Toyota has been busy refining its Subaru-powered FT-86 concept for a year and a half now, and its entry level, youthful arm has finally gotten in on the fun. Scion will be the make behind the FT-86 production car here in the United States, and with less than a year to go before the model launches, the company used the 2011 New York Auto Show to give us a preview.
Scion's version is called the FR-S (front-engine, rear-wheel drive, sport). It keeps the same overall look of the Toyota FT-86 II that we saw last month in Geneva but gets some revisions front to back.
The curves are a little broader and more defined, and the lines on the front-end sharper and more angular. The vertical strings of LEDs on either side of the front-end have been replaced by air inlets. A pair of side skirts connect the front and rear wheels and the back loses the spoiler but gains an LED-illuminated "Scion" badge. There's also a pretty hefty diffuser in back.
Under the hood, the FR-S is expected to be identical to the FT-86: 2.0-liter boxer engine and six-speed manual (or optional automatic). It should also share the rumored seven-second 0-60 mph and 140 mph top speed with the FT-86.
The car sits atop monoblock Five Axis 20-inch wheels and is drawn to a stop by four-piston-caliper front brakes with 18-inch carbon ceramic rotors. The package is decorated in 'Code Red' paint.
One more step in the road to production, next stop: Tokyo.
[Scion]
