NEWBERG, Ore. — When Toyota engineers and designers started work on the eighth-generation Camry, they were asked to create two distinct versions that would help broaden its reach and solidify its position as America's best-selling car.
The cars also had to pass the 200-yard test.
That is, when the new Camrys show up on dealer lots in late summer, potential buyers should be able to distinguish the regular L-badged models from sporty S models from 200 yards, the theoretical distance for a motorist driving by a dealership, Toyota executives said.
The imperative was an effort to inject some excitement into a sedan market that has fallen into a malaise, as a result of changing consumer tastes and indifference by some automakers, executives said.