#ToyotaFr-s

Toyota will never stop developing mutations of its FT-86 sports car, which will be released sometime between now and the real Rapture. Maybe.

After years of teasing us with concept car after tantalizing concept car, Toyota is finally set to unveil a street version of all those FR sports cars—but with one minor change: this one doesn’t have an engine.

There’s no doubt that 2010 has been a monumentally important year for the auto industry and one worth looking back on. From the Toyota recall crisis, to the success stories at Hyundai and Ford, to the launch of the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, there have been no end of major news stories in the automotive sector.

However, 2011 is shaping up to be an equally exciting year, especially when it comes to the actual products, and so rather than a look back at the best of 2010, we thought it best to look ahead at the most anticipated cars that will debut over the next 12 months, starting in just a few weeks at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

Toyota‘s FT-86 Concept will make it to market as a Scion in North America, likely sporting the name FR-S. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Toyota dealers were made aware of the decision by the corporate brass at a recent meeting in Las Vegas.

According to the latest reports out of Japan, Subaru‘s version of the Toyota FT-86 (FR-S) is still on track with plans to deliver a higher-powered version of the two-door coupe. Believed to be powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that powers the WRX STI it will make around 260-hp – a 60-hp jump over the Toyota version. With Subaru opting to offer the WRX and STI models with a larger 2.5-liter engine in North America, this does raise the possibility that the same powerplant will be offered in the FT-86 variant here as well. (Or maybe we’ll finally get the rev-happy 2.0).

Scion VP Jack Hollis has commented that a rear-drive model is a definitely possibility for the youth-oriented brand. In an interview with InsideLine, Hollis commented that a rear-drive car, “could absolutely work.” And if Scion were to go ahead with such a project then Hollis suggests an entry-level price at just over $20,000 – making the right-wheel drive model a new flagship for the brand. At that price point Hollis believes such a model would fit with the brand and would be accepted in the market.

Toyota‘s FR-S/FT-86 sports car has not been delayed and is on track for a launch in November of next year. Rumors had suggested the entry-level sports car was delayed until 2013, but according to 7tune blogger Adam Zillin, who recently attended a Toyota event and spoke with G Sports Vehicle Management GM Dr. Shigeyuki Hori and group manager Kazuo Okino, the FR-S will arrive in late 2011. The management duo even said the vehicle is 50 percent completed, so we should expect to see prototypes running around soon. Better yet is word that, so far, the design of the car will remain mostly unchanged!

The biggest question surrounding Toyota‘s awesome FT-86 concept isn’t if the car will make it to production, but what it will be called. That mystery may have just been solved, with word that Toyota Motor Corporation has just filed a trademark for the “FR-S” name in both the U.S. and Canada.