Brand New Scion FR-S rocking a set of 19" Staggered ISS Forged Blonix M/8 wheels and wraped with Hankook Evo tires.
2013 Scion FR-S
The rear-wheel-drive sports coupe delivers on its promise.
The U.S.-market sister ship to the
Subaru BRZ, the Scion FR-S, will go on sale this spring. It is an unusual car for parent company Toyota, or at least the Toyota of late. Before the creation of the FR-S, Akio Toyoda (president of Toyota and grandson of the company’s founder) asked himself, “Where is the passion in our lineup? I want to build a sports car.”
The Scion FR-S is that sports car. (It also will be sold across the globe as the
Toyota GT 86 or simply 86.) Much has been made about the collaboration with Subaru. Toyota claims credit for the car’s existence and the idea itself, which is in direct opposition to
what Subaru told us. Fight! Fight! Toyota says chief engineer Tetsuya Tada’s original concept called for a front-engined sports car with rear-wheel drive. Inspired by the rear-drive Corolla of the ’80s that became the darling of drifters, the new sports car would be light, agile, and affordable. After some internal resistance within Toyota and Subaru, a prototype was built in late 2007 using a Subaru flat-four and rear-wheel drive. The prototype changed minds; by early 2008, a sports-car program was born.
Toyota readily admits the lion’s share of the development was done by Subaru. However, according to Toyota, plans and objectives came from its engineers and were merely executed by Subaru’s team. (There’s that contradiction again.) For example, the all-new platform and chassis are from Subaru. Toyota made contributions along the way, such as adding its eight-injector direct and port fuel injection to Subaru’s 2.0-liter flat-four. Making the car attractive fell to Toyota. The greenhouse is a homage to the Toyota 2000GT of the 1960s; the nose hints at the Lexus LFA supercar. Squint a little while eyeing the FR-S, and cars like the Supra and Celica come to mind, too. Assembly of the FR-S and BRZ is Subaru’s responsibility. A peek under the Scion’s hood reveals the “Subaru” name atop the intake manifold alongside Toyota’s.
Comparing Apples and Softer Apples
When asked how the two cars differ, the Scion folks tell us the BRZ is about stability and the FR-S is about agility. The word “understeer” has surfaced in initial reports on the Subaru BRZ. The Scion doesn’t understeer. Its cornering balance is neutral—bravely neutral for a car that will be sold to young buyers. Scion claims the only changes to its chassis are slightly softer springs and stiffer dampers.
Scion has certainly succeeded in making the FR-S agile. From the quick steering to the alert chassis, the FR-S responds to driver input in a way that reminds us of the Honda S2000. Holding the stability control button for three seconds removes the safety net. Although the chassis is neutral, it will slide should you turn the wheel abruptly or stomp on the gas mid-turn. Lift in the middle of a corner, and the rear end will step right out on you. It doesn’t do so in an “I’m going to ruin your life” sort of way; it seems more to say, “Hey, you sure you know what you’re doing?” In low-speed corners, power oversteer is easy to achieve. The tail swings predictably and delicately. The low weight—we estimate about 2800 pounds—means the FR-S regains its composure without any drama. Akio Toyoda says of the FR-S, “[It] responds to good driving skills.” If you don’t have them, you might want to get some training—or leave the stability control on. Young drivers whom Scion courts should know the FR-S is nothing like the front-drive, nearly error-proof tC. If you don’t know what you’re doing behind the wheel, the FR-S will make you look dumb.
Compared with modern sports cars, the FR-S’s 215/45-17 tires are skinny. There isn’t a huge amount of grip, but what’s there breaks away gradually. We asked Tada about the tires, and he told us, “They are Prius tires.” You might think he’s joking, but he’s not. The Michelin Primacy HP tires are identical to those in the Prius’s
optional Plus Performance package, right down to the compound and construction. Although they don’t provide the stickiness we’ve come to expect from modern sport machinery, the relative slipperiness gives the FR-S a lively, playful feel. So, although it might not have incredibly high limits, its lower threshold is accessible and exploitable. If you want more grip, though, it’s easy to attain by swapping for more aggressive footwear.
Flat Engine, Low Center of Gravity
Scion makes it a point to brag about the FR-S’s low center of gravity, and a lot of the car’s liveliness is indeed likely due to the location of much of its mass. The flat-four sits low in the engine compartment, and even though Subaru stresses how far back the engine is compared with those in other Subies, it’s still surprisingly far forward. The transmission, a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual, is right behind the engine, preventing it from being mounted farther back. A transaxle would allow for the engine to be placed more to the rear and would better balance weight distribution, but transaxles cost a lot of money, especially ones made specifically for one car. The transmissions in the FR-S are Aisin gearboxes that are similar to the six-speed units found in the Lexus IS. The manual shifts with a solid, no-nonsense feel. This is a great gearbox, one that should rally the
“Save the Manuals” faithful. Although the manual suits the character of the FR-S better, the optional automatic with paddle shifters is a responsive and quick-shifting ally. On the track, the automatic proved clever enough to perform downshifts before entering a corner.
Subaru’s flat-four engine still gives off a bit of the characteristic boxer thrum at lower rpm. Above 6000 rpm and to the 7400-rpm redline, though, the four begins its chain-saw impersonation. It’s a bit uncouth, but it feels and sounds like a machine with purpose. On paper, and in the face of the ever-escalating pony-car horsepower war, the FR-S’s 200 hp might seem inadequate. It’s not. We’re guessing at a 0-to-60 time just a shade over six seconds. Clearly, this isn’t a car that should pull up to stoplights with much ambition. This is a car for playing on back roads, for track work; engaged in those pursuits, the engine feels perfectly strong and nicely matched to the chassis.
Every part in the FR-S works harmoniously. Sure, we might switch to a grippier tire, but the lower-grip rubber allows for accessible explorations of the FR-S’s behavior at the limit. That is the sort of exploration that makes driving fun. Just remember to bring some skill.
Original article:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-scion-fr-s-first-drive-review
2013 Scion FR-S
Fresh Rethinking of Sport
2013 Scion FR-S Buyer's Guide
MSRP: $24,200 - $25,300
MPG Range: 30 - 34 mpg
Body Style: Coupe
December 09, 2011
By Nate Martinez
It doesn't take long to realize the 2013 Scion FR-S is special -- just an aggressive 4-second wide-open throttle jab, a short three-two downshift, and a clockwise rotation of the FR-S' small 14.4-inch diameter helm.
It's at this point in my drive, as I'm heading into Sodegaura Forest Raceway's sharp, right-hand Turn 1, that the bright orange Traction Control icon begins to flash incessantly, as if sending S.O.S. signals. Gradually, the FR-S' tail swings into my leftmost periphery and its 215/45-17 Michelins chirp as they scramble for grip. I can hear and feel the VSC's frantic efforts to correct a car it thinks is flailing toward destruction. A quick shot of opposite lock on the front alloys keeps the silver
coupe sliding gracefully around the predetermined apex.
Out of Turn 1 and on the gas down the first brief straight of the Japanese circuit, I recall the pre-drive pep talk. Thirteen more corners of varying radii and degrees of difficulty await me. A glance at the fuel gauge confirms there's a full tank of fun onboard. And I've got a ticket to ride all day long.
Unless you've been avoiding
MotorTrend.com for the past few months, you've likely heard of the all-new sports coupe from Toyota and Subaru whose name varies depending on which country's roads its tires roll on. For North America, it's called the Scion FR-S, which is Toyota talk for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport. It's Scion's first model with performance atop its agenda and, as such, is meant to give Toyota's entry-level brand a handful of much needed legitimate athleticism and marketing spark.
There's a lot riding on the FR-S' sculpted steel shoulders. As chief engineer Tetsuya Tada pointed out 40 minutes prior to my spirited pit lane departure, the compact coupe continues a legacy that has included a long line of successful and iconic
sports cars -- most notably, the Sports 800 "Yotahachi" (the world's first rear-drive car powered by a front-mounted boxer engine), 2000GT, Celica, Supra, LFA, MR2, and the legendary Corolla AE86, or as aficionados affectionately call it, "Hachi-Roku." The latter icon was specifically used by Toyota as inspiration for the FR-S' high-performance/high-value package, while the 2000GT volunteered its long nose and slim side-glass profile, and the small S800 its lightweight build philosophy.
With that in mind, beginning in early 2008 and after a few heated engineering clashes over certain necessities, Toyota and Subaru crafted a sleek four-passenger, two-door coupe that melds history with the demands of modern driving enthusiasts. Their middle ground boasts a 101.2-inch wheelbase, a driver's seat position that places the driver's hips just 15.7 inches above the ground, a 166.7-inch length with short overhangs, and an estimated weight around 2700 pounds. With the rear seat folded, there's enough room in its trunk for a full set of mounted wheels and tires, a gas can, tools, and a helmet. Take all that out, Tada-san noted, and you'll have space for two golf bags.
As balance and litheness were essential to the FR-S' philosophy, engineers included weight-saving components like an aluminum hood and trunk (a hatchback design was axed for rigidity's sake). They made sure to pack the Subaru-derived 200-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder 4U-GSE boxer (in Toyota code) and Aisin six-speed manual/automatic transaxle as far back and close to the pavement as possible for "pure balance." Toyota/Scion claims the FR-S' 18.1-inch center of gravity is lower than that of the Porsche Cayman (19.0 inches) and Nissan GT-R (19.5 inches) -- two of the best driver's cars around. Its 53-percent front, 47-percent rear weight distribution ensures a slight tendency for predictable plowing in corners, Tada-san pointed out.
So how well does all that exhaustive collaborative engineering translate to a near-production, U.S.-spec 2013 Scion FR-S? Let me put it this way: a whole lot of budget-minded sports cars hitting the streets and autocross courses today should be worried- that means you, Honda CR-Z, Mazda RX-8, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Mazda MX-5, Honda Civic Si, and even the Nissan 370Z.
Arriving at the wide-open double-apex right hand Turn 2, I notice the small car's enthusiasm for being tossed around. Yet throughout this violent corner-charging, the small car stays as planted as a giant sequoia and as stable as an A380. Turn-in is extraordinarily precise, which, along with superb forward visibility, allows me to execute my every entry and exit strategy corner after corner with pinpoint accuracy.
Understeer push isn't totally absent, but it can easily be mitigated in the FR-S with appropriate throttle input and driver discretion; the same goes for oversteer, as my recent Turn 1 experience showed. Get on the skinny pedal too much too early and you'll be Ken Block-ing every bend. Its small steering wheel plays an important part in the driving equation. It's not as boosted as the BMW M3's thick wheel, yet it's a few ticks below the weighty, confident feel of the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Porsche Cayman.
Surprisingly, many of the responsive 2.0-liter's 151 lb-ft can be tapped throughout the 7400 rpm rev range, which allows my focus to stay on corner blasting, not downshifting in search of pull. Every throttle dab above
3500 rpm returns one of the most aggressive-sounding exhaust notes ever created by a naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. It's not as burbly as a Subaru WRX STI's 2.5-liter flat mill (nor as drone-happy), but it's also not as tinny as the Honda Civic Si's K24 inline-four.
The smooth six-speed manual transmission's weighty feel invites accurate rev-matched shifts. The paddle-actuated automatic gearbox does it all for you with impressive hastiness, particularly in Sport mode (engineers wouldn't divulge actual shift times), and should easily appease the growing number of driving enthusiasts who toil through gridlock on a daily basis.
Cars equipped with a manual gearbox have a VSC Sport button set below and right of the shifter that reduces -- but doesn't eliminate -- stability control intervention by measuring yaw rate, steering angle, and lateral G. (Turning off all nannies requires a three-second push of the Traction Control Off button.)
Six-speed automatic cars have the same VSC Sport option plus an additional Sport/Snow mode (Sport holds gears at higher revs, quickens the throttle and shift algorithms; Snow starts the car off in second gear to reduce slip). Of course, you'll want to turn everything off if sliding is your thing, but for aggressive stints on a doused raceway like Sodegaura, VSC Sport doesn't disappoint in the least and allows for some silliness along the way.
With the checkered flag waving after my fourth lap on my first stint, I roll off the throttle for a final cool-down lap and investigate my immediate surroundings. The FR-S' cabin is a highly commendable driver's domain that's all about athletic ergonomics. It's plain and simple, with black plastic trim and leather and a few red inserts on nearly all surfaces. Steering wheel placement, pedal spacing, and bucket seat location are ideally attuned to the driving enthusiast.
Per Scion's mono-spec mantra, only one trim will be available when the FR-S arrives at dealers next spring. Buyers just need to choose their color and transmission. Although pricing has yet to be announced, we're guessing that for less than $25,000, drivers will get a Pioneer sound system with USB and AUX inputs, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, and red door/seat trim.
Back in the pits, I gather my thoughts. Scion doesn't just have a special car on its hands -- it's got a potential smash hit that can be enjoyed by many. It is a car that will likely redefine the Scion brand and the entry-level enthusiast car segment as a whole, too. Take note, kids: Having the fastest, most enjoyable car doesn't mean having the most powerful or the priciest. The FR-S is what budget-themed performance is all about. Don't believe me? All it takes is four laps.
| 2013 Scion FR-S |
| BASE PRICE | $25,000 (est) |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door, coupe |
| ENGINE ENGINES | 2.0L/200-hp/151-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve flat-4 |
| TRANSMISSIONS | 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT | 2700 lb (est) |
| WHEELBASE | 101.2 in |
| LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT | 166.7 x 69.9 x 50.6 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 6.2 sec (MT est) |
| EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON | Not yet rated |
| ON SALE IN U.S. | Spring 2012 |
Read more:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1112_2013_scion_fr_s_first_drive/#ixzz21GmlcQDw
either, with the eight-speed auto-equipped model rated at 22/32 mpg, and rear-drive models with the six-speed manual and xDrive all-wheel-drive models with either transmission rated at 20/30 mpg.
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