Test drove the new Scion FR-S today (BRZ)

[xrocket21]

So, the car is quite attractive in person. Exterior looks great, and it has a lot of small styling cues. Not bland at all. A little flare on the headlight here, a little bodyline there, and lip here, etc.

The test cars were 6-speed auto, good tires, cant remember what, yokohamas im sure, TRD exhaust, and TRD springs.

The interior is georgeous, the gauges, the seats, everything was super nice. I was thoroughly impressed with the interior. fits like a glove. I'm 6'5" 240, and I did have the seat all the way back and down, but fit comfortably. Mild gangster lean and I could see through the windshield without staring at the sun visor. A helmet would be a squeeze, but could fit.

read closely here: I FIT IN THE FR-S MUCH BETTER THAN THE C6 VETTE OR NEW GEN CAMARO.


pretty amusing since it is a SMALL car.

My first run I left the tranny in auto. The car accelerated okay off the line and the handling was immediately apparent. I know this car had springs on it, but it handled like a prepped auto-x car, a PROPER prepped car. AWESOME. As I went through the course it felt fast, and didnt suffer from lack of power particularly.

Now with auto-x, you at least get a walkthrough, but this was a very narrow course, ultimately designed to slow you down rather than have any flow, so keep that in mind in the vid.

Tough to run a course youve never run, in a car youve never driven, etc

Also, I understand that it makes sense to have autos for events like this, but I must say the auto tranny through me off while trying to flog it.

I went too deep in a few corners and when I tried to power out it just bogged. I thought it might be the tranny not wanting to drop to first, but I asked the guys and they said all the stability control and traction control was on, once again, this makes sense.

For my second run, I chose to flip the auto tranny to "manual" mode.

Now, when I got to the line, the starter said, "wow, you looked good out there, I assume youve auto-xed before?"

Of course I have, so he gave me a wink and told me not to tell anyone and turned off the stability and traction control for me

So, I mash it off the line and realize I dont know how to shift the bitch. (I got very little time sitting in the car when not moving as I was dicking around with the go-pro)

SO I kinda dubbed the beginning of my second run, then I remembered it had flappy paddles, so I tried that, but didnt know if I was in first or second. On top of that, it felt like it didnt do anything when I hit the paddles. @ 1:49 I think is the only time I actually got it to shift, and that was a 2-1 shift.

Had I known he was gonna turn traction control off, I would have left the tranny, my second run really kinda was a mess, but oh well.

The car looks good, feels good, fits good, etc.

I didnt feel like it was underpowered, and with the nannies off and a manual transmission you could easily drift it.

I say, this car with bolts ons would be epic, and if TRD releases the S/C, it will be very nice.

Honestly, I'd buy one, I dont think I have a bad thing to say about it.

Hmm, Ive said how GOOD it is, I feel I have to find something bad.....


It looks like a modded hyundai genesis
auto-trannies suck
visibility was a little lowish, its a closed in cockpit feel rather than a greenhouse feel.

[BusaKing]

fast and the furious 9?

[13]

Ditto for the BRZ's I've driven. No racing though.

[xrocket21]

fast and the furious 9?

come at me, bro

[xrocket21]

Ditto for the BRZ's I've driven. No racing though.

going from auto-xing 550 hp awd on coilovers and race tires to a 200 hp rwd automatic ive never driven on a track you dont even get a walkthrough on was interesting lol

[maxim_X]

I wish i could go check one out. From what I understand they are all sold already.

[xrocket21]

I wish i could go check one out. From what I understand they are all sold already.

bologna

its not a limited run car, I can just about guarantee you could go buy one somewhere in new england.

[SRTie4k]

So the cars you drove were not stock? I see the test ones have RPF1's. Or is that all they had extra?

[Rada]

Our local Subby dealer just got their first BRZ. I stopped and kick the tires a little. It made me feel all gigitty down below. I'd like to talk my wife into one with a stick.

[xrocket21]

So the cars you drove were not stock? I see the test ones have RPF1's. Or is that all they had extra?

Basically they were "TRD" models. The TRD wheels arent dont yet, so they put whatever 18s on them. The tires, which I cant remember, are what would come on the TRD model, they had TRD springs (1-1.5" lower), and a TRD exhaust.

- - - Updated - - -

So the cars you drove were not stock? I see the test ones have RPF1's. Or is that all they had extra?

Basically they were "TRD" models. The TRD wheels arent dont yet, so they put whatever 18s on them. The tires, which I cant remember, are what would come on the TRD model, they had TRD springs (1-1.5" lower), and a TRD exhaust.

[Garandman]

I read an article talking about how they could sell two versions of the same car.

Apparently the Scion version is going to be fairly basic, with a lot of ala carte options like other Scions. The Subaru version is supposed to be a little more upscale, and cost several thousand more. There are two models, Premium @ $25,495 and Limited @ 427,495. The Scion starts @ $24,200.

The Subaru engineers make the point that "It's our car" and that they did all the chassis engineering before handing it over to Toyota, who did the styling. One would expect a turbo version within a year or so. Some are saying the next-gen WRX will once again be a 2.0l, but with direct injection, so it wouldn't be far-fetched.

The big question, I guess, is how it compares with a Miata. It's 10" longrer, 2" higher, and inch wider and has 200hp compared to 167 but weighs 300 lbs or so more.

[xrocket21]

There will never be a Turbo option Bro, EVER

in a year or 2 there will be a TRD option S/C and thats it

[Garandman]

There will never be a Turbo option Bro, EVER

in a year or 2 there will be a TRD option S/C and thats it

Yup, Toyota has stated emphatically that the Scion version will never have a turbo.

[xrocket21]

Yup, Toyota has stated emphatically that the Scion version will never have a turbo.

I see what you did there

[DaveZX6r]

Subaru is working on an still version. Toyota is not. But may offer a super charger kit for it. I was there with my buddy at the 5 o'clock slot rocket. When were you there? I was quite impressed with the car. Half of them had 17s and the other half had 18s. All of them had Yokohama sdrive tires. The first time I went around I had one of the cars with the 18s on it didn't like it it felt numb and I lost the front and killed some cones a couple times. The second car had 17s on it and felt amazing. I haven't driven a factory car that didn't plow the front end in turns a a long time.

[xrocket21]

Subaru is working on an still version. Toyota is not. But may offer a super charger kit for it. I was there with my buddy at the 5 o'clock slot rocket. When were you there? I was quite impressed with the car. Half of them had 17s and the other half had 18s. All of them had Yokohama sdrive tires. The first time I went around I had one of the cars with the 18s on it didn't like it it felt numb and I lost the front and killed some cones a couple times. The second car had 17s on it and felt amazing. I haven't driven a factory car that didn't plow the front end in turns a a long time.

I was there at 2, I actually rode my RC51

I really wanted to take my STI, but the battery is dead from sitting for a month (we just had a newborn, baby seat doesnt fit well with the roll cage....)

[Jim]

You can turbo it, give a body kit, and dress up the interior....It's still a Scion.

You couldn't pay me to drive those chick cars. No thanks.

[xrocket21]

You can turbo it, give a body kit, and dress up the interior....It's still a Scion.

You couldn't pay me to drive those chick cars. No thanks.

but can you wheelie it?

[DaveZX6r]

You can turbo it, give a body kit, and dress up the interior....It's still a Scion.

You couldn't pay me to drive those chick cars. No thanks.

You could never use all the power anyways jim.

[nhbubba]

I am pumped about this car. I'd like to have one as my next when I go to replace in 2-3 years. I wish they'd had it on the market in '09. I'd be driving one.

I've always wanted a hard-top Miata. This is as close as I'm probably ever going to get.

200HP out of a 2.0L is pretty darned impressive.

Everything I've read or heard says the Scion is the car to get. We were talking about this car this weekend, all of my friends heard the same.

[13]

I have heard talks of an STi version of it in 2013/2014. Since they're "sharing" the car with Toyota, anything that Subaru put into it during the debut year would have to be shared also. From what I hear, that is why they are waiting to put out a more serious model. It is a rumor, but a rumor from someone much higher up on the Subaru food chain than I.

[GNTurbo6]

I am pumped about this car. I'd like to have one as my next when I go to replace in 2-3 years. I wish they'd had it on the market in '09. I'd be driving one.

I've always wanted a hard-top Miata. This is as close as I'm probably ever going to get.

200HP out of a 2.0L is pretty darned impressive.

Everything I've read or heard says the Scion is the car to get. We were talking about this car this weekend, all of my friends heard the same.

On the contrary, everything I've read says the Subaru handles much better and is worth the increase in price. I haven't read anything about an STi or turbo or supercharged version but I'd imagine turbocharging isn't great for a drift car since the powerband is a little less predictable. A supercharger would probably work well, depending on what kind of course. Some are more linear than others.

[joeswamp]

I can't wait to see one of these things in the flesh, right now it's the #1 car on the short list to ultimately replace my mini cooper. Definitely going to wait until the hype goes down and the power goes up before I buy though.

[fineout]

On the contrary, everything I've read says the Subaru handles much better and is worth the increase in price. I haven't read anything about an STi or turbo or supercharged version but I'd imagine turbocharging isn't great for a drift car since the powerband is a little less predictable. A supercharger would probably work well, depending on what kind of course. Some are more linear than others.

I read a few different articles saying that the subaru shocks are softer to give more or a "touring" feel and that it tends to plow(albeit, not nearly as much as a WRX) and the scion tends to oversteer first. This is from car and driver

At the limit, you’ll find the key difference between the Subaru and the Scion. Go screaming into a turn or hop on the gas too early exiting one, and the Subaru simply understeers—perhaps for the benefit of drivers familiar with the brand’s all-wheel-drive products. The Scion uses softer springs and stiffer shocks, and it has a sensitivity to driver inputs that makes it feel alive. Too much or too little throttle upsets the Scion’s balance, sending the car into an easily controlled drift. Its behavior reminds us of the dearly departed first-generation Honda S2000. It’s not impossible to get the Subaru to oversteer—deliberately timed and moderated inputs will coax the tail out—it’s just not going to catch you by surprise. In either car, though, the transition from cornering to drifting is gradual, and the low curb weight—about 2800 pounds—helps make it easy to rein in a slide before you tailwhip your neighbor’s mailbox.

[maxim_X]

bologna

its not a limited run car, I can just about guarantee you could go buy one somewhere in new england.

Yeah. I just lopoked them up online. They are all over. An acquaintance who works at Subaru told me there was no way I would be able to get one until next year because they are all spoken for and pre-ordered. It turns out he was full of shit.