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

niky
Considering it's projected to be so much cheaper
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I'd assumed most of the info released until now was just rumour, since Toyota itself has confirmed basically nothing about the car. I'd be surprised if it can sell for significantly less than the MX-5 - the economies of scale for a purpose-built sports car surely can't allow it to sell for much below a basic MX-5.

I'd be happy to be proved wrong though. I just really think Toyota has nailed it out of the box in terms of styling and configuration. If it's as light as people claim, and has the naturally-aspirated 1.5 that was initially rumoured, I'd be doing everything in my power to buy one brand new. It's the kind of car I could see myself owning for a considerable amount of time.

And yeah, some companies have got turbocharged throttle response to the point where it's reasonable... but then I try something like a GT86 or the MX-5 and realise that nobody has really matched them.

It's not just response either. It's everything, from the unmuted sound, to the linearity of the delivery (throttle calibration permitting, in the case of the 86...), and perhaps erroneously, the feeling that it's just adding a bunch of unnecessary plumbing and complication to something that should be simple. The S-FR has the potential to be the last completely uncomplicated, back-to-basics car, and I really don't want Toyota to chicken out and throw in everything that should be taken out. I even love that the concept has no satnav screen.

I love technological progress, but some things just need to be as simple as possible.
 
Anything new about this car? I'd like to know when it'll go on sale.

The concept of a concept is kinda cool, but the real car appearing in showrooms would be so much cooler.
 
Toyota S-FR II to be shown Tokyo auto show
Toyota-S-FR-II-concept-rendering_edit1.jpg

In an attempt to show that Toyota means business with its effort to create a stronger sports-car range—one that encompasses small, medium and large sports cars—Japan’s number-one automaker also will unveil a purist coupe called the S-FR II concept, an evolution of the concept seen at the 2015 Tokyo auto show. With its huge grille, funky proportions, and short overhangs, the tiny rear-wheel-drive coupe will slot in at the bottom of Toyota’s sports-car lineup. It’s powered by a 116-hp turbocharged 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine or a 130-hp naturally aspirated 1.5-liter inline-four, with both versions expected to be offered with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Toyota’s “Mr. 86,” Tetsuya Tada, father of the Scion FR-S (now the Toyota 86), has been tasked with bringing the S-FR to global markets at a starting price under $15,000—and, yes, that potentially could include the United States.
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Car and Driver
 
"S-FR II concept" gives me bad vibes about the multitude of concepts we got for the GT-86 before it finally came out. Please don't do that again Toyota...
 
bremics
Under $15k?

Move over Miata and your $30k+.
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Fo' sho! 👍 And please let it be under 1000kg.

I just hope if/when it comes to Oz, we don't get stuck with the auto only like with the MR-S. A manual MR-S here, is rarer than a Jaguar XJ13 :crazy: :sly:.
 
R1600Turbo
"S-FR II concept" gives me bad vibes about the multitude of concepts we got for the GT-86 before it finally came out. Please don't do that again Toyota...
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On the plus side, the GT86 did at least come out after those multiple concepts, which means promising things for the S-FR.

I'm hoping that render is just the whimsical scribblings of a bored illustrator tasked with coming up with something subtly different to the original though. While not everyone was keen on the first concept it was at least a fairly pure design - this one already shows the creeping in of fussiness, like those nasty bars in the grille, the inexplicable widening of the arches (and hints of a side skirt) and the deletion of the rear quarter windows. It is not a shape that needs faffing with.

photo_01.png

The transition from FT86 to FT86 II to GT86 was an exercise in gradually losing design purity and adding fussiness too.

03-toyota-ft-86-concept-press.jpg


ft86-2_01.jpg


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Oh, and call me a massive old cynic, but as when I last posted in this thread, I'd be enormously surprised if they can sell it for such a low price, at least outside of Japan.

And in the UK or USA particularly - given the Brexit vote result knackered our exchange rate, and Trump will do his best to push up the cost of imported goods to the USA before the S-FR arrives...
 
homeforsummer
And in the UK or USA particularly - given the Brexit vote result knackered our exchange rate, and Trump will do his best to push up the cost of imported goods to the USA before the S-FR arrives...
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It's entirely possible Toyota could produce this car in the states, thus avoiding potential import taxes. Mazda would be left without a pot to **** in though, as the already-more expensive Miata is exclusively made in Japan. I don't even know if Mazda builds any cars in NA outside of Mexico. Maybe Toyota is spotting an opportunity to quickly gain an extensive foothold in the roadster market. As far as The UK....who knows....certainly not me. :lol:
 
Eunos_Cosmo
It's entirely possible Toyota could produce this car in the states, thus avoiding potential import taxes. The UK....who knows.
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I suppose it depends whether Toyota would see enough of a market for it to justify setting up a new factory or setting aside space in a factory that already makes something profitable, like the Camry. I think that scenario might be a little optimistic, but I'm prepared to be proven wrong.
 
I guess Tada did see the movie "Four Brothers", because one of them did die.

Anyway, when I look at it, the S-FR seems more like a successor to the AE86, than the GT86 does to the AE86. So, can the GT86, build the SF-R and fill in the middle with a new product.
 
bremics
What are the three? GT86, Supra and ...?
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Toyota won't say just yet. Everyone expected it to be Supra at the top, GT86 in the middle, and something below the GT86 (MR2 or S-FR) at the bottom. Now it looks more likely we'll get something between the GT86 and Supra (unless Toyota goes crazy and makes something above the Supra).
 
homeforsummer
Toyota won't say just yet. Everyone expected it to be Supra at the top, GT86 in the middle, and something below the GT86 (MR2 or S-FR) at the bottom. Now it looks more likely we'll get something between the GT86 and Supra (unless Toyota goes crazy and makes something above the Supra).
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Between the 86 and the Supra?

Forgive me for being skeptical, but I don't see the space for it. Especially considering there will be a Supra variant available with less hp than the 86. If it's not below the 86, I'm inclined to believe it will be above the Supra.
 
I too find it a little difficult to believe that Toyota will manage to find space between the GT86 and the 4 cylinder Supra for another model, given that the price difference may not be all that much. I suspect that if they are to make it work, they'll either need to make the car very different from its stablemates, for instance an MR2 which is much more hardcore than the Supra, or build something based off of an existing platform such as the old FWD Celica. There's certainly much higher margins available on a 100k 911 competitor than something in the 30-40k range, so that makes me wonder whether that might be more profitable in the long run for Toyota.
 
We see this with SUVs.

Toyota have L70(Troop Carrier), Land Cruiser V8, Prado, Highlander/Kluger, RAV4, C-HR.

From the Kluger to the L70, they all can carry the same amount of people(7). What makes them that different? Diesel? V8? V6? 4-cylinder?
For a sporting car, there's always room to squeeze something in. Softop/Hardtop convertible, 2+2 awd coupe, 2-series Type 2-door sedan. Will be interesting to see what they come with.
 
Man... as with many other things in the last few years, I missed the whole S-FR thing until I saw a video from TheKie25 racing that little rascal. I’m a big fan of those classic front engine sportscar proportions, especially in such a compact format. I personally like the 86/BRZ pair but the S-FR looks significantly better and with a sub $20k price it would have been awesome for someone like me (balding idiot closing on midlife crisis LOL).

Too bad it doesn’t seem to happen anymore...
 
homeforsummer
Toyota won't say just yet. Everyone expected it to be Supra at the top, GT86 in the middle, and something below the GT86 (MR2 or S-FR) at the bottom. Now it looks more likely we'll get something between the GT86 and Supra (unless Toyota goes crazy and makes something above the Supra).
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Do you see Toyota bringing out a GR version of the new Corolla? Maybe as a competitor for the i30N?
I quite like that idea honestly. The new Corolla looks great, and hot hatches are very popular currently. Would be interesting to see an AWD version of it with 260 or so horsepower.

Aside from that, doesn't the Yaris GRMN fit between the GT86 and Supra? I mean, in terms of acceleration and handling, it eats the GT86 with hair and skin. Last time at the local GT86 meet, there was a Yaris GRMN and it even smoked stage 2 tuned GT86's. It really is a little pocket rocket alright!
 
Bram Turismo
Do you see Toyota bringing out a GR version of the new Corolla? Maybe as a competitor for the i30N?
I quite like that idea honestly. The new Corolla looks great, and hot hatches are very popular currently. Would be interesting to see an AWD version of it with 260 or so horsepower.

Aside from that, doesn't the Yaris GRMN fit between the GT86 and Supra? I mean, in terms of acceleration and handling, it eats the GT86 with hair and skin. Last time at the local GT86 meet, there was a Yaris GRMN and it even smoked stage 2 tuned GT86's. It really is a little pocket rocket alright!
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Not sure on the Corolla GRMN - the official line is that anything called GRMN really has to deserve it, so my guess is if Toyota campaigns a Corolla at the N24 or something, then a road-going GRMN is likely.

As for the Yaris, while it technically outperforms the GT86, it's not a "sports car" so isn't included in the three-tier lineup.

I think @Beeblebrox237 and @Eunos_Cosmo are both kinda right about where a future sports car might be located. It was purely an assumption that it would slot between the GT86 and Supra, but of course something above is possible (though Lexus fills that role adequately already with the LC).

And I'd have to agree with @05XR8 - given Toyota will make a 2-litre Supra that already crosses over somewhat with the GT86, something that's similar on price or performance to one or the other isn't outside the realms of possibility. Particularly if it is a new MR2 and therefore mid-engined and possibly a roadster - something neither GT86 or Supra offers. Remember that in the past at least, various versions of the Celica, MR2 and Supra all crossed over on performance depending on the engine/trim. Not saying it's a certainty, but it's not impossible either.
 

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