The 2013 Scion FR-S. Image: Toyota
If you’ve been holding out on buying a new Scion FR-S until a faster model is released, we’ve got some bad news for you: according to Car and Driver, such a model makes no financial sense for Scion to produce. Without forced induction, Scion can make a profit selling the FR-S in the mid-$20k range. Add a turbo, and the selling price would start pushing the $30k barrier, a price that Scion deems too expensive for its customers.
Subaru, on the other hand, has positioned its BRZ a bit more upscale, which could allow for the expense of turbocharging down the line. Such a move is still undecided, and earlier rumors reported that Subaru was developing a normally aspirated STI version of its BRZ. Cost aside, there simple isn’t a lot of room to fit a turbo, intercooler and associated plumbing under the hood.
That doesn’t mean that FR-S or BRZ buyers are out of options, since we expect the aftermarket to deliver everything from intakes through turbo and supercharger kits and exhausts in the coming months. Scion may not be willing to build a turbo FR-S, but we’re guessing that plenty of aftermarket vendors will step up to the plate.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
