scion Archives | AutoDepot

Official: 2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Scion

2013 Scion FR-S - front three-quarter view

There’s not a lot of breathing room between the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ – the two rear-drive coupes are about as close to badge-engineered as the auto industry gets in this day and age. In this case, that’s not a terrible thing, though, since they’re both so engaging to drive, but it does make for interesting comparisons when it comes to pricing and model year updates.

Late last month, Subaru announced pricing for its 2014 BRZ, which didn’t get much more than the inclusion of Aha internet radio compatibility and a $25,595 starting price – just $100 more than the 2013 model’s MSRP. A modest $25 increase in destination charges ($795) means that it starts at $26,390. For its part, Scion will ask $24,600 for a base 2014 FRS, plus $755 for delivery, for a total of $25,355. That means the Subaru is more still expensive, but it has more available equipment as well.

The 2014 Scion FR-S isn’t getting many tweaks, but a couple of small changes – knee pads on both the transmission tunnel and the door panels around the speaker grilles and a new standard 6.1-inch touchscreen audio system – are appreciated. (Note: 2013 model shown above).

If you’ve ever wondered what each and every little difference is between the two models, Driving Vancouver has an excellent new video that shows off all of the (2013) differences, right down to the trunk liners. Check it out by scrolling below.

Continue reading 2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video]

2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Official: 2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video]”

Official: 2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Scion

2013 Scion FR-S - front three-quarter view

Continue reading 2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video]

2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Official: 2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video]”

Report: Scion exec admits brand has too many dealerships, may contract network

Filed under: Car Buying, Scion

Despite being conceived by corporate giant Toyota, Scion painstakingly built its reputation on being something of an offbeat, youth-minded brand, working hard to establish individualist, almost hipster-like credentials. So it comes as something of a surprise to hear WardsAuto report that Scion has a whopping 1,000 dealers across America – just 200 fewer than Toyota itself. This, despite a much smaller product portfolio and a sliver of the sales volume.

All those factors may explain why Bill Fay, US group vice president for Toyota, is admitting to the industry publication that its dealer network “might actually go down a little bit.” As it stands, the volume end of the equation is probably an even bigger incentive – Scion’s sales are way down from the salad days of the mid-2000s, when the brand had fewer models but sold more of them. With the (then) white-hot xB and tC models, Scion shifted 173,034 units in 2006, while Ward’s notes the marque’s 2013 sales are only at 41,261 units through July. In the story, AutoPacific analyst Dave Sullivan observes that other low-volume brands have far fewer dealer points, noting that Mini has just 115 dealer points and Infiniti has 200. By Sullivan’s estimate, he would expect to see 350-500 Scion stores based on its sales figures.

Dealer question aside, the bigger issue is where the brand goes from here, and Fay admits Toyota is studying a number of different strategies, including possibly going “small-premium.” Nothing is finalized, though according to Ward’s, Fay discounts the idea that the FR-S – the brand’s sales bright spot – will drive the brand to consider a more driver-oriented lineup.

Scion exec admits brand has too many dealerships, may contract network originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Scion exec admits brand has too many dealerships, may contract network”

Exclusive: Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Scion

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car – Click above for image gallery

Remember the good old days when you and your dad spent countless hours in a dimly-lit garage to piece together an old ramshackle Soapbox Derby car for an upcoming downhill race? It probably was constructed out of ancient materials, rocked wagon wheels and had a cable brake that may or may not have stopped you before kissing something solid. Well, my friends, just like the rapture of tomorrow, those days are over.

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car Renowned concept car builder Five:Axis is ready to throw down with a truly outstanding build for an upcoming Soapbox Derby. Being put together by Red Bull, this ain’t your regular Soapbox Derby, and this certainly ain’t your average backyard special. This is a custom one-off fiberglass micro-body based on the super stylish Scion FR-S Concept unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April. Since Five:Axis is well intertwined with Toyota, Lexus and Scion, it looks like they got some design studio CAD files to design the shell and the same slinky red metallic paint that the FR-S was wearing for its first stage appearance.

Think the underpinnings are still ’50s Soapbox technology? You couldn’t be further off because the custom aluminum space frame features a TEIN coilover suspension and Wilwood disc brakes. But all that technology isn’t going to be worth jack if there isn’t a ringer behind the wheel. The Five:Axis Scion FR-S will be piloted by none other than Dai Yoshihara, the Formula D drifter who slides the Falken Tire Nissan 240SX. Dai knows a thing or two about grip as well since he also competes in the Redline Time Attack Tuner Car Championship in an imported Civic Type R.

However, at this point we’re not sure what part of Dai’s expertise is really applicable for the upcoming Redbull Soapbox derby race. The only race on the calendar in the U.S. this year, it’s slated to be held tomorrow, May 21 at 5th & Grand in downtown LA and promises to be nothing like what you might envision a traditional Soapbox derby to be. There are sharp 90-degree turns, NASCAR-style banks and myriad of sweet jumps. Although it appears the Five:Axis build will hold together during the abuse, we are not sure that Dai’s run will be crash or injury free.

Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Exclusive: Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend”

Video: Scion FR-S caught on its working vacation in Germany

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Scion, Subaru, Toyota

Scion FR-S spy video

Scion FR-S takes in the German countryside – Click above to watch video after the jump

We have the Scion FR-S on the brain, and it’s not going away anytime soon thanks to the onslaught of new spy photos that keep rolling in. This time, however, we’ve got video instead of still photography courtesy of our friends at FT86club.com.

It’s always great to see a car in motion, and besides, now we have an idea of what the Scion sports car’s exhaust note might sound like.

We’ve been having some fun at Autoblog HQ debating exactly what’s going on under all of that swirly camouflage. Some think we may, in fact, be looking at the Subaru version of the Toyota/Subie joint venture – that wing and those wheels say STI to us. However, others point out that the wing could easily be a shout-out to the Supras of yore. Regardless, we all like what we see and can’t wait until someone pulls the wraps off this thing. Click past the jump to see the prototype in motion.

Continue reading Scion FR-S caught on its working vacation in Germany

Scion FR-S caught on its working vacation in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Scion FR-S caught on its working vacation in Germany”

Spy Shots: Scion FR-S caught prepping for ‘Ring runs

Filed under: Spy Photos, Scion, Toyota

spy shots scion fr-s

Spy Shots: Scion FR-S – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve been waiting, rather patiently we might add, for Toyota to bring out its latest sports car for what seems like millenniums. This new coupe will be wearing a Scion badge and go by the name FR-S, which stands for “front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sport.” It’s the “R” and “S” that has enthusiasts eager to lay eyes on this Scion in the flesh. A concept version was trotted out at the 2011 New York Auto Show, but spy photographers managed to capture a camo-covered development mule adding “Germany” to the stamps in its passport book.

What specific area of Germany, you ask? Just a little town called Nürburg, which is home to a slice of asphalt you may have heard of before. This means Toyota engineers are fine-tuning the sports car, and the Nürburgring is sure to provide lots of data points for them to dissect. Data points make engineers happy, and happy engineers make fun-to-drive cars.

Looking over the pics, it appears those engineers have ditched the concept’s rear diffuser but added in a rear spoiler. We can’t wait to see what else is in store once that swirls come off.

Check out the spy photos of the Scion FR-S by clicking through the gallery below.

Scion FR-S caught prepping for ‘Ring runs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: Scion FR-S caught prepping for ‘Ring runs”

Video: Scion FR-S Concept shows off its curves

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Scion

2012 Scion FR-S Concept

Scion FR-S Concept – Click above to view videos after the jump

Concurrent with its debut at the New York Auto Show, Toyota has released two videos (one long, one short) of the Scion FR-S Concept. While neither of them show the “friggin’ really sweet” Scion in motion, you do get a tantalizing glance at the promised front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe’s spectacular Lexus LF-A-aping curves.

In true car porn fashion, there’s no curve left unexplored, and there’s more than one longing look at the concept’s lewd 20-inch centerlock wheels and massive 18-inch carbon ceramic brake rotors. There’s no indication how much of this will actually make production, but we can almost guarantee Toyota will have ditched the 18-inch brakes by the time the 2.0-liter four cylinder-powered FR-S goes on sale, whenever that is. Check out both videos after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Scion FR-S Concept shows off its curves

Video: Scion FR-S Concept shows off its curves originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Scion FR-S Concept shows off its curves”

New York 2011: Scion FR-S Concept is “friggin’ really sweet”

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Coupe, Scion

Scion FR-S Concept

Scion FR-S Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Another auto show, another version of Toyota and Subaru’s joint partnership rear-wheel-drive sports car. We saw Toyota’s FT-86 II concept in Geneva earlier this year, along with the chassis for Subaru’s version of the car. Now here in New York, Scion has taken the wraps off of its FR-S, a sexy little number that rides on this same platform.

FR-S, which stands for “front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sport,” (or “friggin’ really sweet,” according to Jack Hollis, Scion’s vice president) is the automaker’s homage to the infamous AE-86 Corolla – a car that was highly praised for its lightweight body and superb balance without having to churn out a ton of power. Under the hood is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter Boxer flat-four mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The FT-S rides on sharp 20-inch wheels, hiding an absolutely monstrous set of 18-inch carbon ceramic brake rotors that are fixed to the wheels like a motorcycle. Don’t count on those making production…

Hollis says that the FR-S’ design is inspired by the legendary Toyota 2000GT, and we can even see a bit of Lexus LF-A in the angular shapes that blend with sleek curves. This is one hot concept, and we’re told that it previews a new addition to the Scion family coming in 2012. (Yeah, we know.)

Enough with the drooling. Just give us the production car.

See the sexy FR-S for yourself in our high-res image gallery below, and hit the jump for Scion’s official press release.

Gallery: Scion FR-S Concept: New York 2011

Gallery: Scion FR-S Concept

Scion FR-S Concept

[Source: Scion]

Continue reading New York 2011: Scion FR-S Concept is “friggin’ really sweet”

New York 2011: Scion FR-S Concept is “friggin’ really sweet” originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “New York 2011: Scion FR-S Concept is “friggin’ really sweet””

Video: Scion teases FT-86 concept ahead of New York debut

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Coupe, Videos, Scion, Toyota

scion ft-86 teaser image

Scion teases the FT-86 Concept – Click above to watch video after the jump

The 2011 New York Auto Show is just a week away and the world’s automakers are gearing up to reveal some eagerly anticipated new models. One such automaker is Scion, and one such vehicle the world’s waiting to see is the ~~FT-86~~ ~~FT-86 II~~ FT-S. We’re actually not yet sure what Scion will call this concept coupe, as rumors have swirled that it will wear the FT-S badge and not one reading FT-86. The automaker has decided on one thing, however, and that’s to tease us a bit before we get to see the car in the flesh.

A short clip, which you can view after the jump, tells us that Scion will have the car on hand at its stand in New York. If you want to watch the reveal live, just point your browser to Sciondimension.com on April 20 at 1:40 PM EST, and be sure to check back with us for full show coverage.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Video: Scion teases FT-86 concept ahead of New York debut

Video: Scion teases FT-86 concept ahead of New York debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Scion teases FT-86 concept ahead of New York debut”

2011 Scion tC earns NHTSA five-star crash rating

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Safety, Scion

2011 Scion tC – Click above for high-res image gallery

The redesigned 2011 Scion tC coupe has officially earned a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Thanks in part to no fewer than eight airbags, the little Scion managed to ace the government’s collision and rollover tests.

The tC features driver and passenger airbags, seat-mounted side airbags, driver and passenger knee airbags and side-curtain airbags.

In addition to its impressive airbag tally, the car also packs ABS, traction control, stability control, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution and Smart Stop technology to help prevent the airbags from ever having to deploy. Click past the jump to see the full press release.

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: Review

2011 Scion tC

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading 2011 Scion tC earns NHTSA five-star crash rating

2011 Scion tC earns NHTSA five-star crash rating originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2011 Scion tC earns NHTSA five-star crash rating”