The August 2006 Motor Trend reports that Toyota has decided to kill off the Solara and to replace it with a crossover based on the 2005 FT-SX concept car.

Toyota normally introduce the new Solara two years after the new Camry, so the current coupe should continue through the 2008 model year, but MT seems to think that Toyota will want to release the new crossover as an '08, which would necessitate cutting short the Solaras life span. Of course, they could probably co-exist for a year, but only time will reveal the true plan.

MT also wonders if Honda will follow the lead and dump the Accord coupe. Hmmm...

 

The Accord coupe is actually a pretty nice car, just a big large. The problem with both of those cars is I feel; Coupe = small two door sporty car. Since both the Toyota and the Honda are definately not small by any means nor very sporty from behind the wheel they have not been doing great. While plush nice rides that are basically beds on a frame with wheels have there place, they are not in the 'coupe' market.

I can almost understand there reasoning behind getting rid of the Honda Accord Coupe... they have a better sports coupe, the new Civic SI. And getting rid of the Solara is just smart since it doesn't look good, and it doesn't look or feel like a sports coupe.

 

I dunno about the solara, but I think the accord coupe sales have been very high since 1998. Also, the accord had a coupe version for every generation since the 80's I believe. The solara on the other hand was a relative newcomer and never really sold too well.

 

Wow I hope the new crossover will be as nice as the Solara. I drove a Solara SLE convertible for a week a few months ago and I loved it. I wanted to get one when I was shopping for a new car but it didn't fit in the budget at the time. I was planning on buying one for the wife in a couple of years.

 

Ive had a 97 accord coupe since 2000 i just got rid of it for my Tc. Ill tell you what 97 was the last year they were sporty I raced thet thing almost every weekend With suspension and minor bolt ons it was an awesome little track car. The later generations have gone more luxury. Another thing to keep in mind is the TSX is actually a euro spec accord...very sporty but still plush.

 

Adios Solara!! I did like the round Camry coupes (92-96) though, those sold well even though you don't see many anymore. We are special, we get an Accord Coupe and Japan doesn't, well they get a station wagon but who wants to drive one of those. j/k It'll be sad to see the RSX go though. Sayonara to all the cars that are getting axed!

 

Hmmm, wonder what Toyota will do for a convertible?

-Alex

 

Yeah, the Camery SLE convertable is a treat to drive when I get the opportunity. Unfortunately, I don't have to house sit often enough

 

So no more Toyota coupes? Maybe the Supra or something is the plan to replace the Solara which in my opinion is a true sports coupe.

Anyways here's some pix of the FT-SX (wagon?)

 

aww, thats depressing, the Solara was one of the few toyotas I liked. It never had to grow on me either(like that thing in the post above mine is just horrid looking)

 

How does a crossover 'replace' a coupe/convertible?

 

^^^exactly what he said!!!!

 

the latest solara is shaped funny, it looks a little better on the uber expensive sc, the body before this current one was pretty nice. both solaras are too big, rather get a CL... as an aside, weren't the camry coupes made in the US? i heard rumors of quality/fit issues versus the japan made camry sedans. sigh.

 

Anyone else see the dodge caliber influence in the concept atleast in the rear or is it only me?

 

The solara Came from the gen3 (92-96) Camry coupe. The introduction of the 1997 gen 4 camry was the split (also the subtraction of a wagon in the N.Amer Camry line up), originally the Solara was sold as the Camry Solara ... not unlike the old Celica Supra back in the 80's.



Nope they were both Jap and Amer. In japan from 92-94 the Coupes were almost exclusively known as the Scepter. Come 95-96 they were mostly Camry Coupes and very rarely Scepters.
All gen3 Sedans were Camrys and all gen3 Wagons were Scepters.

I drove a US made 5spd 95 Camry for a long time and I had a lot of custom performance based work done to it. There were NO fitment issues or any issues at all for that matter.

 

In the solora price range you have to ask yourself whether a new car is worth it, or getting the watchyamacallit it Lexus hard top convertible used.

 

I've seen a RHD Scepter Wagon. I kno, wat do you guys care. Maybe if they made a coupe that looked like the sedan they would sell well.

 

I heard that the US made car was made well enough just not to the razor precise tolerances of the japan made product. So things were in tolerances, but 'sloppy'. I'm glad you had a good car.

 

I say, bring back the MR2. Toyota needs something to compete with the Mazda MX-5, Pontiac Soltice, Saturn Sky and Honda s2000.

 

They tried that with the Gen-3 ('92-'96) Camry coupe. Other than the 2 doors, it looked pretty much like the sedan. It wasn't a real hot seller, so TMMK quit producing it.

Toyota still thought there was a niche for a large coupe based on the Camry. But it had to look and feel a little different from the sedan....enter the Camry Solara. They called it the "Camry" Solara so they could lump Solara sales numbers in with Camry sales. The Solara was mechanically identical to the Camry, but had it's own sheetmetal and interior. TMMK supplied Canada (TMMC) with engines, subframes, suspension components, among other parts as well. That's part of the reason the decision was made to bring the gen-2 Solara to TMMK, because so much of it's mechanicals were built there already. It was also Toyota's first fully in-house built convertible.

Despite decent sales, there may be more money to be made with other models. Sometimes models come and go. That's just the car business for ya.

I've heard rumors that the convertible may carry on....who knows?