Does The Scion FR-S Have What It Takes To Bring Back The Brand? THIS May Change Your Mind...

When Toyota announced the all-new GT 86, or as it will be known in the States, the Scion FR-S, I wasn't really blown away. It looked passable, had a intriguing powerplant but it didn't make me say "Wow, this was so desperately needed."

Then one-by-one, videos of the car showing off its rear-wheel drive capabilities started to catch my eye. Soon enough more pictures hit the web and now this.

At Irvine's Cars and Coffee a Greddy-modified FR-S made an appearance. The thing is, the vehicle has all of the "right" mods in my eyes: a nice set of wheels, modified suspension, exhaust -- granted, the blue thing is a bit over the top.

Now this $20K, nearly 200 horsepower Boxer engine, RWD-machine is starting to turn me around.

Ultimately though it doesn't matter if it turns me around because Scion, as a brand and business, needs some life injected into products and sales reports. That said, is the all-new FR-S going to be the car that rockets this brand forward in 2012?


Spotted in Irvine, CA at Cars and Coffee.

dlin - 12/28/2011 1:28:45 AM

0 Boost

Headlight is too big.... otherwise, a handsome coupe.

mini22 - 12/28/2011 11:02:09 AM

0 Boost

Good looking car overall.

Deutschland - 12/28/2011 12:18:52 PM

0 Boost

Ya, I think that will sell...pretty good design

knowitall1985 - 12/28/2011 1:04:07 PM

0 Boost

Great car for the money......

LexSucks - 12/28/2011 3:39:06 PM

0 Boost

All show and no go. Yawn!!!!

Designer1 - 12/28/2011 3:40:17 PM

+2 Boost

I LOVE the idea that this is a rear wheel drive 4 cylinders sport car. I wish they can make their sedans rear wheel drive too.

But, it definitely needs to have a bigger siblings to compete with the Z370 and GTR.

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 12:56:02 PM

+1 Boost

Well what can the FR-S actaully win?

knowitall1985 - 12/28/2011 4:43:24 PM

+2 Boost

Performance is about balance. Acceleration, handling, and braking. Not stoplight racing. Any moron can mash the gas pedal. When it gets twisty is when true performance and driving still show.

LexSucks - 12/28/2011 4:56:34 PM

+1 Boost

Performance is also about having a high performance car which the FR-S isn't. The FR-S will be fun, but it won't be a performace car. which is a shame and another Toyota letdown.

FromThePassengerSeat - 12/28/2011 11:32:49 PM

+1 Boost

The BRZ is about as fast as a four-seater could possibly be for this price.

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 12:44:11 PM

+1 Boost

Badgewhore2,

Why is this car only better than cars from 20 years ago? Cars from 20 years ago are the only cars that the FR-S compares (and the only cars that you compare it against). How about comparing it to current vehicles? What a joke.

800over - 12/30/2011 1:07:37 PM

+1 Boost

Hey Lexsucks....didn't this car just beat the STi's time at the Nurburgring?

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 1:21:20 PM

+1 Boost

Was it a production model? (couldn't be because the cars aren't in production yet). Was it driven by an independent 3rd party? and where's the link?

knowitall1985 - 12/28/2011 4:43:51 PM

+1 Boost

Skill

knowitall1985 - 12/28/2011 5:36:29 PM

+2 Boost

Your just showing u don't know you a** from a hole in the ground. Name a car for the price that will out perform and have the quality.....

LexSucks - 12/28/2011 5:56:11 PM

+1 Boost

The fact that you are a toyota fan, tells the world that you don't know anything about cars.

No one knows what the FR-S price will be yet. Toyota hasn't released the pricing yet. But this is the time (before the car is released) when the Toyota retards go all out with the craziness. The last bit of crazy was that the FR-S will weigh 2600lbs. How's that working out? And now the newest bit of crazy coming from the Toyota lunatic farm is that the FR-S will cost $20k. If it does cost $20k then it will be nothing more than a RWD Scion TC in fancy clothes. Which is exactly what it is. The FR-S is nothing more than a modern low end Celica. Pardon me for not getting excited about the mediocrity.

knowitall1985 - 12/28/2011 5:38:41 PM

+1 Boost

It's an afforadable sports car. Like the 944 was back in the 80's. Power is not the end all for a pure sports car.

LexSucks - 12/28/2011 5:47:59 PM

0 Boost

The FR-S is still not a high-performance car. Spin it any way you like. And there was a 944 Turbo that topped out at 157mph. Comparing the FR-S to the 944 is a major fail. Where's the FR-S Turbo?

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 12:34:36 PM

+1 Boost

Stock V6 Camry can out accelerate a car from 1986. Is that the best it can do? LOL!!!

FromThePassengerSeat - 12/28/2011 11:31:24 PM

+2 Boost

Lexsucks, have you read a single review of the BRZ/FR-S? Every one agreed that it's a brilliant, affordable, highly entertaining coupe, and a true sports car at that.

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 12:49:02 PM

+1 Boost

True sports car. I was expecting a performance car. A miata is a sports car. I was expecting something a little less tepid.

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 12:53:07 PM

+1 Boost

"Its got a toyota badge, so it sucks."

- Can you show me a current car with a Toyota badge on it that doesn't suck?

800over - 12/30/2011 1:11:24 PM

+1 Boost

Why were you "expecting" a performance car. Toyota/Subaru built exactly what they said they were going to. only a retard would be upset when they got exactly what they were told they were getting.
Toyota: "We're making a 200hp entry level sports car"
LexSucks "I thought they were making a performance car"

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 1:18:48 PM

+1 Boost

Toyota: "We're making a 200hp entry level sports car"

Lexsucks: "Is that the best you can do?"

I guess that I'm supposed to love it because they did exactly what they said they would do? And that would be build a weak (but fun) sports car that gets its ass handed to it by the competing makes sports cars. Toyota is a joke and so are its fans.

FromThePassengerSeat - 12/30/2011 2:51:10 PM

+1 Boost

@Badgewhore2 - actually, it will have Scion and Subaru badges.

@Lexsucks - what, exactly, is the difference between a performance car and a sports car?

knowitall1985 - 12/29/2011 11:57:17 AM

-1 Boost

I sold german car's for 12 years and have 27yrs in luxury cars. What are you qualifications. YOUSUCK I mean lexsuk...

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 12:40:23 PM

0 Boost

Being a car salesman doesn't make you are car enthusiast. In fact every car salesman that I've ever met knew less about cars than I did. The fact that you use that as a qualification tells me that you really don't know crap about cars. If you would have said mechanic then you would have a qualification. But being a car salesmen doesn't qualify you for anything except to sell cars.

What a joke; That's like a real-estate agent claiming that they know everything about home building.

800over - 12/30/2011 1:12:05 PM

0 Boost

Could it also be like you claiming to have a valid point?

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 1:13:51 PM

+1 Boost

How is my point invalid oh wise one?

LexSucks - 12/30/2011 1:22:47 PM

+1 Boost

Thought so