So, after an excruciatingly long wait, the details of Toyota’s new entry level sports car have emerged. After looking them over for myself, I am pleased to report that everything seems to be exactly what I had hoped it would be. The car has some serious potential to be quite a good driving experience with a curb weight around 2700lbs, manual transmission options, a limited slip differential, and a high output, naturally aspirated 2.0L boxer engine producing 200hp (do the math, that is 100hp/L). The FT-86/FR-S is showing much promise, and hopefully this means Toyota is finally going to start making viable cars again, but there are still some things this car must do before progress will truly be evident.   

Thinking back to when I first had my permit, my dad taught me how to use a clutch pedal on his Porsche 944 S2, a car that is basically the same package as the FT-86 above. It was a fantastically fun, well-balanced car, a great car to learn to drive on because it was fun enough but not too much. That is what I see for the FT-86, to be an entry-level sports car with fantastic feel and driving dynamics that both beginners and seasoned drivers can enjoy. I want to see it become the must have car for racing schools around the world, similar to the Mazda MX5, but even a little more focused.

For the FT-86/FR-S to be that sort of car, it will need to have all of those great things that cannot be quantified on paper. Since it has lived up to our hopes in the specifications department, I have great hope that Toyota will continue to make it the sharp, focused car it needs to be. Now, I do understand it is a road car of course, so the cannot compromise comfort and whatnot too much, but that is not what I would want them to do anyway. I want to see it have sharp, responsive steering with a lot of feel, not unlike that in a Lexus IS300 actually (livable but sporting). It should also have a rather stiff suspension that may make some bumps in the road a bit noticeable because the customer base for this car will value the handling over the ride quality if given the choice. This is where Hyundai may have gone a bit soft on the base Genesis Coupe, making it too soft in the handling without the track packages. As far as handling characteristics go, I understand that asking for oversteer from a stock car these days is far fetched, but the FT-86 needs to at least be well balanced with just a smidgen of that nasty understeer in stock form; it needs to feel like the nose will want to go where you point it, that’s the main thing. When it is time to shift gears things are simple, the clutch needs to be grippy and have feel to it and the gear change must be a tad notchy with a shorter throw for a nice crisp feel. If Toyota can achieve all of that then the FT-86 will be nothing short of biblical.

Marketing wise I think the decision to make the car a Scion here in the US was smart. Americans nowadays see Toyota as the softie green car for people who don’t care about driving. Scion, on the other hand is marketed toward people who want to live like The Fast And The Furious, but still want a warranty. In the past Scion has not had any cars that were actually any good, so this will also lend the Scion brand some legitimacy as well. Hopefully prices will start in the very low $20k range and top out around $25-26k or so for the loaded models. Regarding the option for an automatic transmission, as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t exist, and I would hope anyone reading this would think the same.

Now comes the obvious issue of aftermarket modification. I know this car has been highly anticipated my the drifting crowd, and I’m sure it will see many such applications, but I see it as more of a sports car personally. Those on a budget will find it difficult to get much more power out of it’s 2.0L motor without writing a big check for a turbo or supercharger kit because the motor is already at 100hp/L. Also, because it is N/A and only makes 151ft/lbs of torque, it may be a bit of a chore to drift without forced induction, so drifters may be more inclined to go for the Subaru version which will be turbocharged. The high output per liter, and relatively low torque figure should make the FR-S ideal for track and autocross events more than drifting in my opinion. With that said though, I’m sure it won’t be too long after the car’s release that the market will be flooded with boost kits for the FR-S, so all of you modders out there need not worry too much (just start saving up).

So to sum things up, I am very pleased to see that Toyota seems to be coming through for us with the FT-86/FR-S. It has met all expectations on paper, so if they make it drive properly, then they may have a bar setting, entry-level sports car on their hands here. We can only hope that Toyota will do what needs to be done.

Detail release on Jalopnik

-Nick