left-hand-drive models sold in the United States, Japanese-market versions will be converted to right-hand drive and fully certified to meet local regulations.Toyota's aiming to sell about 10,000 Camrys a year. It's part of a bigger plan to bring more overseas-built cars back to Japan, using existing certification to speed things up.AdvertisementAdvertisementSo no, you probably won't see a seven-cylinder Camry or a factory-built bosozoku special at your local dealer. But these cars did their job. For the first time in ages, people are talking about the Camry as something more than just the sensible choice.nenkatsuねんかつ/YouTubeView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Jun 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
