Toyota dumps TRD

[mustang84]

I'm not sure, but I think this is just for Australia

Toyota has ditched its Toyota Racing Development brand after just 16 months, blaming the current economic environment for the failure of the recently launched performance car outfit.

"With the realities of the financial crisis and the downturn in consumer confidence, companies worldwide have an overriding responsibility to do their utmost to conserve cash - and Toyota is doing just that," says Toyota Australia senior executive director Dave Buttner.

"The perspective has changed for business globally and those new rules require tough decisions for the greater good."

The TRD brand attracted just 888 customers in its short life; 537 were for the Aurion TRD sedan and 351 for the hotted-up HiLux utilities.

At the time of its launch, Toyota Australia said the performance car division was a world first and a possible global template for performance divisions of the company throughout the world.

But sales have been sluggish and the brand never really threatened the dominance of Holden Special Vehicles and to a lesser extent, Ford Performance Vehicles.

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleD...f=2&IsPgd=0

[balthazar]

Yea- not from the U.S. ... but who knew it was supposed to be a 'performance' enhancement, as the only vehicle you ever see 'TuRD' stickers on is the ohsnap! tacoma. Maybe it's focused differently in AU.

[Satty]

I see a lot of TRD-enhanced tCs. If I ever get another Solara, I'll get the TRD supercharger.

[A Horse With No Name]

TRD needs to build real performance parts to sell to real racers, autocrossers, etc. In order to be competitive.

Other than the occasional MR-2, Toyota is almost non-existant in autocross from what I can tell, as well as SCCA and NASA road racing. The whole import drag thing seems to have dried up, and most of the people into the whole drifiting thing are drifting cars other than Toyota's.

The whole Scion TC thing is its own little cultural thing, but unless your a poser in LA or some other highly asian area, I don't think that many people are into modding them.

It's just for Austrailia...but they aren't doing much in the USA, at least as far as real, sancitioned automobile racing goes. I don't really follow the whole trophy truck/baja thing, they may compete there, I really don't know....

Chris/66

Edited December 21, 2008 by 66Stang

[Intrepidation]

You know, it's a shame that the Camry doesn't have the front and rear fascias of the Aurion, because the car actually looks pretty nice. the NA market Camry's fascias make it look like ass.

[A Horse With No Name]

That is MUCH better looking, actually....

Chris

[Z-06]

TRD needs to build real performance parts to sell to real racers, autocrossers, etc. In order to be competitive.

Other than the occasional MR-2, Toyota is almost non-existant in autocross from what I can tell, as well as SCCA and NASA road racing. The whole import drag thing seems to have dried up, and most of the people into the whole drifiting thing are drifting cars other than Toyota's.

The whole Scion TC thing is its own little cultural thing, but unless your a poser in LA or some other highly asian area, I don't think that many people are into modding them.

It's just for Austrailia...but they aren't doing much in the USA, at least as far as real, sancitioned automobile racing goes. I don't really follow the whole trophy truck/baja thing, they may compete there, I really don't know....

Chris/66

I think Japanese tuner market died with the death of the older bubbly eclipse (two generations before this one) and the death of sixth gen honda civic (again two generations before this one).

[A Horse With No Name]

It is still fighting for life on both coasts, I think. But a modded civic is actually less common around here than a Grand National or a (1990's) Impala SS.

Chris

[cletus8269]

It is still fighting for life on both coasts, I think. But a modded civic is actually less common around here than a Grand National or a (1990's) Impala SS.

Chris

thats because its much less embarrasing to be seen in those than a modded civic hehe

[Intrepidation]

It is still fighting for life on both coasts, I think. But a modded civic is actually less common around here than a Grand National or a (1990's) Impala SS.

Chris

You've never been to MA then.

[Robert Hall]

It is still fighting for life on both coasts, I think. But a modded civic is actually less common around here than a Grand National or a (1990's) Impala SS.

Chris

Don't see many too many finished modded Civics around here...though I see lots of battered old '90s Civics primered w/ crappy body kits stuck on and big wings. The kiddies don't seem to be modding old Corollas or Camrys, seems to be mostly a Honda thing in Phoenix.

[Sixty8panther]

Other than the occasional MR-2, Toyota is almost non-existant in autocross from what I can tell, as well as SCCA and NASA road racing. The whole import drag thing seems to have dried up, and most of the people into the whole drifiting thing are drifting cars other than Toyota's.

Toyota, like most, said F*** you to real enthusiasts

when they stopped making affordable RWD. You can

not drift FWD, period...& besides no real enthusiast

settles for FWD. The Scion lineup and Solara are as

exciting as watching paint dry, even the FWD Corolla

based Celica is dead.

[ocnblu]

The most beautifully crafted thread title EVER!

[Intrepidation]

...& besides no real enthusiast settles for FWD.

I find this statement very, very insulting and irritating.

You don't have to own something RWD or aspire to it to be a car enthusiast.

Edited December 24, 2008 by Dodgefan

[Satty]

I find this statement very, very insulting and irritating.

You don't have to own something RWD or aspire to it to be a car enthusiast.

Quit paying attention to this morons shtick. Its just as annoying and pointless as listening to My Humps on repeat.

[A Horse With No Name]

Actually Scion just won it's first ever national racing (class) championship at the NASA racing championships at Mid Ohio this year. It beat out a RWD car (RX- to do so...and it was a FWD TC.

However, given that guys modding TC's pretty much start with a 20K car and dump 10K in (seemingly) it just doesn't seem like money well spent. For 30K, one could buy a G8 GT or a slightly used BMW 3 Series, either one of which will just own a TC.

Or a used C6, a Used C5 Z06, A used CTS-V, a used Bird, Camaro, or Stang, or...

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

You've never been to MA then.

Given what I've heard of the place, I am trying really hard to keep it that way, DF.

Chris

[thegriffon]

TRD in Australia was TRD in name only. The name and model designations were licensed from the real TRD, and the vehicles developed by a JV between Prodrive and Toyota Australia. TRD (Toyota Technocraft) had virtually no real involvement.

[MyerShift]

That is MUCH better looking, actually....

Chris

I say, I have to agree. The front and rear look exceptionally nicer than on the NA Camry.

Can you imagine if they used the same look on the NA Camry as a mid-cycle enhancement/update?*

Edited December 25, 2008 by MyerShift

[regfootball]

TuRD

[thegriffon]

I say, I have to agree. The front and rear look exceptionally nicer than on the NA Camry.

Can you imagine if they used the same look on the NA Camry as a mid-cycle enhancement/update?*

It's just the so-called "Asian" Camry:

http://www.toyota.co.th/en/models/Camry/camry2007_home.htm