Take a peek under the hood of this surprising 2015 Toyota Camry - video

Toyota is working hard to inject some fun into their brand and what they did to this new 2015 Camry for a trade show is pretty outrageous.

Toyota is suddenly all about fun and excitement. After many years of (unfairly) being called a boring brand by boy-racer auto writers tapping away in their mom’s basement, it is now pretty difficult to argue the Toyota, Lexus, and Scion brands are not pulling ahead in the smiles per mile race. This new 2015 Camry sleeper created for a specialty auto show called SEMA is a little over the top though.

2015 Toyota Camry Drag Racer
The special Camry Toyota built is an 850hp dragster with a Camry body draped over it. The car is a runner too. At the unveiling in Las Vegas, the car was fired up and bellowed out a roar that attracted a large crowd. Commenting on the crazy Camry, Toyota Engagement Marketing and Motorsports National Manager Steve Appelbaum said, “This is the most extreme build we’ve ever unveiled at SEMA. The transformation from seemingly stock Camry to a full-blown racecar just shocks the senses. Chuck Wade and the team at Motorsports Technical Center did a truly spectacular job executing the vision of this project.”

Camry Dragster Engine
The Camry drivetrain started with a supercharged 5.7-liter V8 donated by a Tundra. It was upgraded in too many ways to count, but does include a nitrous system. Unlike the real Camry, this one is rear-wheel drive. Folks who want V8 power and rear wheel drive from a Toyota brand presently have their choice of the 2014 Lexus IS F, or the 2015 RC F. Lexus may soon add a V8 to its rear drive GS sedan as well. Of course, the flagship LS has had a V8 for decades.

Toyota Lexus Scion Beat the Competition
This Camry is just for show of course, but in the actual product lineup Toyota, Lexus and Scion are on a roll. The new Lexus RC F matched the BMW M4’s racetrack time to the second recently in a head to head test this month. The Scion FR-S was called the most-fun car to drive by Consumer Reports this week. Last fall, the new Lexus IS 350 sports sedan beat the BMW 335i in not one, but two comparison tests done by Car and Driver and Road and Track. The idea of a "sleeper" Camry is not that crazy either. With its optional 268 hp V6, the 2015 Camry can easily dust many much more expensive "sports sedans" in stoplight races. The critics may soon have to find another weak angle to use to pick on the world’s largest and most profitable automaker.

The SEMA show runs from November 4rth through the 7th in Las Vegas. If you are at the show, you can check out this kooky Camry at booth 24700.