While some lament the loss of the impressive V6 on the Toyota Camry, others welcome the more modern approach. To each, their own, as they say, but one thing rings true, no matter which side of the fence one might land: the V6 TRDs could kick some serious rear exhausts when it raced segment competitors like the Honda Accord or Nissan Altima SR.
Today, out in the wilderness of the Dunville Autodrome in Ontario, Canada, we're witnessing something so unsightly... so gruesome... that some may even call it unholy: the "old" 2023 Camry racing and utterly humiliating the newer 2025 generation.
The 2023 Camry, in the TRD trim, is equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine capable of delivering 301 hp and 267 lb-ft or 362 Nm of torque. Some have clocked the TRD from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and the quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds.
The 2025 Toyota Camry XLE AWD Hybrid starts at around $36,000 in the US and $45k in Canada. Its 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and electric motors produce 232 hp and 163 lb-ft (221 Nm) of torque.
Weight-wise, the elder tips the scales at 3,572 lbs. or 1,620 kg, while the son is packing a bit more around the waist, rated at 3,649 lbs. (1,655 kg). While the weight difference isn't all that huge, the torque difference is without question.
Photo: Throttle House
Obviously, the 2023 model won the drag and roll races without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, the boys at Throttle House who drove these Camry models didn't provide any performance numbers. We don't know the exact 1/4-mile times they scored, but clearly, the older model was so far ahead that it was nothing but embarrassing for the 2025 Camry.
With nothing else left to say about the V6 biting the dust, let's find out how the latter performed in another drag race, this time against a $40,000 2024 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid.
The FWD hybrid Accord packs a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 204 hp with 247 lb-ft or 335 Nm of torque. It's a bit lighter than the 2025 Camry, at 3,541 lbs. or 1,606 kilograms. With more torque and half a person lighter, you'd think the Honda will also shame the new Toyota sedan. That wasn't the case, as it turns out.
As soon as they left the line, the all-wheel-drive Camry had the drag race in the bag, and the Honda had no chance of ever catching up. They went for a roll race after, where, for a second or two, it looked like the Honda Accord would win. Halfway through, the Camry closed the gap and secured another win.
With the 2023 Camry demolishing the 2025 model and the latter destroying the Accord, one question arises from all this madness, like a Phoenix from its ashes: how badly would the V6 Toyota Camry TRD beat the new Accord?
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News