As the Scion FR-S is now landing at dealerships nationwide, we are sharing with our readers some of the bullet points Toyota/Scion brass shared with us regarding the development and design of the new sports car.

As you know, we’ve driven it. We’ve ran our hands across its lines. We’ve sat in it and breathed its aura. Now its time to go beyond the senses and tell the story of how it came to be.

Where the Scion FR-S started:

1. Akio Toyoda: “Where is the passion in our lineup? I want to build a sports car.”
2. FR-S’s chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada: “Sports cars have become boring. They are over-powered and expensive, only for the wealthy.”
3. The answer: Build a sports car – not by committee, but by passion – that is light, compact, agile, and intuitive, delivering true sports car performance at an affordable price
4. “Built by passion, not by committee” became the rallying cry during development of the FR-S
5. Toyota partnered with Subaru’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, to develop the car
a. Toyota developed a “proof of concept” prototype
b. Toyota designed the exterior and interior
c. Subaru and Toyota shared duties on engineering
d. Toyota’s D-4S direct injection head design incorporated into Subaru’s boxer engine
6. The end result:
a. A front-mid-engine, rear-wheel drive design
b. A naturally aspirated engine
c. Lightweight design
d. Purpose-built aerodynamic control
e. Nimble steering
f. Low center of gravity
1) Helps contribute to exceptional handling
2) Nearly matches Lexus LF-A and Porsche 911 GT3
3) Lower than Porsche Cayman, Nissan GT-R, Subaru Impreza STI, and Mitsubishi Lancer EVO
7. Akio Toyoda insisted: “This car is not about numbers! It’s about passion!”