The Toyota Camry has been long revered as a reliable but dull fleet filler and the suburban transport appliance of choice. The 2016 Camry Special Edition is Toyota’s latest attempt to broaden the four-door sedan’s appeal and add a little edge to its reputation. Building on the solid base provided by the new-for-2015 Camry, the 2016 Camry Special Edition gets most of its “special” from a collection of cosmetic enhancements and technology features.
It wouldn’t be special without a bespoke paint color, and this Camry gives buyers a choice of two: Blizzard Pearl or Blue Streak Metallic. Accenting the exterior finish is set of 18-inch alloy wheels featuring a unique machined and painted fascia (not-Special Camry SE’s get 17-inch alloys), a smoked-taillamp treatment, and, to make sure passersby don’t mistake you for just another plebe, the all-important Special-Edition exterior badge.
The interior looks reasonably swanky, with exclusive seats that feature black bolsters and blue patterned inserts. They also get the same blue accent stitching that appears on the shift boot and the dash. A unique blue-on-white cluster populates the instrument panel, and floor mats with a “Special Edition” logo don’t let your feet forget just how exceptional they are. Keyless entry and pushbutton start are present—no surprise here, as they are standard issue on the SE—as is Toyota’s Qi wireless charging. Sadly, the Special Edition status doesn’t extend to the powertrain, as this Camry makes due with the same 2.5-liter four-banger and six-speed automatic transmission that motivates its less special brethren.
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While Toyota’s projected “limited production” figure of 12,000 units may seem perplexing large for a special edition of anything, it’s important to remember that when dealing with giants, scale is everything. In 2014, Toyota sold almost 400,000 Camrys in the U.S. alone; by that measure, the Camry Special Edition would constitute just about 3 percent of total volume. Production is scheduled to begin in August and run through January of 2016. We expect to have pricing details shortly after the car debuts at the 2015 Chicago auto show.
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via Agya
