Tested: Scion FR-S

In addition to the Toyota 2000GT, the Sports 800 (bottom right), and AE86 Trueno, AKA "Hachi-Roku", were previous Toyota FR cars.

In the end, Toyota and Subaru made good on their goals.  The official numbers say the car won't be a screamer, but then again this car was never about numbers, but more about rewarding driving dynamics.  The newly designed Subaru FA20 makes 200hp @ 7000rpm and 151 lb-ft between 6400 and 6600rpm, and revs to a relatively lofty 7400rpm for today's fuel economy and emissions crunched engines.  Curb weight for the manual transmission models comes in at a relatively light 2758lbs, and that weight is fairly evenly distributed at 53% on the front axle, and 47% on the rear axle.  One of the overriding goals for this vehicle was keeping the center of gravity as low as possible, and the engineering resolve results in the center of gravity being locating an astounding 18.1" from the ground.  For reference, the driver's hip is 15" above the ground.

The goal that made this project the most difficult – low sticker price – was also met, as most average Joes out there can stomach the $24,200 MSRP for the manual transmission model ($25,300 for the automatic, not that any of you cared).  This puts the FR-S squarely in competition with the Mazda MX-5, and don't think that wasn't on purpose.  Options are few, limited to color, transmission, and a few a la carte entertainment upgrades through Scion.  Production is expected at around 15,000-20,000 units per year, all out of a Subaru plant in Japan.

Great lengths were taken to ensure the vehicle's masses were properly located.  The front control arms were reversed front to rear to allow engineers to lower the engine another couple of inches.  Reversing the control arms also allowed the engine to be better placed behind the axle centerline, pushing the car's polar moment closer to the center.  The use of the Subaru boxer engine allowed a number of other improvements to center of gravity.  Thanks to the short engine and low mounting, the hood could be lower, which also improves forward sightlines for the driver, and reduces the car's frontal area.  The steering rack was located behind the subframe, again for polar moment optimization, before the rest of the suspension's geometry was settled, and a quick 13:1 gear ratio was used.  The chassis itself makes extensive use of high strength tensile steel, especially in the upper sections, to reduce weight and center of gravity.  The pagoda roof allows for thinner sheet steel and fewer braces to achieve the same strength, removing weight from the worst part of the car.  The hood is constructed of aluminum to further reduce weight on the front end of the car.

The front control arms were reversed, front to rear, to allow for lower and more rearward engine placement.  In a more conventional layout, the bushing at the top of the photo would sit pretty close to the catalyst seen at bottom right.

 
Suspension layout is similar to the current Impreza, with struts up front and double wishbones out back.  Changes were subtle, but effective.  Since this car is unlikely to see rally use, the rear subframe's differential opening was enlarged to save weight and accommodate the larger Toyota differential, filled with a Torsen limited slip unit.  Attention was paid to better couple the front and rear suspensions' roll centers, allowing the engineers to use softer springs to control body roll.

 

Out back, the FR-S uses a setup very similar to the current generation Subaru Impreza