The spicy one in the Camry menu
Not that the last generation Camry was a slouch in the sales department but, according to Toyota, the all-new 2007 model is a big hit. The decision to add passion, emotion and athleticism to the old Camry's reliable and well-built repertoire has the car selling like those proverbial hot cakes.
When the first Camry Solara two-door coupe was introduced in 1999, its mission was similar: add a dash of flavour to the Camry's staid street rep. And dash is the operative word, because the initial Solara--a virtual Camry two-door sedan--didn't stray too far from Toyota's reliable yet inoffensive-looking formula.
J.D. Power has made "reliable yet inoffensive-looking" very desirable for most types of car customers. But if you're in the market for a four-seat coupe or convertible, a little bit of swoop, spice or sportiness should be on the menu, non?
So when the 2004 second-generation Solara debuted, this time without the Camry tag, Toyota's designers drew a shape that was decidedly different from its sober sister sedan on which it was mechanically based.
Hanging in the chasm between mainstream coupes and convertibles (Chrysler Sebring, Mitsubishi Eclipse and Ford Mustang) and premium Euro-cabriolets (Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Saab 9-3), the Solara delivered a unique combination of swoopy coupe and convertible style married to Toyota's reputation for value and reliability.
Three model years later, that combination seems to be just right for the folks at Toyota.
All-new--kind of
Although the 2007 Camry sedan is all new -- platform, styling, engines, transmissions, etc.--the revised 2007 Solara coupe and convertible retain the previous car's platform.
Not that the last generation Camry was a slouch in the sales department but, according to Toyota, the all-new 2007 model is a big hit. The decision to add passion, emotion and athleticism to the old Camry's reliable and well-built repertoire has the car selling like those proverbial hot cakes.
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| The second generation Solara offers a more distinctive look. |
When the first Camry Solara two-door coupe was introduced in 1999, its mission was similar: add a dash of flavour to the Camry's staid street rep. And dash is the operative word, because the initial Solara--a virtual Camry two-door sedan--didn't stray too far from Toyota's reliable yet inoffensive-looking formula.
J.D. Power has made "reliable yet inoffensive-looking" very desirable for most types of car customers. But if you're in the market for a four-seat coupe or convertible, a little bit of swoop, spice or sportiness should be on the menu, non?
So when the 2004 second-generation Solara debuted, this time without the Camry tag, Toyota's designers drew a shape that was decidedly different from its sober sister sedan on which it was mechanically based.
Hanging in the chasm between mainstream coupes and convertibles (Chrysler Sebring, Mitsubishi Eclipse and Ford Mustang) and premium Euro-cabriolets (Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Saab 9-3), the Solara delivered a unique combination of swoopy coupe and convertible style married to Toyota's reputation for value and reliability.
Three model years later, that combination seems to be just right for the folks at Toyota.
All-new--kind of
Although the 2007 Camry sedan is all new -- platform, styling, engines, transmissions, etc.--the revised 2007 Solara coupe and convertible retain the previous car's platform.
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| Solara SLE V6 convertible seen in cosmic blue metallic. |