The Scion FR-S is set to be rebranded and revised for the 2017 model year, arriving as the Toyota 86 in the US market.
The nameplate is now consistent with Toyota’s global naming scheme as the company drops its Scion sub-brand in the US and Canada. The FR-S has already been known as the Toyota 86 or GT86 in global markets since its introduction for the 2012 model year.
“When we announced the transition of the Scion models to Toyota we hadn’t planned on changing the names of our cars, but by popular demand, for our sports car, we decided to adopt the global name of 86,” says Toyota VP Bill Fay.
Receiving more than just a new name, the 86 brings slightly more power than the 2016 edition. Its 2.0-liter engine is still naturally aspirated, though the manual version has been retuned for 205 horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque — up five ponies and as many lb-ft of twist, delivered via new gear ratios.
The coupe also receives a few aesthetic tweaks alongside the Toyota badging. The front fascia has been refreshed with new LED headlights and turn signals, complementing a restyled bumper with a more pronounced lower grille. The back end has also been refreshed with a new number and sportier LED taillights, while new alloy wheels feature a twisted spoke design.
Toyota has upgraded the interior, adding new soft-touch ‘Grandlux’ material on the instrument panel and door trim. Seating material has also been swapped and highlighted with silver stitching.
Engineers worked to improve control and road manners, retuning the shocks and tweaking the spring rates.
Live images by Brian Williams.
Leave a Reply