Essentially a rebadged version of the Toyota GT 86 sports car we saw at this week’s 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, the new FR-S features a number of attributes making us all giddy inside.
Namely, a lightweight and rear-wheel drive chassis, a punchy boxer engine fitted with direct injection technology, and one of the lowest centers of gravity found in a production car.
The FR-S, which stands for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport, will serve as Scion’s new halo model and is the fifth addition to the fledgling brand’s lineup. Like its Toyota and Subaru siblings, the FR-S is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter boxer engine that develops 200 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 pound-feet of torque at 6,600 rpm.
The engine’s compact size and flat shape allow it to be mounted mid-ship and extremely low, giving the car a dynamically favorable front-to-rear weight ratio of 53:47 and a center of gravity of just 470 millimeters. Thanks to a number of aluminum components, weight has also been kept down to around 2,700 pounds.
The suspension setup consists of MacPherson struts up front and a double wishbone system in the rear, while 17-inch light alloy wheels and ventilated disc brakes are on all four corners.
Inside, there’s seating for four plus a large center-mounted tachometer, which is the focus of the car’s three-gauge cluster. Speed is monitored by both digital and analog gauges.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering what that strange badge sitting on the front fender is, it's an iconic ‘86’ piston emblem, which highlights the car’s Toyota Corolla AE86 heritage as well as its unique new boxer engine.
The 2013 Scion FR-S will make its official world debut next month at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show before hitting showrooms next spring.
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