Exclusive TRD Aurion sighting

It seems the Toyota's supercharged TRD Aurion is ready for the road, judging by this example spotted on the Hume Highway between Yass and Gundagai.

While Toyota has issued a frontal photo of its high-performance Aurion, this is the first glimpse of its rear spoiler and hi-tech-looking peepholes for the twin exhausts.

Check out also the big wheels - 19-inches by the look of them - and TRD-issue red calipers.

As previously seen, the frontal treatment introduces a stronger-jawed look than the mainstream Aurion.

The relatively restrained rear treatment looks like its keeping with TRD's philosophy for its go-fast Aurion, a position somewhere between Subaru's Sti division and the V8-powered glorious excess of HSV and FPV.

“TRD stands for an optimal blend of performance, refinement, handling and Toyota's traditional quality, durability and reliability,” Toyota marketing chief David Buttner says.

The TRD Aurion's door badges, bearing the Mercedes-like designation of 3500 SL, are no doubt calculated to add to its up-market image.

With about 235kW and substantial torque lift from its 3.5-litre supercharged V6, Buttner compares the TRD's performance with refinement formula to the Alfa Romeo 159 or Volkswagen Golf R32.

We'll be able to decide for ourselves when the TRD Aurion is launched next month; it is expected to be priced about $60,000.

Aside from the usual local Holden SS and Ford XR suspects, there's not a surfeit of biggish sedans to offer comparable bang for these kind of bucks, with Mitsubishi having shelved plans to put the hot supercharged TMR version of its 380 into production. A front-wheel-drive and presumably cheaper version of Alfa Romeo's currently all-paw-only 159 V6 is part of the revision planned for the 2008 range. Volkswagen says the R36 version of its Passat V6 4Motion will arrive either by the end of 2008 or early 2009.

With Toyota having long since expunged any remotely stirring models from its line-up (who'd have thought it possible to feel nostalgia for the Celica or the last MR2?) it will be amusing to see if buyers cotton-on to what seems the borderline bizarre idea of a high performance car with this maker's badge.

Indeed, if it's only half-decent, the TMR would serve to provide the only spark of excitement in Toyota's utterly vanilla line-up.

It's not as though a company whose perennial sales success seems as assured as the coming of the dawn actually needs such a gadget, which makes it all the more gratifying that they're having a bit of go.

Still, Lexus money for an Aurion?