2012 Scion FR-S Coupe

The 2012 Scion FR-S will be an all-new 2+2, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe co-developed by Toyota and Subaru. The 2012 Scion FR-S will not be your friend’s boxy Scion. With sleek styling, rear-wheel drive, sharp handling and a low-slung boxer engine, this should be the car that finally injects some performance pedigree into Toyota’s youth-oriented brand.

In the last 10 years or so, Toyota has lost almost any semblance of youthful vigor in its lineup. Instead, those energies have been forwarded onto its Scion division, where the median buying age is lower than for any other brand on the market. However, while Scion’s cars have stood out thanks to funky styling, abundant personalization options and kicking stereos, performance has been notably lacking. The 2012 Scion FR-S should change that.

2012 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe

The Scion FR-S will be a compact 2+2 sport coupe that sends its power to the rear wheels — the first Toyota car to do so since the old MR2 Spyder. That power is going to come from a new 2.0-liter horizontally opposed “boxer” four-cylinder engine sourced from Subaru, which co-developed the Scion FR-S. Because of this vertically compact engine design, the FR-S is not only able to have a sleek, low-slung hood but it also aids weight balance by shifting the engine down and toward the middle of the car. Available transmissions will be either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, while a limited-slip differential will be standard equipment.

While there is still a lot we don’t know about the 2012 Scion FR-S, what has been announced thus far adds up to a car that should bring some welcome driving excitement to the Scion division. We also know that its styling shouldn’t differ much from the concept car shown at the 2011 New York Auto Show.