TRD goooooone!!!!!!!

[MarkIV]

From fantastic promises of a new dawn to an embarassing end in just 16 months.
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...eID=59808&vf=2

[flappist]

Shame really, the more performance products sold the stronger they will be but it really was flawed from the start with the front wheel drive configuration.
Maybe they should have just sold a rebadged Lexus IS F instead.

I test drove a TRD Aurion in April and it was extremely flighty under hard accelleration on bumpy roads but it got along ok.

[Molloy]

bye bye....I liked the look of them but front wheel drive??? no thanks.

[irlewy86]

Typical Toyota always telling the driver how his car should be made.

You'll put a AWD system in next time suckers

[Fairlane]

Oh well Toyota Australia goes back the selling white Camry's and silver Corolla, the world keeps on turning & the sun keeps rising.

And Toyota confirms it self as the most boring, conservative car manufacturer in world history. What is the most exciting car Toyota (not Lexus) has in Australia, Camry Sportivo, Hilux SR5?

Conservatism tends not to work over the long run, so lets hope Toyota sees the error of its ways and at least gives us a new Celica or an FJ Cruiser or atleast something interesting from JDM.

[SM1DY]

Not phased by this really. If HSV were to go under, then I'd stand and pay attention, maybe even LOL a bit.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by SM1DY

Not phased by this really. If HSV were to go under, then I'd stand and pay attention, maybe even LOL a bit.

+1. TRD didn't really mean performance. Overpriced and FWD...ok. I did see a TRD Hilux, the exterior was on par with the F6X so doubt that was gonna sell.

[Airmon]

FWD and Supercharged 6, destined to fail. They must have finally realised that the people who buy Toyota's don't care about top end performance, and that people who care about performance don't care for FWD (or Toyotas :P )

The TRD brand attracted just 888 customers in its short life; 537 were for the Aurion TRD sedan and 351 for the hotted-up HiLux utilities.

Coincidence or something sinister? :

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by SM1DY

Not phased by this really. If HSV were to go under, then I'd stand and pay attention, maybe even LOL a bit.

Thats pretty stupid, if HSV went under im sure FPV wouldnt be far from the same death. HSV although they are the opponents they are vital for a healthy market and competition

[SM1DY]

Originally Posted by 51RTE

Thats pretty stupid, if HSV went under im sure FPV wouldnt be far from the same death. HSV although they are the opponents they are vital for a healthy market and competition

OMG, you can't say anything on this site without a mod jumping down your throat for the simple reason 'I can because im a Mod', and man is allowed to dream...SO LET ME.

[Laminge]

Originally Posted by SM1DY

OMG, you can't say anything on this site without a mod jumping down your throat for the simple reason 'I can because im a Mod', and man is allowed to dream...SO LET ME.

Ill go one better, I can because I am admin.

Whats wrong, dont like having someone else having an opinion?

Playgrounds are vast on the web don't expect me to hesitate at any point to help you search!

[DJM83]

Not suprised but it wont be missed, the Aurion looked awesome but FWD. The hilux was :

[4Vman]

Not good, this will impact some of HSV's suppliers too.... While they weren't a big player they still provided income to critical suppliers to the performance car manufacturers, and if they struggle guess what....

[Mark351]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Not good, this will impact some of HSV's suppliers too.... While they weren't a big player they still provided income to critical suppliers to the performance car manufacturers, and if they struggle guess what....

If any supplier was going to be adversely affected by a performance arm that sold less than 1000 units and hasn't been around two years, they probably weren't good shape prior to TRD... I don't think it will have as big an impact as the drop in HSV sales.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by Mark351

If any supplier was going to be adversely affected by a performance arm that sold less than 1000 units and hasn't been around two years, they probably weren't good shape prior to TRD... I don't think it will have as big an impact as the drop in HSV sales.

Its a compounding issue.. if a company is only just breaking even and they loose 25% of their business in one hit what happens?? What would happen if they fell over and HSV couldn't get components for 3 months due the specialised nature of the component/supplier??
Love or Hate TRD this could have wider reaching implications..

[madmelon]

Good riddance to bad rubbish. The Aurion may have looked reasonable, but if my 4 cyl Camry can easily find the limit then a supercharged 6 was always going to be over doing it.

[T3ts50]

A V6 Camry has too much torque steer for my liking, cant imagine how much a supercharged Aurion would have.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by T3ts50

A V6 Camry has too much torque steer for my liking, cant imagine how much a supercharged Aurion would have.

Looks good though IMHO

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by T3ts50

A V6 Camry has too much torque steer for my liking, cant imagine how much a supercharged Aurion would have.

I'm pretty sure the current model Camry's only come in 4cyl these days, however, your statement definitely applies to V6 N/A Aurions.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Peuty

I'm pretty sure the current model Camry's only come in 4cyl these days, however, your statement definitely applies to V6 N/A Aurions.

Correct

[FPV+fteT3]

Never ever actually saw one on the street, would have been better off modding a supra or something similar not the camry looking aurion and the hilux they are too far removed from being anthing like a performance car. Wonder if the existing ones will be worth something in the future or will they just fade away like a peter wherret turbo sigma.........now there was a weapon

[naddis01]

Originally Posted by Peuty

I'm pretty sure the current model Camry's only come in 4cyl these days, however, your statement definitely applies to V6 N/A Aurions.

Isnt the Aurion basically a V6 camry with a slightly different front and rear end?

[Redrum]

Aurion did nothing for me but the Hilux a great truck, really like it.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Peuty

I'm pretty sure the current model Camry's only come in 4cyl these days, however, your statement definitely applies to V6 N/A Aurions.

Aurion/Camry = same, it was changed to get the 'large car market' to buy it. People who think their Aurion is not a Camry is kidding themselves.

[MITCHAY]

All they needed was an AWD setup and they may have gone ok IMO. It wasn't a bad looking car

[ehast13]

I would have thought modding a $19990 corolla into a (140kw to 175kw) 35 to 40 k (and ditch the torqueless 141kw sportivo) hot hatch would have been smarter. Use the lotus elise style supercharger and existing sportivo style seats.

A ready market

Corolla has some motorsport cred (more than auto only aurion)

Corolla has history (levin, twin cam, gti etc etc)

Follow it up with visual Pimped Out kits for Prado/Kluger/landcruiser (wheels, skirt kit)

Put the TRD body kit/suspension/wheels on the n/a Aurion sport (40 - 43k).

So much wasted potential.

what were they thinking???

[Smoke Pursuit]

Well that was a flop, theres going to be some happy dealers around having to pull the TRD badges off the building not to mention the TRD displays inside... Both the Aurion and the Hilux were dud's, gezz they couldnt even put matching door trims in the Hilux, they used the standard SR5 ones!

[Silver Ghia]

I always thought the name 'TRD' was not going to be popular, as it can be pronounced another way as a word with only one syllable. Should have been called something else if the concept was going to have some chance.

What were they thinking??

[JACK250]

A car whose name makes you think of t urd is destined to fail

[Jayden]

TRD. the only thing missing is U