2013 Scion’s FR-S: a sweet treat to drive
There are certain recipes in baking that need to be executed as an exact science in order for the delicacy to turn out.
Meringue, for example, is extremely fussy. For all the bakers out there, the mere trace of an egg yolk can spoil your efforts. The egg white won’t fluff as required and you have to start again from scratch. Not fun.
Then there are recipes that taste amazing even if you’re not measuring your ingredients to the 10th of an ounce. Chocolate chip cookies will still taste great even if you add an extra bit of sugar or butter or add more than a few cups of mouth-watering chocolate morsels.
Scion’s 2013 FR-S is all the sweetness of the chocolate chip cookie mixed with the exact science and engineering know-how of the meringue.
Hopefully I haven’t made you so hungry that you’ve gone running for some packaged goodies, leaving me without a reader.
But that’s what this rearwheel-drive 2+2 sports coupe is all about: packaged goodies.
Take a vehicle that has what sports-car enthusiasts are looking for, mix it all together and you get a hot ride straight from the dealer lot.
And all for a base MSRP of $25,990.
Powering this feisty twodoor is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated engine that resulted from a joint development between Toyota and Subaru. Subaru’s Boxer engine now comes equipped with Toyota’s D-4S direct and port injection, helping give it the power — in the form of 200 horses and 151 foot-pounds of torque —and efficiency it needs to deliver the joy quotient to the driver.
With a standard six-speed close ratio gearbox, the FR-S makes for a sweet ride on the track. There’s also an optional six-speed automatic with paddle shifters and downshift rev matching. Even the automatic transmission is pretty darn good.
With each opportunity I’ve had to drive it (including at the Fuji Speedway in Japan on the short circuit, on various handling courses throughout Canada, and at the Autodrome St-Eustache track just outside of Montreal) I’ve had a good dose of seat time behind the Scion FR-S’s wheel.
Needless to say, I appreciate it more each time.
Why? The low centre of gravity gives way to excellent handling. Its ground-hugging characteristics make it take to the corners effortlessly and even after a day of utilizing the four-wheel disc brakes hard — and I mean hard! — they didn’t go totally limp.
On the track, should you wish to turn all your traction-control settings off, that’s definitely possible.
But if you need a little hand holding, or aren’t totally comfortable with disabling the systems entirely, there’s the VSC Sport mode. By using this feature, there’s some intervention from the computers to smooth out your drive when wheel slippage is detected.
This car, for the most part, won’t live on a track, but will spend most of its time on everyday roads.
For that, the FR-S has a suspension that won’t make your back ache after being behind its wheel on bumpy roads. Furthermore, its steering isn’t weighted too heavily, allowing you to park it with minimal fuss.
I particularly gravitated to its front sport seats. Hugging you oh- so-tenderly via the cloth upholstery — but without the feeling of claustrophobia — they help you stay in place when needed.
The FR-S interior isn’t necessarily its strong suit, and I’m okay with that. It’s basic and to-thepoint. The monochromatic col- our scheme — save for the red accent stitching around the steering wheel, seats and gear shifter — leaves the eyes satisfied but not necessarily charmed. The faux carbon fibre adds a little dimension, but isn’t too dazzling.
That said, controls are easy to decipher and are readily accessible, so there’s no fault there. I’m not a convert to the touch screen just yet, but I’m sure I can get there.
While it’s a 2+2 cabin configuration, there isn’t a whole lot of room in the rear. Nevertheless, for the amount of time people are likely to spend there, I’m sure they’ll survive the cozy backseat atmosphere.
Delivering a delicious and well-executed creation, the 2013 Scion FR-S is a treat to drive both on and off the track. Delicious.