Scion FR-S Sports Coupe Concept at 2011 New York Auto Show
- Looks like: Scion is finally backing its bark with bite
- Defining characteristics: 2.0-liter boxer engine and rear-wheel drive
- Ridiculous features: There’s virtually no clearance between the wheels and fenders; that’s a recipe for disaster against potholes
- Chances of being mass-produced: Expect it sometime in the near future
Scion sales have been in the doldrums as of late, partly due to of a lack of new, exciting vehicles to show. If the FR-S Sports Coupe concept is any indication of a production vehicle — there are strong indications it is — then Scion should have no problem recapturing the attention of the coveted Generation Y demographic … err, Millennials.
More Coverage of the 2011 New York Auto Show
The FR-S is a rear-wheel-drive compact sports coupe, which is Scion’s first rear-wheel-drive vehicle. If that weren’t enough, the concept is powered by a 2.0-liter boxer engine, another first for Scion. Subaru is known for its boxer engines, and this engine and the platform for which a production FR-S would be built upon are a part of a collaborative project between Subaru and Toyota.
This is the third similar concept for a rear-wheel-drive coupe that Toyota has shown recently — the first two were Toyota-branded — the concept you see here is the closest we’ve seen to a production model yet.
FR-S stands for “Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport,” which sounds like the acronym came before the full name, and when you add sports coupe to the end, it sounds even more repetitive. Along with the basic, sporty rear-wheel-drive layout, the concept can be mated with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. There are massive 20-inch wheels — the rear wheels are 2-inches wider than the front ones — and large 18-inch ceramic rotors and large brake calipers for immediate stopping force.
As for styling, not much has changed from the Toyota FT-86 II concept besides some Scion add-ons and minor revisions to the lower front air dam styling. There seems to be a bit more side sculpting in the front fender. The side air vents from the Toyota concept have been removed, as has the huge rear spoiler.
Because there were so few changes, it looks like this is the overall shape a production model will take. More photos below.
