While designers optimized the Camry’s visual image, they also paid attention to generating a sense of excitement in the driving experience without sacrificing ride quality. To do that, they increased wheelbase (109.3 in., up from 107.1 in.) but maintained the same overall length, with a shortened rear overhang. Even with this lengthened wheelbase, engineers delivered a reduced turning radius.
The chassis was made more rigid by connecting the cowl front to the upper suspension towers. Additionally, the Camry’s hood, fenders and their brackets, and cowl are designed to crumple and absorb impact energy.
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| Toyota Camry Car 2008 |
Wheels for all four Camry grades were upgraded to a sixteen inch mininum; the SE gets aluminum 17-inch wheels with six spokes, optimized for brake-heat dissipation. Brake discs were enlarged for improved feel and stopping power. Up front, ventilated 11.65-inch discs are used, with solid 11.06-inch discs at the rear. A new brake pad provides a 10% higher coefficient of friction for increased stopping power. Finally, Toyota’s Brake Assist, an electronic function that senses an emergency stop and applies increased braking power once the driver touches the brake pedal, is standard.
Front suspension is via MacPherson struts. At the rear, a dual-link strut system helps provide an optimal balance between smooth ride and secure handling. To help improve the Camry’s handling and driver feel, all lower control arms were lengthened, all spring, shock-absorber and antiroll-bar values, and all suspension geometries, were rethought and recalibrated.
The revised chassis was lab-tested using specs simulating the road surfaces in every country in which Camry is sold. Then, to add real-world verification to their new design, engineers road-tested the new suspension design for more than 600,000 miles in more than a dozen countries.
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