Scion FR-S Officially Renamed Toyota 86, Gets More Power, Tweaked Style
The Scion FR-S has a new name, a new style and something people have been asking for: a boost in performance.
Enthusiasts will be happy to hear that the Scion FR-S has been renamed the Toyota 86, sticking true to its Japanese roots. Going on sale at Toyota dealerships this fall, the 2017 Toyota 86 also receives interior and exterior changes as well as suspension and powertrain upgrades. But don’t celebrate just yet, the Toyota 86 is only getting a modest increase in performance with the manual version of the car seeing torque increased to 158 pound-feet, while horsepower now comes in at 205 hp. This is compared to the Scion’s current 200 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque figures.
According to Toyota, handling has been improved with revised shock tuning and a spring rate change, while Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) will help prevent the coupe from rolling back on steep hills.
Perhaps the biggest change to the rear-wheel-drive sports car is a change to the gear ratios. Although specific details have not emerged, chances are the 86 with receive shorter gearing for more responsive performance and quicker acceleration.
Other updates to the 86 includes more aggressive styling featuring a larger center intake to help emphasize the low, wide stance of the 86. The front end also receives reconfigured LED headlights and turn signals, while the fog lamp bezels and front bumper have been heavily revised. In the back are LED tail lights and also a new rear bumper. The 86 logos have also been incorporated into a badge on the front fender as well as inside the front headlights.
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Inside the cabin, you can find the 86 logo on the new “Grandlux” material that is used on the instrument panel. That same material also adds a soft feel to the door trim, while drivers get to enjoy new seating material with silver stitching and a sporty steering wheel with integrated audio controls and an 86 logo on the center hub.
Toyota will also continue competing in the Formula Drift championship with drivers Ken Gushi, Ryan Tuerck and Series Champion Frederic Aasbo all climbing into new Toyota 86s for the 2016 season. Aasbo will be defending the SR by Toyota race team’s 2015 Manufacturers’ Championship.
“When we announced the transition of the Scion models to Toyota we hadn’t planned on changing the names of our cars, but by popular demand, for our sports car, we decided to adopt the global name of 86,” said Toyota Division Group vice president, Bill Fay.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Er...interesting name choice, Toyota. To 'eighty-six' something is to throw it away, right?
give it a hatchback instead of an unusable rear seat and i'll be right over with checkbook in hand.