Scion announces starting price of $24,200 for FR-S sports car

(March 22, 2012) TORRANCE, Calif. — Scion today announced pricing for its 2013 FR-S compact rear-wheel drive sports car.  The FR-S starts with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $24,200 when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, and $25,300 when equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission that features paddle shifters and rev-match technology. A $730 destination charge is not included in the price.

The high-performance coupe is the fifth model to join the Scion family and will go on sale this spring.



"Scion's goal was to create an affordable sports car that true driving enthusiasts could enjoy," said Jack Hollis, Scion vice president.  "We accomplished that goal with the FR-S starting under $25,000…a total home run!  Add in Scion's complimentary Scion Service Boost, our no-haggle no-hassle Pure Price, and Scion's network of about 1,000 dealers, and the FR-S is a grand slam."

The FR-S, which stands for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport; is Scion's definition of an authentic rear-wheel-drive sports car with exceptionally balanced performance and handling, compelling style, flexible utility and surprising fuel efficiency.

Toyota says the FR-S is a true "scion," born into a lengthy history of Toyota performance cars and motorsports. During planning and development, it was most inspired by the AE86 generation of the Corolla, better known as the Hachi-Roku, meaning "8-6" in Japanese.  The AE86 was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe that was lightweight and well balanced, making it a solid choice for driving enthusiasts.

Inspired by the AE86, the FR-S is designed around the core goal of achieving "Pure Balance."  The balance begins with the strategic use of the world's only flat boxer engine in a front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration.  The engine's compact size and flat shape allow it to be mounted mid-ship and extremely low, giving the car a dynamically favorable front-to-rear weight ratio of 53:47 and a low center of gravity comparable to some exotic supercars.

The FR-S's 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine is the result of a joint development between Toyota and Subaru.  The partnership begins by combining Subaru's newly developed, horizontally opposed engine and Toyota's cutting edge D-4S injection system that incorporates both direct and port injection.  The D-4S system, partnered with a high 12.5:1 compression ratio, results in 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque.