Mini-Me Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S Doesn't Make the Cut at D1GP Drift Event

If you're an avid fan of the art of drifting, you can't go wrong with Japan's D1 Grand Prix or D1GP professional drift series, unless, of course, you stumble upon the wrong car.

We can't say for sure if Gazoo Racing's mini-me Toyota 86 (JDM version of the Scion FR-S) was plagued by a technical problem or if there was nothing wrong and it simply played the role of the rodeo clown, but either way, we can't say we were impressed by its entrance on the track at a recent D1GP drift event in Odaiba, Japan.

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Aww, Isn't That Cute? Gazoo Builds a Real-Life Mini Version of the Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S

Anyone remember the craze over the comically-looking mini supercars created with the help of photoshop and various other image editing programs from a few years back?

After a gazillion different design concepts of any vehicle you can think of, the fad passed and we all moved on, or so we thought, as someone over at Toyota's racing and performance partner Gazoo recently had a moment of zen giving it another go.

Mind you, we're not talking about a digital rendering, but a real life, working model designed to look like the Toyota 86 (in case you forgot, it's marketed as the Toyota GT 86 in Europe and Scion FR-S in North America).

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Scion's SEMA Show-Bound FR-S Tuner Challenge Builds in the Flesh

Earlier this week, we told you about and showed you renderings of the three FR-S project cars that Scion plans to bring to the 2012 SEMA Show, which opens its doors on October and runs through November 2.

Now we have the details as well as real life pictures and even videos of the FR-S Tuner Challenge cars.

The FR-S concepts were created as part of a competition in which Scion gave three custom car builders the opportunity to put their talents to work while imposing a $15,000 budget and a three-month time-frame to complete the transformation.

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Drift Battle Between Scion FR-S and Lexus SC430

Normally, a Lexus SC430 wouldn't stand much of a chance against a Scion FR-S in a drift battle. However, the car you see here isn’t a regular version of the hardtop convertible but a gutted out and race-prepped iteration.

The two specially modified Japanese models met up at the 2012 Formula Drift event in New Jersey earlier this summer.

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R&T Tires-up Scion FR-S and Pits it Against the Impreza WRX and Mazdaspeed3

By now, the “less is more” dictum that Toyota keeps repeating at every opportunity concerning its GT86 (that’s Scion FR-S in the US) rear-wheel drive coupe must be ingrained in every car fan’s head.

The 86/FR-S/BRZ trio ignores the horsepower and performance war and focuses on pure driver enjoyment like its famous ancestor, the Toyota AE86.

Well, a safe way to have a lot of fun is going to a track. However, here the 17-inch Michelin Primacy HP 87W GreenX tires with which the Scion FR-S is fitted with are below par. This comes as no surprise since they are the exact ones worn by the Prius hybrid and they are made for low resistance and fuel saving, not recording lap times.

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Track Test Duel: Scion FR-S vs. Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T vs. Mazda MX-5

Not surprisingly, the more or less identical Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S (marketed under the Toyota 86 or GT 86 nameplates outside North America) sports coupes are all the talk these days.

Adding to the many comparisons made by all sorts of online and print publications from all four corners of the world over the past few months is a new review by Jack Baruth from The Truth About Cars.

This time, it’s a track test duel between the 200hp Scion FR-S, the more potent but heavier 274hp Hyundai Genesis 2.0 Turbo and the less powerful but lighter 167hp Mazda MX-5.

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2013 Scion tC RS 8.0 Limited Edition Featuring Five Axis Styling Kit and TRD Parts

The Scion "Release Series" saga continues with the launch of the eighth model based on the tC coupe of which only 2,000 units will be built with U.S. sales to start later this month.

The new tC RS 8.0 is offered exclusively in Absolutely Red exterior paint with contrasting gloss black side view mirrors and matching color 18-inch alloy wheels.

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Scion Explains How the Torsen Limited Slip Differential Works on the FR-S

For the serious driver of any rear wheel-drive sports car, a limited slip differential (LSD) is a must, and the Scion FR-S coupe (as well as its Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 siblings) doesn't disappoint offering a Torsen LSD as standard.

If you would like to know how a limited slip differential works and what it means in terms of handling and performance, Scion has prepared a short video explaining it in layman's terms.

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New Scion Ad Highlights 2013 FR-S Coupe's Sporty Attributes

With a sports car like the 2013 Scion FR-S, there is really one thing an automaker should focus on in an advertisement and that is its handling credentials, which is precisely what Toyota's subsidiary is doing with its new commercial named "Sport is Back" as it prepares for the car's June 1 launch. Read more »

2013 Scion FR-S Rolls on to the Dyno to Prove its Worth

Toyota, Subaru and Scion all tell us that their co-developed trio of rear-wheel drive sports coupes, namely the 86/GT86, BRZ and FR-S, are powered by the same 2.0-liter flat-four that produces 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft (205Nm) at the flywheel.

As is common these days with any newly launched model, independent testers, in this case, the folks over at Edmund's Insideline, strapped the North American market 2013 Scion FR-S on the dyno to see what kind of numbers it would produce.

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Five-Axis Announces New Aero Package for the 2013 Scion FR-S [Video]

The tuning industry is wasting no time getting ready for the U.S. market launch of the 2013 Scion FR-S sports coupe.

Not long after Scion announced pricing for its first rear-wheel drive model, Five Axis via its production arm named FIVE:AD (Five Axis Design) has presented a new styling package that will be soon available through Scion dealerships.

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Scion Goes Donuts and…Milk in its Latest Campaign for the iQ

Scion is catering to the fantasies and fetishes of all sorts with its new online campaign for the recently launched iQ city car.

The promotion includes four spots named DUDES 'N' DONUTS, BABES 'N' DONUTS, BIKERS 'N' DONUTS and COPS 'N' DONUTS, all of which show three adults trying to eat donuts and drink a cup of milk while the driver does tight circles at a parking lot. Wickedly strange indeed…

You can take a peep at the commercials in the embedded videos that follow right past the jump.

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Toyota 86 Coupe Prepped with TRD Parts, Plus Video of Ken Gushi Driving Scion FR-S

In a sort of two for one deal, we present to you one of the first videos of the Japanese domestic market (JDM) Toyota 86 fitted with a selection of parts from the brand's in-house tuning division TRD, and a second clip of its North American twin, the Scion FR-S in both stock and racing forms.

The Toyota 86 TRD model features a different exhaust system plus a sports suspension package and a more powerful braking system. You can read more about TRD's offerings in our previous post here.

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Motorcyclist Gets a Nasty Surprise from Scion xB Driver

Some people just don't pay attention on the road like this woman driving a first generation Scion xB that somehow didn't notice that the traffic in front of her came to a stop and whacked a stationary motorcyclist from behind.

The man was literally pushed off the bike, but fortunately landed on his feet and from we can tell from the video, he didn't seem to be hurt. Watch the clip right past the break.

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