Toyota S-FR Concept (a future Sport 1500 or even a Scion!?)

[TayeezSA]

Wait a minute..... Where's the slot for the front loader?

I know it's a concept but I like my music and radio...

 

[GTRacer22]

Do away with the silly, gaping mouth of a front end, bring the c-pillar all the way to the body, and it'll be a 👍 from me. Current looks, meh. Still a really cool little car.

 

[TeamCZRRacing]

Now all they need to do is put the engine in the back, lower it, widen it, make it look like a much more expensive supercar, and rename it "MR2" and I'll be happy!

 

[Dennisch]

A tiny RWD.

I love it.

 

[YSSMAN]

Holy crap. I really, really dig this.

I actually really like the looks, reasonably distinctive, and certainly differentiates itself from the FR-S/BRZ, which needs to happen. Size wise, it sounds like its give/take what the old MR-S was:

A wheelbase of 97.6 inches puts the S-FR about midway between Toyota’s current compact rear-drive sports coupe, the Scion FR-S (101.2 inches), and the Mazda Miata (90.9 inches). So, too, does the concept’s overall length of 157 inches, which is 10 inches shorter than the FR-S and three inches longer than the Mazda. At 66.7 inches wide, the Toyota is narrower than both cars, and it’s also taller, at 52 inches.

...So, not too sure how four seats would ever work in that size range. But, if it were a two-seat targa with some extra room in the back, why not? I'd certainly be down at the right price (ie, sub $19k MSRP). Also, anyone else noticing the Mazda-like air vents, and center audio/electronic controls on the console?

 

[Speedracer8218]

Not the best looking concept out there but definitely has lots of interesting bits. The roof looks like it's detachable and made of glass (I think), there's a mouse like thing on the steering wheel that will control most features, and the trunk opening is pretty wide by the looks of it.

Most importantly it's FR and probably affordable so that's gonna get a lot of people interested

 

[TeamCZRRacing]

Also, anyone else noticing the Mazda-like air vents, and center audio/electronic controls on the console?

To me the air vents look like tires.

 

[Yauma9]

Four-lug wheels? Hmmm, where have I seen that before?

(Now, I know it's not a Mazda only thing but still.)

Make the mouth smaller and I'll gladly buy two. The rear looks like a chubby V12 Zagato.

 

[Keef]

It's such a weird look. It looks smaller than a Miata, but it's bigger. At the same time, it looks fatter than a Miata and less athletic. Why is it so tall? I can't even tell how big the wheels are because this thing is like a Cappuccino. It kinda looks the right size but you can't really tell if those are 13 inch wheels or not. One thing is for sure, the body is way too chubby for those little wheels. Somehow the Miata, even with the small wheels, doesn't suffer that problem.

I don't like it. Great idea, terrible execution.

 

[Legro]

Interesting concept at the very least. The looks aren't the greatest (why outright imitate a car that already looks fat*), but I can't say I mind about them either.

*I'm fairly certain that if you paint it in red and white and change the badges, I could easily pass it as the newest MINI to surprisingly large amount of classic Mini enthusiasts.

 

[05XR8]

I like how simple the interior is. The BR-Z steering wheel is a nice touch. Any car small and RWD is cool.

 

[Frenzyhero]

edit

 

[SVPSkins]

that looks awesome

 

[el fayce]

If we assumed the front wheels are just as big as the Miata's, The S-FR is silly tall

EDIT: Please overlook this, The image here is inaccurate, The one with the correct dimensions is down below.
EDIT 2: Fixed it!

 

[FT-1]

Specifications show the Toyota is 3990mm long so it would be longer than the 3914mm Mazda in that view.

 

[GTvsForza]

I'd still go for the Miata.

 

[homeforsummer]

This is disgusting. And it doesn't even fulfill a niche. why buy this instead of an 86?

So small, affordable sports car isn't a niche?

Someone'd better tell Mazda.

 

[Frenzyhero]

edit

 

[homeforsummer]

I'm not sure you fully understand the automotive market.

The 86 already does that.

Indeed. And it's $26k.

Now I can't really afford any brand new car right now. But I certainly can't afford a $26k+ one, which is what an FRS goes for. Or if I use my own UK market, I'm more likely to be able to afford a £18.5k MX-5 than I am a £24k Toyota GT86.

And if I was Toyota, I might even look at the success Mazda has had selling relatively affordable Miatas in the past, and the relative lack of success it (and Subaru) has had trying to shift the 86 in most markets, I might be tempted to nudge in on Mazda's territory with something more affordable.

That is this car.

edit - and why take a risk with a car that's untested and looks like a catfish instead of the best selling sportscar of all time?

Well as this thread has already established, at least as many people like the look of the car as those that don't - so from our small sample there's at least 50% of the driving enthusiast market covered. I'm a huge MX-5 fanboy but if Toyota made one of these and sold it for a similar price, I'd have to think very, very hard about which one to spend my money on.

Secondly, I suspect this isn't just a bolt from the blue. If Toyota is entertaining the idea of actually making this, then I imagine they're not going to develop a whole new rear-drive platform for it so shortly after co-developing one with Subaru.

There are rumours flying around that Toyota will be sharing the MX-5 platform at some stage. There's also a high-profile technology and development collaboration with BMW on the go. And I imagine they'd be open to the idea of improving the GT86's economies of scale by using some of the largely bespoke solutions they've developed for that car. If this thing doesn't use one (or a mixture of some) of these methods, I'd be very surprised indeed.

Thirdly... why the hell not? Even if you don't like the way this thing looks, I can't fathom not seeing a point to it whatsoever. Most car people I know would crawl over broken glass to have more affordable rear-wheel drive cars on the market.

 

[CodeRedR51]

If someone could make a ~$20k RWD sporty car, I'd be all over it.

I miss the days when you could get a brand new 240hp (under rated) SRT-4 for $20k.

 

[Nessy]

I really hope Toyota put it in to production. If they do and it proves successful, it's gives Nissan even more reason to give us a Mini Z.

 

[homeforsummer]

I miss the days when you could get a brand new 240hp (under rated) SRT-4 for $20k.

To be fair, that's a symptom of the car it was based on. The Neon was already one of (if not the?) cheapest cars on the market, so it's little surprise they could offer one with so much power for so little money.

That said, you're not considering inflation.

A 250-horsepower Ford Focus ST is about $24.5k right now. In 2015 money, that $20k Neon SRT-4 from 2003 would cost about $26k. And Ford is offering that despite a decade and a bit of improvements in extra safety technology, chassis sophistication, equipment, fuel efficiency, emissions and comfort, and selling it in a more competitive market.

 

[el fayce]

whoops.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Not so tiny.

 

[homeforsummer]

Something still looks massively awry with that image. The current MX-5 is particularly small, but we had both the Mazda and a GT86 together at the office recently and the difference between even those doesn't look vast - yet in the image above, I'd say proportionally the S-FR looks as big, if not bigger than an 86.

Look, it's fairly simple. The new Miata is 3915mm long. This concept is 3990mm. That's a difference of 75mm - not a foot and a half, as that comparison looks like. There's 85mm difference in height, and the Miata is just over an inch wider than the Toyota concept. There is not a massive difference in size.

 

[Nessy]

7.5 cm is about the thickness of the MX-5's roll bar (by the looks of it). So just add one of those onto the rear bumper of the MX-5 and voila.

 

[Legro]

it gives Nissan even more reason to give us a Mini Z.

But if the Toyota already looks like a MINI combined with Nissan Z, why would we need Nissan trying too.

 

[Nessy]

But if the Toyota already looks like a MINI combined with Nissan Z, why would we need Nissan trying too.

I meant 'Mini' as in short for 'miniature'. 👍

 

[05XR8]

That height is for headroom, no doubt.

I don't know. Maybe it's the new generation of young drivers that dontblike small cars. I grew up where my '86 Jetta had a bigger trunk than a 190E. An A1 Golf had plenty of room. And my Father's '77 Malibu Classic was a mid-size coupe. I see no problem with it's size. Toyota did make a Celica AND a Supra. Same body. Different front bumper. If the SFR is the size if the 86, so be it. If it's the size of the MX-5, good packaging. I dig it.

 

[Nessy]

Here's a closer size comparison between the S-FR and MX-5:





And height:




It really doesn't look like there's that much in it.