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Meet the Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S GRMN SPORTS FR Concept PLATINUM [w/Video]

Thursday, January 10, 2013

To be frank, Toyota got it right the first time with the original concepts for the 86 and the FR-S, but for one reason or another, it toned down the design of both models when time came to introduce the production variants.

While no doubt a success, many people have also complained about the lack of power from the Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter naturally aspirated flat four that generates 200-horses.

Toyota's racing and tuning partner Gazoo Racing is looking to rectify both issues with a new concept unveiled today at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2013 named the 'GRMN SPORTS FR Concept PLATINUM'.

On the styling front, Gazoo Racing devised a new front end with different headlamps, bumper and vented hood, while it also revised the rear end of the coupe that gains newly shaped taillights, a bumper with a diffuser and a re-sculptured boot lid housing a ginormous wing.

Friday, December 28, 2012

The 2013 edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon is turning out to be quite the event with many surprise debuts being announced as we approach closer to the grand opening that takes place on the weekend before the Detroit motor show in mid-January.

Today we learn that Toyota's motorsports and tuning partner Gazoo Racing will host the world premiere of a unique looking Toyota 86 coupe (Japan's version of the North American Scion FR-S) named the GRMN Sports FR Concept Platinum.

From the few cropped pictures we were able to get our hands on, we can see that the study will feature a unique body with different front and rear ends over the stock 86/FR-S along with some interior upgrades including bucket seats.

If the concept's name rings a bell, that's because under the sheetmetal, it shares its performance upgrades with the GRMN Sports FR Concept revealed at the Goodwood Festival in the UK this summer.

Friday, November 2, 2012

One model that is more than adequately represented at the 2012 edition of the SEMA show is the new Scion FR-S, which to be frank, was something we anticipated since the Japanese carmaker's sports coupe did not make in time to participate in last year's event in Las Vegas.

Simply put, describe the type of tuning program you are looking for the FR-S, and SEMA has it, from subtle to extreme and everything in between, be that for its looks or mechanical upgrades.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The newborn children of Toyota's love affair with Subaru didn't come to life in time to experience last year's SEMA Show, but the two companies have been working on the side to make up for it at this year's Las Vegas event that kicks off on October 30.

On its behalf, Scion will bring several customized projects that were built as part of the FR-S Tuner Challenge competition.

Monday, April 9, 2012

As it turns out, we were right to assume that the open-top 2013 Scion FR-S spotted at this past weekend's Formula Drift event in Long Beach, California, was a tuning concept.

The speedster version of the Scion FR-S was created by Cartel Customs, a California-based company headed by Jeremy Lookofsky, which specializes in the design and manufacturing of custom display vehicles and motorcycles.

While the name may not ring a bell, you've probably seen some of Cartel's work at previous SEMA shows such as last year's Scion iQ Pit Bull, the 2010 Scion xB Stretch Limousine and the 2009 Scion tC Low Rider concepts.

The company's new Scion FR-S Speedster drops the coupe's top and most of the interior appointments gaining a two-seat configuration with a mid-mounted instrument panel.

A chopped version of the just launched in the States Scion FR-S made a special appearance at the 2012 Long Beach Formula Drift even in California this past weekend and was snagged on camera by a forum member over at the FT86Club.

While there's no official information on the speedster model, evidently it's some sort of racing concept based on the production FR-S, possibly one we'll see at this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

It may look like something that popped out of the movie screen and in particular, Pixar's animated Cars franchise, but the funky looking Scion xB is just another one of those wacky project cars that are looking to impress the visitors of next week's 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Called the Scion xB Numeric, the concept is the result of the collaborative work of the following companies: 686, which is a premium snowboarding outerwear brand, Scion Racing –you already know what it does- and Spin Imaging, which specializes in vehicle wraps and graphics.

There's no question that the Pit Boss Cartel iQ is the weirdest of all the Scion iQ mini cars heading down to Las Vegas for next week's SEMA aftermarket show.

Created by Cartel, the Pit Boss is a two-seat speedster version of the small Scion supposedly inspired by the world of motorsports but equipped with the latest word in infotainment systems. A strange mix indeed.

It won't come as much of a surprise to learn that Toyota's Scion brand is planning to bring several souped-up and conceptual versions of its new iQ mini to the 2011 Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas next week.

After being originally revealed around the world with Toyota's badges and later on, with Aston Martin's name on its hood, the iQ reached U.S. shores as a Scion earlier this month, so it's only reasonable that the Japanese carmaker wants to create some buzz around the car.

There's more to come, but for the time being we have pictures and details on three customized iQs: the iQ-MR by Tatsu, the iQ-RX by Jon Sibal (yes, that Jon Sibal) and the iQ-RS by Michael Chang. You can check them all out right after the jump.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

While Toyota’s European engineers are putting the final touches on the production version of the FT-86, here in North America, the Japanese company’s Scion brand is trying to keep the hype going around the FR-S concept car, which debuted at the New York International Auto Show in April.

Scion released two new videos on the its upcoming rear-wheel drive sports car hosted by Ken Gushi, a resident Scion Racing driver who currently pilots a 2009 tC in the Formula Drift series, and Jack Hollis, the Japanese firm’s Vice President.

The two men talk about the FR-S and how it came to be. You can watch the clips by following the jump below.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Toyota’s FT-86 sports coupe has to be one of the most hotly anticipated cars of the last ten years. A sporty, lightweight, front-engined and rear-wheel-drive spiritual successor to the legendary AE86, brought to you by the same company that built the Celica, MR2 and Supra? Yes, please!

So far, we’ve had three iterations of the “AE86 Nouveau”. First, there’s the original, scene stealing Toyota FT-86 Concept from the2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Then there’s the much derided FT-86 II Concept from Geneva 2011. And lastly, there’s the Ferrari-emulating Scion FR-S that took the 2011 New York Auto Show by storm.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Toyota’s North American subsidiary, Scion, surprised us today at the opening of the 2011 New York Auto Show with the world premiere of its new FR-S sports coupe concept. We say ‘surprised’ not because we weren’t expecting a Scion-badged Toyota FT-86 to make its appearance in the Big Apple, but because of its refined design that made us forget about the FT-86 II concept we saw less than two months ago at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Read more »

2011 NYIAS: New Scion FR-S Concept Brings Sexy Back to the FT-86

The most hotly anticipated model of the New York Auto Show, Scion’s version of the Toyota FT-86 sports coupe concept, finally made its world premiere today. The study is named FR-S, which stands for ‘Front-Engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport’, though we prefer the definition given by Jack Hollis, Scion vice president, during the New York Show presentation.

“FR-S stands for Front-engine… Rear-wheel drive… Sport. Pretty simple. I personally believe it should stand for Friggin’ Really Sweet… but the legal department at Toyota was NOT feeling the same way,” said Hollis.

The first thing most readers will notice about the FR-S is the refined design compared to the latest concept version of the Toyota FT-86, shown in Geneva this past March. Though it’s hard to pinpoint all the changes without having the cars side by side, the photos reveal a tweaked front end with revamped headlamps and a different bumper design without the aftermarket like add-on LED strips.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Toyota has been teasing us with its upcoming compact rear-wheel drive sports car since the original FT-86 concept at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, which was followed up by the FT-86 G Sports study a year later at the same show, and more recently, by the almost production-ready FT-86 II concept in Geneva. Now it’s time to get our first glimpse of the North American version of the FT-86 that will be marketed under the Scion brand.

Even though the Japanese firm’s North American subsidiary only makes word of a new Scion Concept to be revealed at the New York International Auto Show on April 20, 2011, without giving any further details, the car shadowed in the teaser video below leaves few doubts that the model in question is the FT-86.

Friday, October 29, 2010

With the annual SEMA Show near the world's most famous Strip almost upon us (November 2 to 5), automakers and tuners alike are rushing in to give us an early preview of their custom proposals. The most recent case-in-point: the "All Stretched Out Cartel xB".

The name says it all, but just to clarify, Cartel [King] is the nickname of one of the tuners involved in the creation of the VIP themed, super-long Scion xB, Jeremy Lookofsky. Though, we could see this customized xB being a hit with certain other cartels... Gallery after the jump.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

For those that found the second-generation Scion tC far too timid-looking, Toyota's tuning partner Five-Axis prepared a special version of the car to demonstrate the many ways in which the all-new coupe can be customized with internal and aftermarket accessories.

The Five Axis Scion tC show car features a four-inch wide-body conversion and a unique House of Color custom formulated exterior paint appropriately named, Bloodshot.

Friday, April 10, 2009

This aggressively styled 'little' concept car is Scion's version of the Toyota iQ micro subcompact that is already on sale in several key international markets including Japan and Europe. For its American debut that was staged at the New York Auto Show, Toyota chose to go with a widebody customization theme that was executed by Five Axis. Officially speaking, the Japanese firm has yet to reveal when, or if the iQ will make it to the U.S., but word has it that it will hit this side of the Atlantic in the early 2010s.

Scion Reveals iQ Concept 'pimped' by Five Axis in New York: Gallery with 70 High-Res Photos

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

What you see here is in essence a tuner-modified version of Toyota's iQ minicar that is already sold in Japan and Europe, and it officially confirms the Japanese automaker's interest in importing the 3+1 seater in the States under the Scion moniker. Toyota's goal with the presentation of the modified iQ that would seem more fit for a show like SEMA than New York, was of course to demonstrate the vehicle's potential for personalization which is a typical feature of all Scion models.

"We believe the Scion iQ micro-subcompact concept is the future of transportation," said Jack Hollis, Scion vice president. "If it should join our future line-up, I think it could reach iconic status like our xB. Its styling will attract attention and if it's a Scion, you know it'll be easy to personalize."

The concept's design is the work of California-based tuner, Five Axis. Among other things, Five Axis 'decorated' the iQ with a wide bodykit, custom 18-inch wheels with a nickel finish and high-intensity LED driving lamps. Interior upgrades includes illuminated door handles, iridescent green and gray honeycomb upholstery covering the door panels and seating areas along with a 10-inch panel LCD screen on top of the center cluster that serves as the main entertainment console and navigation system interface.

For whatever reasons, Toyota decided to hold back on any mechanical upgrades with the iQ concept retaining the production version's 1.3-liter four-cylinder VVT-i petrol engine that produces an output of 100HP.