The Scion FR-S is coming!

As promised, Scion introduced a new concept car today at the New York Autoshow called the FR-S. This stands for Front engine, Rear wheel drive, Sport. A little different from their other cars, the xD, xB and tC.

The car really is a stunner in the looks department. Really a gorgeous car. This being a concept car, not everything you see will make it to production. The 20" rims probably won't survive, nor will the extremely small side mirrors. The brakes, apparently, are designed like a motorcycle - the disc is attached to the wheel.


The concept had a couple of interesting features. One being a staggered wheel set-up. The front rims are 8" wide, the rear are 10". It would be great if this could make it into the production model. The car is slated to appear next year.

This is a car that will inject some serious performance into the Toyota/Scion line-up. I'm sure the enthusiasts out there, including myself, are looking forward to the day they can drive the FR-S.






More details, photos and video can be found here: SCIONDIMENSION.com






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Scion to debut concept car

Looks like Scion will debut a new car at the New York Autoshow on April 20th. They have released a teaser video and the car in the video certainly looks like a Toyota FT-86. This suggests that the rumors about Scion getting the FT-86 are true. All that remains to be seen is whether Toyota and Scion both get a version (which is my hope), or whether Scion will be the brand selling the FT-86 in North America.

Teaser video, and the live reveal on April 20th, can be found here: www.sciondimension.com

2011 Scion tC: My Review

2011 Scion tC

Scion Canada was kind enough to let me drive a 2011 Scion tC for a few days as part of their grassroots marketing campaign.  This is the third Scion vehicle I've had the opportunity to drive, following the xB and xD, and certainly the one I was most looking forward to.


The Scion tC is a 2-door sports coupe.  It's only engine choice is a 2.5 Litre 4-cylinder engine rated at 180 bhp.  This is a car in a small class, as the 2-door coupe has seen its share of vehicles going out of production, such as the Toyota Celica, Honda Prelude and Acura RSX. Currently, the Scion's main competition is the Honda Civic coupe and Kia Koupe. 


The car I drove was pretty much stock.  It arrived in Alpine White wearing snow tires on the standard 18" alloy wheels, and equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission.  The only options were a leather interior ($1,975 - which includes heated front seats) and Alpine stereo ($535).  The car comes with many standard features, including A/C, power windows, and huge sunroof for the front passengers and a glass roof for the rear seat occupants.  Speaking of the rear seat, it was very roomy - certainly large enough for adults to sit comfortably.

The interior was very nicely laid out, with a large tachometer and speedometer in front of the driver.  They really should copy this layout for the Scion xB, as it works well and provides the driver with all the information they need.  One interesting feature was the design of the steering wheel.  The steering wheel has a flat bottom, which you might find in a race car or Lamborghini - it's a very sporty set up.  The wheel had controls for the stereo located on the front, along with the cruise control stalk behind it.  Overall, a fairly typical arrangement of the controls.  It made it very easy to find everything when I jumped into it.

Flat bottomed steering wheel.

The exterior design of the car wasn't one I really appreciated until I saw it in person.  In photos it appears rather slab-sided, and the roof looked low creating a chopped look.  Having now seen it in person it is actually a quite aggressive design.  The fenders flare out quite nicely, especially the rear ones which add a nice flare to it.  Styling is always subjective, but to me this design was quite pleasing.

Driving the car was a real treat.  It handled nicely - steering was fairly sharp, suspension was on the firmer side (befitting a sporty car) but not uncomfortably so.  Power was acceptable (you can always use more), at 180 bhp, and there was good torque available to get you moving.  The driving dynamics were such that I could easily pass the day away driving this car, especially on the highway.  On the highway this car really shone - it was stable and comfortable, power to make a pass - an excellent cruiser.  I would love to have this car as a daily driver if I had to travel the highway on a daily basis.

One missed detail was the spacing of the pedals.  The accelerator and brake pedals were fairly far apart - far enough apart that heel and toeing was difficult (I don't really have small feet, so it wasn't me).  On the plus side, left foot braking was a breeze.

If I was looking to replace my Celica this is definitely a car I would consider.  Fun, sporty and a little bit different from anything else out there makes this car a winner in my mind.  Especially when you consider the price, at $20,850, compared with the Civic Coupe SI ($25,880) and Kia Forte Koupe ($22,295) - both of which have less power.  The Scion tC looks to me like the leader of the (rather small) pack.

Sunday Drive in the Scion tC

Decided to try something with the Scion tC that I would never try with my Celica - installing my daughter's carseat in the back seat.  The back seat of the Scion tC is actually fairly roomy for a two-door coupe and the standard childseat anchors are provided, so the process was pretty straightforward.  Getting her into, and out of the seat wasn't too terrible.  I actually had enough room, with the front seat slid forward, to climb into the back seat area and squat so that I could tighten her belts.  I think I proved that it is possible to use the tC as a family car, although not the most convenient.

The trunk certainly had more than enough room for the usual baby-related stuff - stroller, diaper bag, etc.  This is one of my favourite features of cars like this - the two-door coupes with the liftbacks.  The liftback allows for a large opening into the trunk, and with the rear seats folded down quite a bit of trunk space.

Anyway, we headed out for our Sunday drive.  Up Highway 27 and then west along the 8th Line into Beeton, Ontario.  It occurred to me that this may be the very first time Beeton has been visited by the Scion!  Who really knows?  Had a bit of a swing at the park and headed out for our next stop.

The Scion tC in Beeton, Ontario.

Next up was the bustling town of Tottenham, Ontario.  I hadn't realized it before but Tottenham actually has their own community centre, and it was very busy on Sunday morning.  This compliments their conservation area and steam train.

It was this bit of driving that really highlighted the tC's touring capabilities.  The car was very comfortable for the three of us.  The available power was quite adequate for the cruising we were doing, and the fuel economy gauge kept reporting better numbers as the drive went along.  

I have found the suspension to be a little choppy at slower speeds - say 50km/h or less - but once travelling along at the speed limit of 80km/h on the back roads the suspension is a delight. Very smooth and stable.  I believe it is a car I could drive all day long.  All in all, the tC proved to be an excellent Sunday drive car, and showed that it would be suitable for longer trips with the family.

Picked up a Scion tC today.

Picked up a Scion tC today from Scion Canada's headquarters - again thanks to their grassroots marketing campaign.  My initial impressions are very good.


The car feels a little choppy at slower speeds (~40km/h), but once on the highway it just eats up the road.  Really a wonderful highway car - plenty of torque to execute a pass, stable at speed and comfortable.


The interior is nicely laid out with a typical dash - large tach and speedo.  The steering wheel is a treat - it is thick and meaty, with a sporty flat bottom - pics will follow.  The driver's seat is comfortable with plenty of adjustments, which along with the tilt n' telescoping steering column, means it was easy to quickly get comfortable.  The stereo is also very good, with a decent low end.

Only problem is, it's price is making me a little upset.  When I bought my Celica GT-S in 2004, they were listing at over $30,000 - if I recall correctly it was closer to $33,000.  A little pricey at the time. Now, here's a car that at first drive seems to be nearly as exciting and enjoyable as the Celica, but you can get into it starting around $21,000!  Astounding!  This car seems to be an incredible value.

I look forward to the next couple of days with the tC.  As in the past, I'll post an update or two, and then a final driving impression.