A New Toyota Camry TRD Isn’t Happening, And Here’s Why

The TRD and GR divisions won’t overlap as much as they have in the past

The growth of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing (GR) performance division in recent years has been a welcome reminder of the brand’s ability to produce genuinely exciting, enthusiast-pleasing cars. From the GR Corolla to the GR Supra, these cars back up their sporty looks with proper performance chops. 

But there’s another sporty arm within Toyota, and that’s Toyota Racing Development (TRD), which has birthed models like the Toyota Camry TRD, RAV4 TRD Off-Road, and Tacoma TRD. These two performance divisions are not one and the same, though, and Toyota has just cleared up any confusion by promising a defined direction for TRD—it does mean that some great TRD-badged models won’t be coming back, though.

Related: I Drove the 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro-Here's My Brutally Honest Review

TRD For Body-On-Frame Vehicles Only

At a recent first drive event for the all-new Toyota RAV4, Paul Hogard—Toyota product communications sr. analyst for unibody SUVs, crossovers, and minivans—clarified the future direction of TRD and GR models.

“TRD is only for body-on-frame vehicles,” said Hogard, according to CarBuzz. “Cars and crossovers will use the Gazoo Racing and GR Sport [branding].”

Toyota has already started applying this distinction to its various nameplates, but this makes it official. The discontinued Avalon was available in TRD guise, as was the previous-generation Camry. Not only was it the most overtly styled Camry trim, but a stiffer suspension setup and a 301-horsepower V6 made for a surprisingly fun drive. The new Camry has no direct replacement for the TRD model, though, and focuses on efficient hybrid power instead.

Similarly, the current RAV4 recently lost its focused TRD Off-Road trim, which had standard all-wheel drive, rear driveline disconnect, and the Multi-Terrain Select system—it was the toughest of the RAV4 bunch, but there’s no sign of a direct replacement. The new RAV4 does have a Wilderness trim, but it doesn’t pack all the off-road toys of the older TRD Off-Road.

Two Badges, Two Focused Areas Of Performance

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GR-badged Toyotas will prioritize on-road performance, while TRD will elevate tougher, body-on-frame SUVs and trucks in off-road environments.

Soon, the existing GR86, GR Corolla, and GR Supra sold here will be joined by the first GR Sport-badged RAV4. It’s equipped with a 320-horsepower plug-in hybrid system, but it also gets an upgraded suspension and grippier tires to make hustling this crossover more fun.

There’s no sign of a GR Camry, but we’d love to see a performance variant of the sedan make a comeback. The fundamentals of the new Camry are already great—it handles confidently without sacrificing comfort—so the basics are there for a more focused version.

The Tacoma, Tundra, 4Runner, and Sequoia will continue to offer TRD versions with varying levels of off-road prowess. The Tacoma, for instance, has six TRD-badged variants, ranging from the $38,520 TRD PreRunner to the $64,135 TRD Pro.

Toyota’s Performance Divisions Have Left Rivals Behind

Among Japanese brands in America, Toyota has the most comprehensive portfolio of specialized performance models by far. The Mazdaspeed sub-brand is gone, and the newer Spirit Racing division has yet to fully realize its potential.

Honda has the Civic Type R to fend off the GR Corolla, along with a growing TrailSport range of rugged crossovers, but these are not as capable as Toyota’s body-on-frame TRDs.

Among mass-market brands, Toyota is doing a great job of appealing to enthusiasts of all kinds, and we can’t wait to see what’s coming next for the TRD and GR brands.