If your local Scion dealer is about to hit you with a restraining order for bugging him about Scion FR-S availability, here’s some good news: Scion wants to give 86 fans the ability to take early delivery of its FR-S sport coupe. While all the fine print has yet to be inked, here’s what we know about how the “First 86” program will work.
On January 12, at 12:00 noon EST, Scion will open up a dedicated purchase request website (www.ScionFirst86.com). Customers interested in buying one of the first 86 Scion FR-S models in the United States will then choose their car’s color and transmission choice (no other options are available), and submit the purchase request form to Scion. The site will remain up for eight hours and 6 minutes (86, get it?), before the ability to enter the lottery will close.
Within 24 hours, Scion will notify the 86 winners, who’ll be sent a date-stamped e-mail with an order confirmation. Winners have 96 hours to visit their chosen Scion dealer with the order confirmation and a deposit check for $500. Once the order is written, Scion will provide winners with regular updates on the delivery of their cars, which will arrive before the general public is able to take delivery of an FR-S.
The program seems simple enough, but there are plenty of unanswered questions. Pricing for the FR-S has not yet been set, and then there’s the issue of “Additional Dealer Markup.” The Scion FR-S will be a hot car at launch, and greedy dealers will want to pad profits on the rear-drive coupe. Sure, you may win the ability to buy the first FR-S, but can you afford to pay a dealer $10k over sticker to take delivery?
We’re not saying that’s going to happen, only that it’s likely. After all, some BMW dealers were asking $50k over sticker (really) for one of the few 1-Series M cars brought into the United States, and $5k over sticker is about normal for cars like the Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca. Everyone wants to be the first kid on the block with the latest toy, and that generally comes at a cost.
Scion isn’t giving a lot more information than we’ve posted above, but you’ll find its Q&A on the “First 86” program here.
