Scion FR-S Concept Shows FT-86 A Step Closer to Production

[OmarKareem]

With the New York International Auto Show under way, Scion is taking the wraps off the FR-S Concept. It is a vehicle we’ve known before as the Toyota FT-86 Concept

The FT-86 Concept was a result of Toyota’s slipping consideration in the the youth market. This problem led to Toyota head Akio Toyoda creating a plan to produce more sporty cars that would help inject excitement into the company. The aim is to bring back a fun-to-drive nature, and the effort is being kicked off with this car

The FT-86 Concept was first shown at the Tokyo Auto Show in 2009. We’ve been hearing rumors of these vehicles for sometime before that too – this product line has had a long gestation period

Just in case you didn’t learn it by now, Toyota really wants to make sure you know this car is rear-wheel drive. FR-S stands for front-engined rear-wheel drive and sport. The “concept” moniker is really just in name only, as Scion itself says it previews the production model coming to the lineup in 2012

The FR-S Concept builds on the styling of the FT-86 Concept, bringing it a step closer to production. The good news is that it has gotten hotter since we’ve last seen it. A stunning Toyota product, imagine that! The proportions are perfect, with an aggressive stance that looks the performance part

The company says the front end of the design is meant to evoke the Toyota 2000GT, and around the rear we can see strong design influences from the Lexus LFA performance flagship

As the car was developed in partnership with Subaru, the engine used is a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated boxer four-cylinder. The lightweight nature of the engine and compact footprint leads to a low hood and placement in the chassis is also ideal. The engine is positioned farther aft than usual for optimal weight distribution. All indications lead to an excellent driving experience for this car. We can’t wait to get our hands on it

The real clincher is the price tag, which is expected to come in around the $20,000 range. The FR-S does confirms the car isn’t coming to the Toyota brand. There has been speculation on whether the car would be launched as a Toyota or Scion in the United States. Now we have our answer. Until the production car arrives check out the monstrous gallery of pictures Scion released below