Scion FRS, USA Preview Event in Hollywood, and the first ever US outing at the Cars and Coffee in Irvine, CA.

November 29th, 2011 - MILK Studios Hollywood, December 10th

Cars and Coffee Automobile Enthusiasts Meet & Greet

by Moto Miwa

Part 1: Scion FRS Preview Event

Most of us are already familiar with the much anticipated rear-wheel drive compact called the FT86, a product of collaboration that has it's origins in our discussion dating back to 2007.  Much of that discussions back then, and progressive evolution at some stages to recent, still floating about in our archives, here.   While much have been said and rumored over the course of many years till now, the actual product is finally here, and I was gracious enough to be invited with some of the key folks who contribute to this web. 

The event was hosted by Scion USA, Public Relations division of Toyota Motor Sales USA, and held with huge fanfare, gathering about 2000 visitors. The stage, featuring classic Toyota sports cars from the past, the Sports 800, 2000GT, MR2, Supra, the LFA, and of course, the beloved AE86 Corolla that this new model so closely touts as a kin and successor.  (though I have a mixed feeling about that in some ways.)

Still the party was equipped with the new inclusion of Toyota 86, a FRS sibling, featured in Sony Computer Entertainment's "Gran Turismo 5" and a HPI Radio Controlled car booth and small raceway, and a already-modified concept of Greddy's FRS. 

As the venue filled with visitors form all walks of automotive industry and journalism, the presentation began with a Hollywood spectacle of light, sounds, and atmosphere that we do best in Hollywood.  This was nothing short of huge, as far as new car introductions go, even by Toyota’s standards.

Vice President of Scion Division, Mr. Jack Hollis presented in a rather long and detailed speech about what the FRS means to Scion, and how it defines a new era, as well as alluding to the past with the cars present at the show.  The FRS in the middle of this, appeared with great enthusiasm of cheering audience.

I guess the pictures will do a lot better job of how this all went so here you are, I present you, the 2013 Scion FRS.

Part II:   The first outing in public -- Cars and Coffee, Irvine, California

The black FRS presented at the Scion FRS Preview Event, covertly made a surprise appearance at the Cars and Coffee Meet and Greet, in Irvine, California on a sunny morning 2 weeks after.  The event is hosted every Saturday morning by local enthusiasts, and is a gathering of all car genre and enthusiasts from all walks of automotive world.  While predominantly hosted for exotic cars and vintage Hot Rods of the local Orange County residents, there's a lot of folks who visit to spend a few hours for a morning car-chat by strolling coffee and donut munchers.

The Scion PR guys made a covert reservation for a few AE86 that will accompany this FRS, and the trip started from Greddy USA's secret warehouse just 7 miles away.   The inaugural USA street driving was entrusted to Mark Vaughn of AutoWeek magazine, and off we all went in a parade of sports Toyota cars. 

The FRS, driving around from every angle just seems like a proper sports car.  The lowered coil-over suspension, the 19" wheels and tires, though still experimental, seemed to behave rather well, and the engine notes from adjacent proximity sound nothing like a traditional flat four we know. The FRS makes great noises from the tuned intake and exhaust! 

Upon arriving, the folks at the show seemed really surprised to see this car.  Some who knew from various magazine and web leaks ran across the venue to chase this car into the slot where it was assigned to park, and many stayed there for the entire duration we had this car parked!  Sure there were plenty of internet savvy, younger far fanatics who could rattle off every detail of this car in numbers and features, some becoming rather an un-official expert answering questions from information and misinformation, the specs, origins, what not... But if all the hype is there, any news is good news.

But the biggest surprise to me, was that the older, traditional car guys, the hot rod builders, the seasoned race car drivers, constructors, and exotic collectors all became rather interested.  Especially when we opened the hood, the older folks pointed at the oil cooler placement, the engine mount, configurations, the injector placement, axle position, steering systems and suspension.  All of the classic formula for the true sport car and enjoyable driving were in place by design, and when they talked alignments, vectors, pressures, and terms reserved for true construction outside of eBay, the younger folks stopped talking.  But all just became very excited and I can tell from guys in each class of enthusiasm, that this will be a very attractive car for all of them.

We spent until 11am at the Cars and Coffee, and it was time to head back.  And, upon arriving at the GReddy's garage, I had a chance to sit in this car and drive a little.  Here's what I thought of it.

The steering feel is on the heavy side like a proper sports car, possibly VERY communicative at speed, the clutch pedal stroke is almost a dead clone of the AE86, triple pedal layout is spot on for heel and toe, the engine response is about as good as my 20V blackhead on Freedom ECU, seat position against vehicle controls were akin to what most of us place with a low-bracket aftermarket seats in the AE86, the cabin engine noise is effectively orchestrated by Yamaha, Subaru and Toyota working on a epic concert, just as defined as my LFA ride experience just a day before this.

Also I need to note that the front A pillar is really similar to the LFA, and front window raked about the same from the inside. Lots of headroom. I'm 5-10 and you can see from the photo, I have a lot left in headroom. I think anyone up to 6-2 or so will fit fine with a helmet, thanks to the very low seating position. The OEM bucket seat is spectacular! It may be a bit tight at the shoulder bolsters for the widest of folks, but for me it seemed tailored to my shoulders.

Shift linkage is very short throw for an OEM box with perhaps 4 inch travel from 3rd-4th at the top of the shift lever. The shift feel is nothing I have felt in a Toyota-Aisin box before, its as precise and firm as a brand new BMW M3.

I first bent in butt-first into the low seats, then holding the steering wheel, I swung over my feet over the rather wide side sills. (I can see the structural rigidity just by looking at these sills) It's a VERY low seating position. Once I adjusted my seat via slider and recliner, I noticed everything else just seem to fall right where I needed it. Pretty close to a modified AE86 race cockpit seating position. Firm seats hold you snug at the thigh, and shoulders, where it counts the most for tactile feel of the road. The ritual needed to ingress/egress is pretty special, and you really get a sense of the fact that you are climbing in and out of a sports car, again similar to getting into an LFA.

What is my idea then of the FRS?

There may be many different reasons why a product name can be one thing or another, from marketing teams, the millions at stake for finance, hopes for many engineers, global PR teams trying to educate and unify a product identity, hobbyists seeking preservation, and literally hundreds of others. There are many things WE do not see, and though we are a group representing and conserving the AE86 and the 4AG and spirits and feelings that embody a product and its history, our view for a product launch may be very skewed in light of all other things that take place for product naming.

Just think of it this way, in the Western world, some of us name our grand-kid, and sons, by the names of their ancestors, like Grandfather Bob, and the grandchild Bob Junior. If you pare the 86 name or Hachiroku reference down to its core reasons, its just that. Many people have different reasons to love it or hate it, but the basic idea for the person who named him, is to give him a legacy to look back, to aspire to the same lifetime of good things about the man who lived before him. In the same sense, to hope, that the FT86 now named "86" to hope that the new generation, however different his lifetime may be in a different era and a different world, to carry the same spirit, and to always remind others and himself that there was something before it, that influenced the way of its existence.

 Toyota GT86, 86, FRS, FT-86, or Subaru BRZ. It's here, its born, and like a baby with many hopes for the future, can't we just settle on unconditional love for it and raise it, shape it, and influence its growth the way we all feel fit.

 If folks at Toyota and Subaru are collectively the fathers of BRZ/FRS/86 sibling, we are the buddy uncle, who will take them to baseball games, fishing trips, pick him up when he's down, push him when he starts to ride a bike, and be the mentor, where dads fall short. We all have such uncles or godfathers no?

 we need to stop being the drunken uncle cussing and picking at every fault a kid may have in his youth, and try to guide him...so he can be a hero one day, a home run hitter, a sweeper at 4th bat.

 I'm sure you all have voices for this very reason, but he's just a kid. A very anticipated one in the steps of a giant hero, he is here to replace. A lot of expectations... Its our role to help him become great, just like his great uncles, the Levin, Trueno, and Corolla GT-S in the AE86 years, and great Legacy in his Impressa-ive lives before him, 2000GT, Supra, Celica, S800, and many military accredited cousins like the WRC Celica, Impreza, TF102, TS020, 88C~92C, and Toyota 7, and movie stars like 2000GT convertible. :D