Scion Unveils Drift Ready Sports Car, FR-S
Tim Esterdahl | Jan 31, 2012 | Comments 4
Scion has developed a new sports car, the Scion FR-S. This super-charged drift-ready sports car is modeled after other successful sports car and is turning a lot of heads.
The Scion FR-S is a sleek looking, powerful sports car that is causing a lot of excitement.
Parent company Toyota has positioned its new Scion FR-S sports car as the spiritual successor to the revered AE86 Corolla of the 1980s. The AE86 was a simple, unpretentious, and — relative to proper performance models — low power economy car. Despite its humble market placement, though, its front engine/rear wheel drive layout, low curb weight, precise steering, and wonderfully communicative chassis have made the AE86 a legend among drifting enthusiasts.
Drifting, a method of driving that employs controlled over steer to navigate corners, has exploded in popularity in recent years. Professional leagues, such as the rapidly expanding Formula D, have made drifting competitions the hottest thing to hit motorsport in decades.
This highly tuned version of the Scion FR-S was shown at the recent Detroit Auto Show. A Formula D ready performance beast, it is clearly intended to further cement the link between the new Scion and Toyota’s historic — and current — involvement in the world of drifting. First seen while undergoing testing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca several weeks prior to the show, it will apparently be Scion team driver Ken Gushi’s car during the next season of Formula D.
This “super Scion” features a turbocharged version of the street car’s four cylinder boxer engine that puts out an astonishing 600 horsepower and over 500 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to a stripped interior and other weight saving efforts, the car is also approximately 300 pound lighter than stock, which makes those performance figures even more impressive.
As one would expect, this tuned FR-S won’t be available at your local Scion dealer any time soon. It is a full-on track car and, consequently, is a long way from being street legal. Still, it should give tuners and potential FR-S buyers inspiration and an idea of what this new sports machine is capable of.
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Filed Under: Auto News
I saw the Subie BRZ (subies version) at the auto show last weekend. it looks cool but the HP numbers are kind of a let down. why not just put the normal STI Turbo motor in these things at 300hp instead of the STI non-turbo motor at 200hp. you already know you can, why dumb it down?
Hey Josh,
Dealers dumb down the power so we can pay big $ for the power accessories from them. I love TRD supercharger on my 2007 Tundra, but it would have been nice if it came that way from the factory ready with but I suppose the dealer would lose out in the end where buyers can haggle over the price of the vehicle but cannot haggle (normally) over the price of a part.
The automotive enthusiast press and other industry fans are always pining for the automakers to build halo-type sports cars that will ‘revive’ the brand, ‘excite’ the masses and ‘establish’ an automaker’s pedigree.
I think Scion fulfilled that directive exactly as intended. From it’s stunning looks through its scintillating performance, the 2013 Scion FR-S is perfect for the young man or woman first entering the world of sports cars.