A new trademark filing uncovered by CarBuzz may reveal that Toyota is working on a sportier version of its Camry sedan. The trademark for "Camry Apex" was filed by Toyota on June 30, 2026, and is currently pending with the USPTO for goods and services, specifically "automobiles and structural parts therefor." The Corolla Apex Edition, which was launched for the 2021 model year, may provide some insight into what the Camry Apex could entail. The Apex continued for the 2022 model year but was quickly discontinued when the hotter GR Corolla arrived for 2023.
Toyota said the Apex Edition was limited to 6,000 units for the inaugural model year, though it's unclear if the 2022 version was equally rare. Of those initial 6,000 units, only 120 were equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, while the rest featured a continuously variable transmission. Assuming the Camry Apex sticks to the same formula as the Corolla, we wouldn't expect any performance enhancements under the hood. In other words, the current hybrid powertrain with 225 horsepower should remain unchanged.
View Price on AmazonThe Corolla Apex kept the same 169-hp four-cylinder as a standard Corolla but added unique coil springs with a lower ride height, retuned shocks, new jounce dampers, and bespoke electronic power steering. It might be strange for a hybrid, but the Corolla also featured a cat-back exhaust with a stainless steel tip. Since the new Camry frequently starts and stops its engine, this could make for an interesting soundtrack. Toyota did tease a hotter Camry variant at last year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas, so perhaps this trademark is our first indication that a production version is coming.
Motor1's Take: A trademark does not guarantee that a new vehicle will reach production, but Toyota has hinted at building a sportier Camry. If we had to choose, we'd prefer to see a Camry with TRD or Gazoo Racing enhancements, including the plug-in hybrid powertrain from the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid for improved acceleration. That would be a more worthwhile replacement for the discontinued V6 Camry.
Source: motor1.com
