Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. Products

A 380-HP Scion FR-S? Yep, it’s coming from Cosworth. And it is going to be mental

Peter Braun
By

It is a great day for performance lovers everywhere: Cosworth – the motorsport and tuning company – is bringing out a series of sensational tuning upgrades for the Scion FR-S.

The announcement is part of a major transition for the legendary performance fanatics. Cosworth will be making the change from producing solo performance parts, to putting out premade performance packages.

If the packages for the Scion FR-S – that’s a Toyota GT86, to those of you not from ‘Murica – are any example of this new strategy, then bully for Cosworth!

Related

The level one package produces 230 horsepower, an 11.6 percent jump from stock output of the 2.0-liter BOXER four cylinder. That boost comes thanks to a new exhaust and extremely sophisticated new tuning software. There is also a Cosworth badge, so that other drivers can understand why they just got thrashed so badly.

The kits only get more mental from there. Cosworth has announced that it will be producing upgrades that bring the little FR-S all the way up to 325 hp. Or if truly insane levels of performance are required, say for outrunning tornadoes or cheetahs with jet packs, a 380-hp track configuration will eventually be along. For people keeping score at home, that is nearly double the stock horsepower, which should make the FR-S … frisky.

Aside from the big horsepower boosts, one of the big advantages of Cosworth’s performance packages will be reliability. Hal Reisiger the chief of executive of Cosworth explained, “Cosworth has significantly altered its approach to performance aftermarket. We are now able to supply completely validated solutions – as an entire system – to guarantee reliability and performance.”

 This validates what plenty of tuners know.  Slapping together a bunch of performance parts is always a bit dicey, as new and different failure points are introduced. The Cosworth packages will be tested by people with actual engineering degrees to ensure that they, you know, work.  

While I look forward to seeing what other cars Cosworth targets for performance boosts, it couldn’t have chosen a better car to start with. In this day and age there are plenty of cars that could actually do with less horsepower. The FR-S though is a fabulous sports car, that has just needed a little more giddy-up to be dominant. With a boost of 30 hp you would need to be some kind of monster not to want a Cosworth FR-S.

And yes, it will also work on the Subaru BRZ.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Peter Braun
Peter Braun
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Peter is a freelance contributor to Digital Trends and almost a lawyer. He has loved thinking, writing and talking about cars…
Toyota says ‘no’ to a Scion FR-S hybrid
2013 Scion FR-S

Car fans are an awfully greedy lot.
Few products cater to enthusiasts as deliberately as the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins. Yet almost as soon as they launched, people began clamoring for news of added variants.
One of those possible variants can be scratched off the list for good, according to Autocar. Toyota marketing director Fabio Capano told the magazine that the carmaker has no plans for a hybrid version of the Toyota GT86 (as the FR-S is known abroad).
The maker of the Prius could build such a car, but it reportedly wouldn't make business sense. That's true: Good fuel economy is always appreciated, but the GT86/FR-S was designed to emphasize simplicity, and a hybrid powertrain would muddy that a bit.
However, the story might not be over. Toyota is also rumored to be working on an FR-S sedan, and a hybrid powertrain could be offered in this model instead of the coupe.
The sedan isn't the only FR-S variant churning through the rumor mill. There have been several reports of a convertible that could more directly compete with the similarly-priced Mazda MX-5 Miata, as well as turbocharged engines, all-wheel drive, and anything that could boost the car's performance.
It's unclear whether any of these new models will see the light of day, but at the very least, all of this speculation shows the enormous potential of the rear-wheel drive "Toyobaru" platform.

Read more
Scion FR-S to get suspension and aesthetic upgrades for 2015
Scion FR-S

As we reported earlier this month, the Scion FR-S/Toyota GT 86 has some big changes in store.
As a part of its mid-life update, Toyota plans to release turbo, sedan, and all-wheel drive hybrid models of the FR-S in 2016. Turbo models, eventually both sedans and coupes, will feature a 295-horsepower direct injection boxer engine. Hybrid models (sedan only) will have a naturally-aspirated boxer engine powering the rear wheels, but will also carry electric motors for the front, providing AWD traction.
Before then, though, Toyota is planning new tweaks to keep the FR-S fresh.
According to a report by Autoblog, the rear-wheel-drive sensation will receive suspension and appearance revisions for 2015.
Most important for performance enthusiasts will be the suspension upgrades, which will include a tighter, more rigid setup in the front, as well as revised shock absorbers in the rear. The result, according to Toyota, will be a reduction in body roll as well as improved driver feedback in the cabin.
A new shark-like antenna will adorn the roof of the car, and flush-mounted, larger exhaust pipes will ornament the back of the vehicle.
The interior will have some new toys as well. The central panels will be garnished with a carbon fiber-like material, and the headlights will now be automatic. If none of that sells you on a new FR-S, we have reports that there will be a new key design. So there's that.
Even with all these improvements, the 2015 model will cost a mere $400 dollars more than its predecessor, keeping the FR-S' fun-per-d0llar ratio quite high. It starts at $24,900.
Also getting a facelift for 2015 will be the Scion tC, an Avensis-based  sport compact coupe. The new version will have paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel (automatic only), and will also be offered in two new colors: Blizzard Pearl and Cosmic Gray.
Good news for tC fans (we know there are some of you out there): the 2015 model will see no price increase over the 2014. It starts at $19,210.

Read more
Scion planning turbo, convertible, and hybrid AWD sedan FR-S models for 2016
1234

Toyota’s groundbreaking rear-drive sport coupe goes by many names: Toyota GT-86, Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ, or simply Toyota 86.
No matter what dealership you buy from, though, customers know they’re getting a back-to-basics, rear-wheel-drive thriller that won’t destroy their bank accounts. The car has already proved to be an instant classic, but Toyota has big changes in store.
Motoring reports that Toyota is planning a soft-top convertible version of the FR-S for 2015, followed by turbo and all-wheel-drive hybrid models for 2016. 
Turbo models, eventually both coupes and sedans, will feature a direct-injection, turbocharged Subaru BOXER engine (2.0-liter for Japan, 2.5-liter for export markets) with 295 horsepower. An eight-speed auto will transfer the power to the rear wheels. 
The hybrid version, which will only be offered in a four-door, will also have a boxer engine at its heart, but with front-wheel-mounted electric motors giving it AWD traction. The sedan will obviously be larger than the coupe and convertible, and Motoring reports that it will be around 20 inches longer and 4 inches higher than its smaller cousins. Width will remain the same. 
While the standard FR-S starts around $25,000 with a manual transmission, the boosted versions are expected to cost around $40,000 when they launch in mid-2016. The hybrid? Closer to $50,000, and it won’t be in showrooms until the end of 2016. Soft tops could be arriving as soon as October of this year.
As of this writing, Subaru has no plans for a convertible version of the BRZ. And, as Digital Trends reported, a BRZ STI is unfortunately off the table.
So, if you want a FR-S with more than 200 horsepower, and we know you do, looks like you have two options: extricate the extra power yourself with aftermarket parts, or wait until the 2016 models debut. Odds are, they'll probably be worth the wait.

Read more