- Scion took the wraps off the 2013 FR-S on Wednesday, saying that it is moving up the on-sale date in the U.S. to the spring and promising that the brand's new "halo" car would be priced under $30,000.
- The FR-S is the U.S.-bound companion of the new Toyota 86 sport coupe.
- Subaru co-developed the car in Japan with Toyota and has its own version, the Subaru BRZ.
LOS ANGELES — Scion took the wraps off the 2013 FR-S on Wednesday, saying that it is moving up the on-sale date in the U.S. to the spring and promising that the brand's new "halo" car would be priced under $30,000.
Formal pricing will be announced later.
The FR-S is the U.S.-bound companion of the new Toyota 86 sport coupe. Subaru co-developed the car in Japan with Toyota and has its own version, the Subaru BRZ. The Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ debuted this week at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show.
The FR-S — short for Front-engine, Rear-drive, Sport — gets a 197-horsepower 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder direct-injection boxer engine. The flat-4 is linked to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The EPA has not yet posted fuel-economy numbers on the FR-S.
While vehicle weight was not provided in the preliminary specifications, Scion said it made a special effort to reduce weight. This was accomplished by using a solid roof instead of a sunroof, opting for a rigid trunk instead of a hatchback and using an aluminum hood. The FR-S gets standard 17-inch wheels and a tuned suspension.
Inspired by Toyota's AE86 generation of the Corolla, the FR-S gets an "86" piston emblem on the front fenders — another link to its sister car, the Toyota 86.
The cabin features a 2+2 seating configuration and a large center-mounted tachometer.
Inside Line says: Scion is hoping that its new "halo" car will bring buyers into its showrooms and boost sales on everything in the lineup.
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pathos says:
01:04 AM, 12/07/2011
dude500 says:
06:56 AM, 12/02/2011
It appears to be priced similarly to the RX-8, which makes sense. Similar weight, balance and power (though not powerband).
If anything killed the RX-8, it was the quirks of the engine rather than the price. It's a wonderful car, except the engine is so finicky.
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I'd be surprised if it is as well balanced as an RX-8, which was great.
Note to Toyota, get the person who designed the last Supra to design this car. Just saying. It was a dam beautiful car and still is.
twistedrider says:
01:59 PM, 12/02/2011
The only mistake Toyota made was not put a Lexus badge on this. Then it would be "affordable".
This will sell on its brand name, like Honda.
jerintampa says:
11:26 AM, 12/02/2011
Guys, Gals and myself can calm down.
Relax it's not going to be priced that high. Pricing was just released for the BRZ in two Trims
Premium is at $24,000 (Navigation is standard, nicely equipped)
Limited is at $27,000 (leather, 17" Rims, etc)
Pricing on the Scion should slightly undercut the Subaru.
Read here for more information
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2579
I'll take the Subaru BRZ Limited because I can!
k55 says:
10:38 AM, 12/02/2011
jeesh....if I read of another mentioning 30k I'll puke. This will not sell for 30k and probably not even 25k. It will be somewhere start between 20 and 25 so pick 22.5 as a mid point. Use the brains you have.
.....and stop picking your nose ...and that means you BlackDynomite. ( I have the two way viewer apps option.)
coolb944 says:
10:08 AM, 12/02/2011
@damaje
It's been pretty clearly explained. You must be asleep at the wheel.
Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ variants will be sold INSIDE the US. OUTSIDE the US, the car will be sold as the Toyota 86 (GT 86 in Europe) and Subaru BRZ.
coolb944 says:
09:46 AM, 12/02/2011
I can only cross my fingers that this is a super safe number IL is reporting and not something that was actually stated by company officials.
No one is going to accept a Scion with a price tag near $30k unless it started much much lower and they added on a TON of options and accessories.
I'm not going to get worked up over this, just going to sit back and see, but like other people here have stated, this cannot be an over $25k car to start, especially as a Scion. You might be able to pull it off as a Toyota with a higher grade interior, but that's the only way.
I'm thinking I may be checking out the BRZ instead so I don't have to look at the ugly Pioneer head unit Scion uses across its lineup, plus a potentially nicer center stack and console. All the various pictures released of the car seem to show a variety of interior detailing that's different. I can only hope the pictures here are of a lower spec FR-S, and that a higher-spec FR-S has the nicer detailing of the 86 photos that came out from the first drive.
The tinted rear lenses are much better than the clear silver ones on the Toyota at least.
canabacon says:
09:45 AM, 12/02/2011
it seems as though some people are missing the boat here. And IL got one thing wrong. It is not solely a direct injection engine. It is port and direct for better reliability (less dirt left on the valves and in the port) and better fuel economy with a bigger power band. This car was meant to be a show as to what the future is for Toyota. The FR-S is a well handling car, I seen one guy quoting 1/4 mile track times. Not the point of a sports car, just ask Porshe. If you look closely at this car, you will see it's a poor mans boxer that will have great resale value and alot better reliability. It's easy to see that people look at new car straightline numbers, but don't actually read the reveiw and concider how long you can keep the car for. btw, IL, how about a comparison test between a Venom GT and a Veyron SS? That would be fun.
jdmftw says:
07:40 AM, 12/02/2011
Thanks subaru123
I'm going with BRZ initially I was gonna get toyota version. but interior is horrible to look at.
after all thats all you looking while you're driving
stupidlefty71 says:
07:33 AM, 12/02/2011
I like this car but I'm really turned off by the fact the pricing is going to be it's deciding factor. BMW has made a living off of being over-priced and yet their sales numbers keep increasing. THe car seems to be getting good reviews on what it's supposed to do. It handles well and keeps the driver involved.
I like that this is aScion and not a Toyota. THe big draw for Scion is you can customize your car at the dealer with your full warranty. I'm sure there will be plenty of upgrade parts soon after it's release.
My bet is this will be starting at $1000 more than the TC and go from there. and The fully model will be just under $30K. I'm wondering how the TRD supercharger will look under the hood???
jscion says:
06:57 AM, 12/02/2011
Under $30K??? What happened to the under $25K price??? This is a 4-cylinder, 2700 pound car, no turbo, no leather, no sunroof so what is with the price? The TC isn't as competitive as it once was and the XB and XD lag behind nearly everything from every other manufacturer so Scion needs an awesome car that is also affordable. It's a fantastic car but too the price is too high for what it is!!!