- 1,967
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- Jun 16, 2003
Wait so these are official concept pictures?
2012 Toyota GT-86 / SCION FRS/ BRZ - FRS $24,930 MSRP
- 1,967
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- Jun 16, 2003
Wait so these are official concept pictures?
- 3,137
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cant wait to go to the LA autoshow too
the BRZ looks better imo minus that ugly spoiler
the BRZ looks better imo minus that ugly spoiler
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- Jul 1, 2005
cant wait to go to the LA autoshow too
the BRZ looks better imo minus that ugly spoiler
the BRZ looks better imo minus that ugly spoiler
- 5,456
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- Aug 12, 2008
TRD parts are in.
- 5,456
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- Aug 12, 2008
TRD parts are in.
al audi
Banned
- 29,810
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- Jun 18, 2009
wow that subaru will be a HIT in the new england area
def wanna see final production pics of that joint
def wanna see final production pics of that joint
al audi
Banned
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- Jun 18, 2009
wow that subaru will be a HIT in the new england area
def wanna see final production pics of that joint
def wanna see final production pics of that joint
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- Apr 5, 2011
Will the Subaru version be AWD?
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Will the Subaru version be AWD?
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- Dec 13, 2004
Seriously, all these "leaks" and concepts are getting somewhat annoying. Just reveal the damn car already.Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams
TRD parts are in.
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- Dec 13, 2004
Seriously, all these "leaks" and concepts are getting somewhat annoying. Just reveal the damn car already.Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams
TRD parts are in.
al audi
Banned
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- Jun 18, 2009
im so serious when i say these cars will be smash hits if they even come CLOSE to these pics
al audi
Banned
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- Jun 18, 2009
im so serious when i say these cars will be smash hits if they even come CLOSE to these pics
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- Aug 12, 2008
The production version of the car is being revealed in a month. The leaks and concepts are like movie trailers.Originally Posted by RFX45
Seriously, all these "leaks" and concepts are getting somewhat annoying. Just reveal the damn car already.Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams
TRD parts are in.
Some cars like the new 2012 Camry was revealed a month before it was sold to the public. Talk about secrecy not needing hype to sell.
- 5,456
- 11
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2008
The production version of the car is being revealed in a month. The leaks and concepts are like movie trailers.Originally Posted by RFX45
Seriously, all these "leaks" and concepts are getting somewhat annoying. Just reveal the damn car already.Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams
TRD parts are in.
Some cars like the new 2012 Camry was revealed a month before it was sold to the public. Talk about secrecy not needing hype to sell.
- 17,572
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- Apr 7, 2008
BRZ looks like an S2000
- 17,572
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BRZ looks like an S2000
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- Aug 12, 2008
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- Aug 12, 2008
- 21,365
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- Nov 20, 2003
Not bad Subie...
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Not bad Subie...
dajondondo
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dajondondo
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2013 Scion FR-S First Drive
A Sports Car Worth Waiting For
By Matt Prior, Contributor|Published Nov 15, 2011
Like an impatient child told in February what he's getting for Christmas, our wait for the 2013 Scion FR-S Coupe has seemed an interminable one. First there were clues, then a Toyota concept, then a Scion concept. Then...nothing.
This time, however, we've finally driven it, or at least a prototype of the Scion FR-S. And we're glad to announce that it's very much the car we've been waiting for — figuratively, not just literally.
Clearly, this is a sports car that had its development driven by feel and intuition, not lap times and lateral grip levels. "Sports cars have gotten boring," Toyota officials told us. "They're only interested in going fast." So the FR-S aims to bring speeds down but push enjoyment up. Is that really possible?
Yeah, There's Plenty of Subaru in This Scion
By now you've heard that the 2013 Scion FR-S is built on a rear-wheel-drive platform co-developed with Subaru. It'll be called the Subaru BRZ, and the production version will debut at the Tokyo auto show in just two weeks. We still don't have all the technical details, but we can tell you that it's about as small as a sports car can get while still offering four seats.
For reference, the FT-86 II concept shown at the Geneva auto show earlier this year measured 166.7 inches long, 50 inches high and 70.7 inches wide. It also had a short wheelbase that measured a mere 101.2 inches, or 5 inches shorter than the wheelbase of the Scion tC coupe. The dimensions of this prototype are at least that tight, if not tighter.
Keeping the size down helped control the weight, too. At just 2,822 pounds, the FR-S undercuts the tC by around 300 pounds. Couple that with the 2.0-liter flat-4 engine that produces roughly 197 horsepower and the FR-S looks pretty good on paper. Figure in the six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential and the FR-S starts to really look good.
Feels Good, Too
First impressions are that it feels light and compact, not unlike a Mazda MX-5 or the last Toyota MR2. The driving position is low, straight and snug. The front seats are grippy, the rear seats tiny. Think of it as a poor man's Porsche 911 and it feels just fine.
You'll have a harder time channeling those thoughts when it comes to the car's powertrain. The 2013 Scion FR-S is no stoplight hero. It's not slow either, though, so ripping through the precise six-speed shifter feels satisfying. There's a broad power curve and the engine revs clear up to 7,500 rpm, but like a typical Subaru boxer engine, there's no desperate need to wind it that far.
You'll be glad to know that the stability control system can be switched completely off. That means the FR-S has burnout potential even if it's a little low on displacement. We were glad to get some seat time, so we didn't bother roasting the rubber this time out.
A Scion That Slides
It's hard to accurately gauge the ride on the concrete airfield where we drove the prototype, but the FR-S feels quite deftly set up and light on its feet. It steers easily, too. At 2.5 turns lock to lock, it has a quick but not hyperactive rack, and is light to average in terms of its assist. It all adds to the impression of a car that's easy to get along with right from the start.
Hit a corner and you'll find some roll, but the rate is well contained. The 2013 Scion FR-S's weight distribution is 53/47 percent front/rear, so it'll nudge into steady-state understeer if you're on a constant throttle, where it grips moderately well and is poised.
Push any harder and the FR-S starts to get really fun. Add any amount of power and it'll turn at least neutral. Trail the brakes into a bend, lift midcorner and it'll give you armfuls of oversteer. For that alone, the FR-S is better than any Scion coupe before it.
There's still a bit of tweaking to do on the damping, but it's 90 percent of the way there, at least according to our limited time behind the wheel. The gearing isn't always perfect either, at least if you want to pitch it into a long turn and hold a slide. Third gear just doesn't have the guts, so serious momentum is the only way to keep playing games with the chassis.
More Power?
Of course more power would be nice. But more power means a turbo, stronger brakes and maybe even bigger wheels and tires to go with them. All that adds weight, and that's where the downward spiral starts, right?
That's Toyota's thinking, at least for now. We can't argue with that reasoning either. More stuff equals more cost, too, and the 2013 Scion FR-S is supposed to be an affordable rear-drive sports car for the masses.
As it is now, that's exactly what it is, and a good one at that. There's no doubt a hotter, 200-plus-horse FR-S will arrive eventually, but until then this first attempt feels as it should. The handling is well sorted, the engine has usable power and you can even turn off the nannies to have some real fun. This might have been worth waiting for after all.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
A Sports Car Worth Waiting For
By Matt Prior, Contributor|Published Nov 15, 2011
- Poor
- So-So
- Pretty Good
- Good
- Excellent
Like an impatient child told in February what he's getting for Christmas, our wait for the 2013 Scion FR-S Coupe has seemed an interminable one. First there were clues, then a Toyota concept, then a Scion concept. Then...nothing.
This time, however, we've finally driven it, or at least a prototype of the Scion FR-S. And we're glad to announce that it's very much the car we've been waiting for — figuratively, not just literally.
Clearly, this is a sports car that had its development driven by feel and intuition, not lap times and lateral grip levels. "Sports cars have gotten boring," Toyota officials told us. "They're only interested in going fast." So the FR-S aims to bring speeds down but push enjoyment up. Is that really possible?
Yeah, There's Plenty of Subaru in This Scion
By now you've heard that the 2013 Scion FR-S is built on a rear-wheel-drive platform co-developed with Subaru. It'll be called the Subaru BRZ, and the production version will debut at the Tokyo auto show in just two weeks. We still don't have all the technical details, but we can tell you that it's about as small as a sports car can get while still offering four seats.
For reference, the FT-86 II concept shown at the Geneva auto show earlier this year measured 166.7 inches long, 50 inches high and 70.7 inches wide. It also had a short wheelbase that measured a mere 101.2 inches, or 5 inches shorter than the wheelbase of the Scion tC coupe. The dimensions of this prototype are at least that tight, if not tighter.
Keeping the size down helped control the weight, too. At just 2,822 pounds, the FR-S undercuts the tC by around 300 pounds. Couple that with the 2.0-liter flat-4 engine that produces roughly 197 horsepower and the FR-S looks pretty good on paper. Figure in the six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential and the FR-S starts to really look good.
Feels Good, Too
First impressions are that it feels light and compact, not unlike a Mazda MX-5 or the last Toyota MR2. The driving position is low, straight and snug. The front seats are grippy, the rear seats tiny. Think of it as a poor man's Porsche 911 and it feels just fine.
You'll have a harder time channeling those thoughts when it comes to the car's powertrain. The 2013 Scion FR-S is no stoplight hero. It's not slow either, though, so ripping through the precise six-speed shifter feels satisfying. There's a broad power curve and the engine revs clear up to 7,500 rpm, but like a typical Subaru boxer engine, there's no desperate need to wind it that far.
You'll be glad to know that the stability control system can be switched completely off. That means the FR-S has burnout potential even if it's a little low on displacement. We were glad to get some seat time, so we didn't bother roasting the rubber this time out.
A Scion That Slides
It's hard to accurately gauge the ride on the concrete airfield where we drove the prototype, but the FR-S feels quite deftly set up and light on its feet. It steers easily, too. At 2.5 turns lock to lock, it has a quick but not hyperactive rack, and is light to average in terms of its assist. It all adds to the impression of a car that's easy to get along with right from the start.
Hit a corner and you'll find some roll, but the rate is well contained. The 2013 Scion FR-S's weight distribution is 53/47 percent front/rear, so it'll nudge into steady-state understeer if you're on a constant throttle, where it grips moderately well and is poised.
Push any harder and the FR-S starts to get really fun. Add any amount of power and it'll turn at least neutral. Trail the brakes into a bend, lift midcorner and it'll give you armfuls of oversteer. For that alone, the FR-S is better than any Scion coupe before it.
There's still a bit of tweaking to do on the damping, but it's 90 percent of the way there, at least according to our limited time behind the wheel. The gearing isn't always perfect either, at least if you want to pitch it into a long turn and hold a slide. Third gear just doesn't have the guts, so serious momentum is the only way to keep playing games with the chassis.
More Power?
Of course more power would be nice. But more power means a turbo, stronger brakes and maybe even bigger wheels and tires to go with them. All that adds weight, and that's where the downward spiral starts, right?
That's Toyota's thinking, at least for now. We can't argue with that reasoning either. More stuff equals more cost, too, and the 2013 Scion FR-S is supposed to be an affordable rear-drive sports car for the masses.
As it is now, that's exactly what it is, and a good one at that. There's no doubt a hotter, 200-plus-horse FR-S will arrive eventually, but until then this first attempt feels as it should. The handling is well sorted, the engine has usable power and you can even turn off the nannies to have some real fun. This might have been worth waiting for after all.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
