The 2012 Cartel Speedster Scion FR-S Concept made its debut at the Toyota Grand Prix held at Long Beach, California in April.

Scion cars are effectively Toyota’s experimental prototypes of the company’s ever-improving high performance cars, and the FR-S Concept is one of them and has several innovative features.

Performance

The Scion FR-S Concept has a naturally aspirated, 2.0-liter, Boxer engine that was developed as a joint project between Toyota and Subaru designers.

The leading edge, D-4S injection system developed by Toyota is combined with Subaru’s brand new horizontally opposed engine in the new power plant. The new engine generates 151 pounds-feet of torque and a hefty 200 horsepower.

The car can be fitted with either a manual or automatic 6-speed transmission. The manual gearshift lever has very short travel distances, allowing rapid and precise gear changes. The automatic transmission is controlled with paddles mounted on the steering wheel. A limited-slip differential delivers the power to the wheels.

A key goal of the design of the FR-S Concept was to develop an engine that could deliver high power combined with high fuel economy. The advanced aerodynamic design of the body combined with a compact size and lightweight components help this engine achieve that goal.

Exterior

The outward appearance of the car is modeled aftere the Toyota 2000GT. The low hood and roofline present a very sleek profile, and greatly reduce drag by enabling the air to slide smoothly across the top.

Aerodynamic performance and weight reduction is further enhanced by using a trunk rather than a hatchback at the rear. The hood is made from aluminum.

The front of the 2012 Cartel Speedster Scion FR-S Concept has a near full-length grille set low to the ground and mounted over a front spoiler. The headlamps are housed in a distorted triangle-shaped housing and the sidelights and flasher housing closely matches that of the headlamps. The combination adds to the overall impression of a sleek, powerful car.

Specifications