Few people get all hot and bothered by the Toyota Camry, as driving one is much like eating plain oatmeal. . . from a beige bowl. The seller of today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe '94 Coupe seems to feel differently, but is it just its TRD supercharger that is pressurizing his passion?
It's generally considered that Fiats require a fire in the belly to own as well - not based on coma-inducing dynamics, but due to a reputation for fragility that borders on that of hemophiliacs. Despite that, yesterday's 1978 X1/9, being in such fantastic condition, and rocking a body that was attractive enough to overcome the potential Lohan-level of maintenance that its reputation apprises, generated such passion. In fact, 75% of you decided to choo-choo-choose it to be a Nice Price, even though it had the potential of Ralph Wiggum levels of future mechanical booger eating.
Toyotas never have such problems, right? And that has been both a blessing and a curse for the owners of the products from Japan's beigest brand. Today's 1994 Camry Coupe eschews that marque malaise however by being beige in neither actual hue, nor - hopefully - driving dynamics. This Coupe - which Toyota created in an attempt to scrape the dregs of the mid-size car market in their war with Honda for annual sales title - is much less an actual coupe and more a two-door sedan, looking as it does like the four door with two fewer doors. Creative license in designing a due porte apparently would have to wait for the secretary-baiting Solara to start snoozing up the dealer lots. Despite looking like every other Camry out there at the time, the coupe did sport but two doors making it seem, at least to some like the owner hasn't given up entirely on the swinging bachelor life - hey, what's your sign?
This red SE not only gets Toyota's slicker 'n dolphin shit 3.0 3VZ-FE V6, but the seller has added the distinctive whine of a supercharger to the symphony that is a Camry's aggressive exhaust note. Yeah right, the SE normally sounds like an asthmatic introvert, but this one was also been the recipient of what in Latin is known as Farticus Canonicus and if that's all greek to you, the pictures will speak a thousand words. Like all SE coupes this year, this car rocks an Aisin slushbox, but perhaps the upgraded suspension and brakes will add-back some of the driving huevos the PRNDL detracts.
The XV-10 Camry represents the pinnacle of the brand, and none since has seemed to live up to the levels of material quality that edition possesses. Both outside and in, the car has proven durable, reliable and unoffensive in style. That also has been rectified by the present owner with the application of ground effects pieces sporting more angles and slots than a Gehry outhouse. There's also a carbon faux-ber hood and a-pillar mounted Autometer gauges - the automotive equivalent of a forearm tattoo venerating Snooki.
All this de-beige-ification has come at a cost, and thankfully that's a bill the buyer of this Camry - should there be one - won't have to foot. Instead, the seller has set a price tag that's around the top of the '94 Camry ecosystem - $4,000. For that you get a lightly modified - with the exception of the supercharger - coupe that's going to probably be the hit of both the Toyota Nation forum members where it is currently being advertised, as well as. . . well, it does has kind of limited appeal. But, what about that price? Is $4,000 reasonable for a TRD of a Camry? Or, is that price that's not too oh what a feeling engendering?
You decide!
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