Toyota Finalizing Buyer Rally Version of GT86 (That’s the Scion FR-S to You)

Toyota Motorsport GmbH has been functioning on a rally kit for the GT86 (that’s the Scion FR-S for us North Americans) for a very good extended even though. For clients, the wait for the so-called CS-R3 has most likely been both gratifying—TMG wants to get the auto dialed in, right after all—and frustrating. It’s challenging cooling your heels for months while waiting to acquire the €79,000 kit when you currently know what the finished product will entail.

Of course, it appears great. The GT86 and its FR-S and Subaru BRZ siblings are great road-course cars, but a rally version could propel them into the realm of legend, and it recalls the rear-drive Toyota Celicas of the early 1980s that dominated rallies prior to AWD became the norm. Rear-drive rally cars may well not be competitive at the highest tiers of of the sport, but they’re enjoyable to watch and cheap to run.

What does the kit entail? Costing $ 89,700 or so at today’s exchange rate—that’s a $ 5700 discount over complete retail!—you can expect to receive a body shell, an engine, a 6-speed sequential transmission, a limited-slip differential, subframes, a full suspension, a steering technique, cockpit instrumentation, wiring, and a cage. It’s perhaps also useful to know what it doesn’t incorporate: seats, security harnesses, fire suppression, battery, tools, rally computer, wheels, tires, or mud flaps—although these are all items teams almost certainly want to customize to their specific builds.

This close to-turnkey race automobile is eligible for FIA R3 competition, and it will give owners the satisfaction of wheeling a appropriate rear-drive coupe in a class primarily intended for front-wheel drive cars. TMG expects to begin delivering client automobiles in Could of this year.

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A version of this story initially appeared on roadandtrack.com.

Toyota Finalizing Buyer Rally Version of GT86 (That’s the Scion FR-S to You)

Scion Exec Says FR-S Convertible and Turbo Models Will not Come about

Soon after years of reports indicating one issue, then the other, just before swinging back to the 1st issue, neither a convertible nor a turbocharged variant of Scion’s FR-S sports automobile will see the light of day. In an interview with WardsAuto, Scion senior vice president Doug Murtha states unequivocally that the FR-S will remain a coupe with a naturally aspirated, Subaru-sourced flat-4.

On the topic of the madly yearned-for turbocharged engine selection, Murtha deadpanned: “That’s not something that’s coming.” Ouch. As for the droptop variant (rendered above), it seems no organization case could be produced that didn’t involve losing oodles of cash. According to WardsAuto, Murtha claims Scion “went down swinging” on that project.

In addition to chilling the hearts of enthusiasts everywhere like cold November rain, the news that Scion failed to convince parent company Toyota—which sells the FR-S as the GT86 globally—to invest additional in the FR-S signals that the model’s future could be in turmoil.

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Recent word is that the FR-S and its Subaru-badged sibling, the BRZ, might not see a second generation, a future that grown ever more real in the case of massively slowed sales of the cars. As WardsAuto points out, the turbo FR-S and the droptop have been intended to stanch the typical sales hemorrhaging every coupe experiences roughly 2 years into its life cycle. Guess how lengthy the FR-S has been on sale? Yep, and Murtha adds that sales are indeed cooling. The only feasible constructive from this news? Offers on spankin’-new Scibarus down the road.

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Scion Exec Says FR-S Convertible and Turbo Models Will not Come about

Viva La Targa! Scion Chops Portion of the Roof Off the FR-S Sports Automobile for SEMA

For years, rumors have swirled about Scion developing a convertible version of the FR-S. Alas, nicely into the FR-S’ life cycle, such a issue has never appeared, at least not in production kind. There was a notion, the FT-86 Open, which Scion parent business Toyota showed last year at the Geneva auto show. And along comes this: a beautiful targa-roofed FR-S show car.

Making its debut at the 2014 SEMA show, the “FR-S T1″ was created by Jeremy Lookofsky of Cartel Customs and wears “Azzuro California Blue” and black paint. The roof section over the front passengers is removable, and the (all metal) widened physique is dropped more than lacy 19-inch forged wheels. The details are just as savory: smoked lights, a perforated grille insert, 2 tiny round exterior mirrors, and, a totally integrated rear spoiler. The interior is specifically nice, resplendent as it is in creamy leather with black stitching.

Below the skin there is a KW coilover suspension, a GReddy turbocharger(!) kit for the boxer engine, a Wilwood Big Brake kit, a center-exit exhaust, and of course, audio upgrades. But our favorite piece has got to be the incredible black louvers over the rear window—a styling device whose time came and went 30 years ago, and we believe, has come again.

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Need to Scion contemplate a targa-bodied FR-S? We feel so. Porsche just brought back a suitable targa version of its vaunted 911, albeit with a heavy and complicated motorized roof, and the outcome is stunning. Even Nissan is reportedly taking into consideration a targa-roofed Z. A Scion targa wouldn’t need to be so complex or heavy—keep the lid manually removable and ditch the wide physique and we feel it is wholly doable.

The only stick in this plan’s mud? Toyota says an FR-S roadster would be also pricey to create and as well pricey to be sold as a Scion in the U.S. Let’s hope they can discover area for this ‘tweener targa answer, since it’s hot.

Viva La Targa! Scion Chops Portion of the Roof Off the FR-S Sports Automobile for SEMA

Scion Challenged 3 Media Outlets to Develop the Ultimate FR-S—These Are the Results

Scion’s annual Tuner Challenge, in which 3 tuners are provided a Scion, $ 15,000, and 90 days to customize the automobile for the SEMA show, has become anything we appear forward to each year. For 2014, Scion has changed things up: instead of handing the automobiles over to tuners, the automaker issued its challenge to 3 media outlets: Super Street, Speedhunters, and the GT Channel. Just days just before the automobiles (which are intended to take inspiration from the FR-S Release Series 1.) make their official debut in Vegas, Scion has just provided some information and a slick YouTube video of how every team’s ride is coming along.

GT Channel Scion Tuner Challenge FR-S

The GT Channel chose to keep the body of its vinyl-wrapped FR-S largely stock (i.e.: it didn’t fatten it) but it did add a sweet reduced physique kit, a modest (by SEMA standards) rear wing, and TRD HID headlights. The group also swapped in new taillights, side mirrors, and matte-blue 18-inch wheels. The hood, trunk cover, and rear diffuser are all carbon-fiber pieces. An HKS supercharger kit, a Ganador exhaust technique, and a slammed suspension add some go to the Scion’s show, while the interior has been dressed with a TRD steering wheel and shift knob, Recaro seats, harnesses, and of course an upgraded sound program.

Speedhunters Scion Tuner Challenge FR-S

Speedhunters’ entry is old-school in the ideal way possible. Think of vintage TRD, TRA Kyoto, Trans-Am, pro touring, and muscle vehicles, and it’s difficult not to draw a hyperlink. The team’s FR-S employs a Cosworth supercharger kit and a 3-inch single exit exhaust, among numerous other engine upgrades, and a suspension that drops the wide-physique Scion down on its custom Rotiform 17-inch wheels. The physique gets a new front splitter, fender flares, and hood louvers. The mirrors and door handles have been shorn off, and even the door glass was removed. The interior gets a 4-point roll cage, low-back bucket seats, leather upholstery, and a rapid-release steering wheel hub.

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Super Street Scion Tuner Challenge FR-S

The group from Super Street chose to stay close to the general appear and color scheme of the FR-S Release Series 1. with its construct auto, only they cranked up the volume in pretty much every single way. The body wears painted carbon-fiber side sill and splitter extensions, hood and trunk, and massive fender flares, all slammed down on prime of ultra-wide 18-inch BBS wheels. The interior gets Recaros, a 6-point roll cage, a quick-release steering wheel hub, custom upholstery, and huge audio upgrades. Beneath the hood, the FR-S’ boxer 4 engine gets person throttle bodies and breathes through a Borla header and cat-back exhaust with quad tips.

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Scion Challenged 3 Media Outlets to Develop the Ultimate FR-S—These Are the Results