BRZ/86/FR-S Coupes Miss on New Forester’s 250HP Turbo'd Boxer Because it Won’t Fit!

Ever since the production version of the FT-Concept(s) came out in the form of the Toyota 86/GT 86, Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S trio of practically identical rear-wheel drive coupes, everyone has been asking whether a more powerful version, most likely with forced induction, was on the cards.

It made sense as Subaru, which has actually designed the all-new 2.0-liter normally aspirated flat-four with Toyota adding its unique fuel injection system, has a long history of using turbocharged boxer engines in its models.

The company’s engine design department project team manager, Nobuo Kyotoku, was asked the exact same question by WardsAuto, which named the 2.0L FA (the motor’s designation) one of its 10 best engines of the year. The answer was “yes” and “no”…

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VCMC’s Turbocharged 350HP Scion FR-S Reviewed by Drive

Drive’s Tuned channel is back for the 2013 season and for its first web-episode, Matt Farah drove a Scion FR-S tuned by Canada’s VCMC and Shift Autosport for the U.S. northern neighbors’ Scion Tuner Challenge.

Everyone who has reviewed the FR-S/Toyota GT86 has so far agreed that, while it handles well, it is underpowered. A turbocharger that ups power to 350-horses, 320 of which allegedly make it to the rear wheels, fixes that issue while a lighter flywheel improves the engine’s willingness to rev.

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Gazoo Preparing Unique Looking Toyota 86 – Scion FR-S Concept with 325HP Twin-Charged Engine

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.

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Wald International Gets More Dramatic with New Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S Tune

As one of the hottest commodities in the affordable rear-wheel drive sports coupe segment, it's only to be expected that most aftermarket brands will develop not one, but many styling kits for the Toyota 86 and its siblings, the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ.

Earlier this year, Japanese tuner Wald International released its first take on the JDM Toyota 86 with an assortment of aero parts including a front half spoiler, side skirts, a duck tail-like boot lid spoiler, and two-tone alloy wheels.

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Abflug Adds Some Drama to Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S with New Supercharger Package

Here's one more tuning proposal for the Toyota 86 sports coupe, which is also known as the GT86 in Europe and Australia, and as the Scion FR-S in North America, that comes to us from the Land of the Rising Sun and Abflug.

The Japanese tuner's Spiral 86 performance and styling package will be formally introduced to the public at the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon in mid-January, with sales to follow shortly thereafter.

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Mini-Me Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S Doesn't Make the Cut at D1GP Drift Event

If you're an avid fan of the art of drifting, you can't go wrong with Japan's D1 Grand Prix or D1GP professional drift series, unless, of course, you stumble upon the wrong car.

We can't say for sure if Gazoo Racing's mini-me Toyota 86 (JDM version of the Scion FR-S) was plagued by a technical problem or if there was nothing wrong and it simply played the role of the rodeo clown, but either way, we can't say we were impressed by its entrance on the track at a recent D1GP drift event in Odaiba, Japan.

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Aww, Isn't That Cute? Gazoo Builds a Real-Life Mini Version of the Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S

Anyone remember the craze over the comically-looking mini supercars created with the help of photoshop and various other image editing programs from a few years back?

After a gazillion different design concepts of any vehicle you can think of, the fad passed and we all moved on, or so we thought, as someone over at Toyota's racing and performance partner Gazoo recently had a moment of zen giving it another go.

Mind you, we're not talking about a digital rendering, but a real life, working model designed to look like the Toyota 86 (in case you forgot, it's marketed as the Toyota GT 86 in Europe and Scion FR-S in North America).

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Scion Announces Voluntary Recall for 2012 and 2013 iQ Minis to Fix Safety Sensor

The Toyota Group's pint size Scion iQ is the subject of a voluntary recall in the United States after the company discovered that the front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) weight sensor cables are prone to damage. Read more »

The Scion FR-S Tunes of the 2012 SEMA Show in Pictures

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.

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Scion's SEMA Show-Bound FR-S Tuner Challenge Builds in the Flesh

Earlier this week, we told you about and showed you renderings of the three FR-S project cars that Scion plans to bring to the 2012 SEMA Show, which opens its doors on October and runs through November 2.

Now we have the details as well as real life pictures and even videos of the FR-S Tuner Challenge cars.

The FR-S concepts were created as part of a competition in which Scion gave three custom car builders the opportunity to put their talents to work while imposing a $15,000 budget and a three-month time-frame to complete the transformation.

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Toyota GT 86 aka the Scion FR-S Fails Miserably in Moose Test in Lithuania

We all know how the first generation of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and more recently, the Jeep Grand Cherokee (though, Chrysler did question the results), faired in the now infamous moose (or elk) test pioneered by Swedish car magazine Teknikens Värld.

While the Swedes emulated the presence of a moose with cones, in Lithuania (or so out tipster told us), a similar test was performed with a more pleasing to the eye replica of the large mammal.

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Scion to Rock SEMA Show with FR-S Tuner Challenge Builds

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.

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Toyota Issues Massive Global Recall For 7.4 Million Vehicles Over Faulty Power Window Glitch

After the 10 million-vehicle recall in 2009 and 2010 over the infamous unintended acceleration problems, Toyota has once again been hit by a massive recall that concerns a lofty 7.43 million vehicles.

This time, the issue on hand is a faulty power window switch in 14 different models, which may malfunction and offer a “notchy” or sticky feel during operation. The use of a commercial lubricant, instead of the special fluorine grease used by the factory, may result in the melting of the switch and the emission of smoke.

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How to Write a Cursive T the Fun Way with a Scion FR-S

An owner of the Scion FR-S has found a new use for the Japanese brand's rear-wheel drive sports coupe: that of a burnout…pen. Confused?

Well, here's how the driver of the FR-S featured in this video and who we come to know under his YouTube channel alias "esobofh", explains his actions in the clip's description:

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BRZ and FR-S Owners Complain About Rough Idle and Stalling Engines, Some Don't Like Remedy

The sports coupe jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru that entered production as the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S and Toyota GT86 was one of the most awaited cars of the year, since it rekindled the fun to drive and relatively modestly priced niche.

Despite being a long time in the making, being teased by a series of concepts, the final product received positive reviews. The three models are nearly identical, featuring a 2.0-liter flat-four engine with both direct and indirect injection driving the rear-wheels via a six-speed manual or auto gearbox and a Torsen limited-slip differential.

The problem is that Subaru and Scion customers who rushed in to buy the first batch of cars are now complaining about rough idle and stalling issues.

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What do you Say About this Scion FR-S Coupe's License Plate Holder?

A license plate holder with the wording "GET MAD" on the top surround and "I LOVE (in the shape of a heart) DRIVING SLOW" on the bottom sounds like a nice fit for a full size minivan, preferably in a beige shade, but it looks out of place on a sports car like the Scion FR-S Coupe.

Then again, the owner of the rear-wheel drive Japanese coupe who looks like he or she just picked up the car (judging by the absence of a license plate)was probably in a humorous mood when the idea popped up.

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Drift Battle Between Scion FR-S and Lexus SC430

Normally, a Lexus SC430 wouldn't stand much of a chance against a Scion FR-S in a drift battle. However, the car you see here isn’t a regular version of the hardtop convertible but a gutted out and race-prepped iteration.

The two specially modified Japanese models met up at the 2012 Formula Drift event in New Jersey earlier this summer.

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Stillen Opens Voting Process for Best Scion FR-S Body Kit Contest

For the past month or so, California-based tuning firm Stillen accepted submissions from designers for a new Scion FR-S body kit.

More than 100 designers responded to Stillen's call offering their take on FR-S lip spoiler, side skirt, and rear valance concepts.

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R&T Tires-up Scion FR-S and Pits it Against the Impreza WRX and Mazdaspeed3

By now, the “less is more” dictum that Toyota keeps repeating at every opportunity concerning its GT86 (that’s Scion FR-S in the US) rear-wheel drive coupe must be ingrained in every car fan’s head.

The 86/FR-S/BRZ trio ignores the horsepower and performance war and focuses on pure driver enjoyment like its famous ancestor, the Toyota AE86.

Well, a safe way to have a lot of fun is going to a track. However, here the 17-inch Michelin Primacy HP 87W GreenX tires with which the Scion FR-S is fitted with are below par. This comes as no surprise since they are the exact ones worn by the Prius hybrid and they are made for low resistance and fuel saving, not recording lap times.

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Fox Marketing Putting Together Supercharged Takata Racing FR-S

Weeks back, we saw Fox Marketing throw up an image on their Facebook page regarding a Yonaka Motorports built Scion FR-S for this year's upcoming SEMA show.

Today, Fox Marketing has announced that a second build is in the works. This time it will carry the Takata Racing apparel and a not so orange paint job.

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