2013 Scion FR-S: Fuel Economy Update for July
August 5, 2013
In July we installed a supercharger kit on our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S project car.
Since then, we've added 1,246 miles to its odometer using 66 gallons of 91-octane fuel. We retested it, re-dyno'd it and passed the 20,000-mile point.
2013 Scion FR-S: FR-S on GMR. With Supercharger
July 31, 2013
Our 2013 Scion FR-S has a supercharger.
I already liked this corner-carving machine before. It's superbly-balanced with spot-on steering and plenty of grip thanks to our long-termer's wider, stickier tires.
Now that it has honest power, everywhere on the tach, I like it even more.
2013 Scion FR-S: 20,000-Mile Milestone
July 30, 2013
Even though we've reached the 20,000-mile mark with our 2013 Scion FR-S, it's almost like a new beginning. Why? Because, as JayKav recently wrote about, the little rear-drive canyon carver now has a supercharger, thanks to Innovate Motorsports.
As far as how the car itself is holding up, it's doing well.
2013 Scion FR-S: Broken Shift Knob
July 29, 2013
I guess this is what I get for short-shifting the Scion from 1st to 2nd with only my index finger. The corner of my finger interacted with a raised section of this stupid little button that used to be on top of our shift knob and sent it flying.
2013 Scion FR-S: Needs Brake Cooling
July 25, 2013
After I returned home from my weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S, I swapped its tracky brake pads back for the stock ones. If you use track pads on the street, they'll eat your rotors alive. This is because aggressive pads never warm up to operating temperature on the street, and when cold they are very abrasive.
In the process of swapping in the stock pads, I noticed signs of what I experienced while on track, that the brakes got rather hot. Above is the melted driver side front caliper dust boot. See others below. Keep in mind that this happened with stock power and street tires, though it is true that Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a track that's hard on brakes. More power and/or stickier tires like R-compounds (never mind dedicated track tires) would exacerbate the brake heat situation considerably.
There's not a lick of air that makes it way to the FR-S's brakes. There are no vents in the wheelwell liner, and the little spat that deflects air away from the front tires also deflect air from the brakes.
It's also got pillar-vane style rotors which have generally poor airflow pumping characteristics (manufacturers use them because they are not directional so the same part can be used on both sides, and they have good NVH characteristics).
2013 Scion FR-S: Innovate Motorsports Supercharger Kit Dyno-Tested
July 24, 2013
Everyone wants "apples to apples" or at least they should. It's the only way to go.
The day before the Innovate Motorsports supercharger kit was installed on Project FR-S, our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S, I visited Church Automotive Testing in Wilmington, California. The boss man there, Shawn Church, performed several pulls and established a baseline on our car, stock save for its Apexi catback exhaust.
Immediately after the supercharger kit was installed the next day, I again rolled straight to Church Automotive Testing. Several pulls were performed and the car's stabilized, supercharged output obtained.
Same car, same dyno, same dyno operator, same methodology, same weather, even the same 91 octane fuel in the tank. Identical apples all around.
Here's what we found.
2013 Scion FR-S: Innovate Motorsports Supercharger Kit Installed
July 18, 2013
Back in May 2012, when I first drove a pre-production example of the 2013 Scion FR-S, Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada described to me in some detail the protracted genesis of its flat-four FA20 power plant. That they wanted 100 hp/liter. That Subaru's FB-series wasn't going to cut it in its then-current form. That Toyota handed the next generation of their D-4S direct injection technology to Subaru, their competitor, in order to make it happen. That it had a big ol' torque hole right smack in the middle of the rev range.
Actually, Tada-san never mentioned that last bit. I discovered it for myself the first time I touched the FR-S's throttle to the carpet. Such a terrific chassis and little punch to really exploit it.
We've been angling to remedy that for some time in Project FR-S, our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S. The other day the stars aligned, and Innovate Motorsports got busy installing their twin screw supercharger kit onto it. This is a bolt-on, belt-driven positive displacement supercharger kit that promises a bump in peak power, sure, but more importantly a slug of Tabasco in the midrange. You know, where the FR-S actually needs it.
The company originally told us installation would take four hours. It took less than three hours. Bolting this much power onto a highly-tuned normally aspirated engine has never been this easy.
[Update: installation time-lapse video added at the end of this entry.]
2013 Scion FR-S: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Track Weekend
July 17, 2013
The right way to set up a car is with a tire pyrometer, an open track and lots and lots of time. We would do precisely none of those things for this trip. This can only mean total failure! Right?
Nah. Turns out the Scion FR-S's handling is better than ever, both on the road and track. The alignment in its current state (front: -1.9 degrees camber, zero toe; rear: -1.7 degrees camber, 1/16" total toe in), even if not dialed to said max optimum-ness, has yielded more communication, grip (as measured by my buttometer) and progression than it had last time it was here at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
2013 Scion FR-S: En Route To Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
July 16, 2013
With new suspension bits installed (here and here), a fresh alignment and a Friday morning yawning before us, I pointed our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S northwards. Bitter Dan (you might recall his orange Lotus Exige) and I would once again take fun roads on our way to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for another track weekend. Unlike last time, today the skies were clear and the day young.
2013 Scion FR-S: Hancha Adjustable Rear Lower Control Arms
July 5, 2013
With the front end camber needs of Project FR-S, our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S, handled, we turned to the rear suspension. It's a multi-link layout back there, so its camber loss with roll is less precipitous than in the front. As such, the rear won't need as much additional negative camber as does the front. But like the front suspension, there's no factory provision to dial in camber in the rear.
To right this wrong, Hancha developed a proprietary adjustable rear lower control arm (LCA) that's made right here in the US.
2013 Scion FR-S: Hanchey Vehicle Technologies Camber Plates
July 4, 2013
Zero degrees of camber. That's the factory spec on our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S. And being that its front end is underpinned by MacPherson struts, we see fruit, and it is hanging low. This is because in roll, struts inherently tend to gain positive camber more quickly than do, say, double wishbones. To offset this effect and to "stand the tire up" more in hard cornering, you want to increase the suspension's static negative camber.
No problem, I'll just crawl underneath and dial in some more negative camber by adjusting the FR-S's factory eccentric bol- [record screeeetches]- not so fast, there, zippy. Toyota/Subaru, for reasons that will baffle mankind for eternity, decided not to include provisions for adjusting camber on their rear-drive sports car that will likely become one of the most common sights at track days and autocrosses for years to come.
2013 Scion FR-S: Fuel Economy Update for June
July 3, 2013
Our 2013 Scion FR-S's time with us is drawing to a close. That's sad news, given that this fun-loving little car has managed to put a smile on the face of pretty much everyone who's had the good fortune to take it out for a spin.
2013 Scion FRS: Track: Yes. Road Trip: No.
July 1, 2013
A year later, I'm still enamored by our long-term Scion FRS. As a track car and, to a lesser degree, a commuter, I'd definitely consider this as a purchase. But that's because I don't take a lot of road trips.
2013 Scion FR-S: Forced Induction
June 28, 2013
You think you're frustrated about the lack of forced induction on our Project FR-S? Believe me, you're not alone. I won't get into the excruciating nitty gritty specifics as to why it's taking so long, but I'd like to address some of the "but there are so many kits available!" refrains.
2013 Scion FR-S: Adding Camber
June 26, 2013
Our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S recently hit Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca again to exercise a few new bits that were installed recently (previous track trip:Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3 and Pt 4). Which bits, you ask? If you recall, the FR-S has no factory provision to adjust camber, which is sort of a mystery considering this car's mission.
2013 Scion FR-S: Fifty-Fifty
June 24, 2013
What would make the 2013 Scion FR-S better? Fifty more horsepower and 50 more pound-feet of torque, that's what. And if forced to choose, I'd take the torque. Just like Daft Punk's new record shows us that disco never went away (it just hid out in other subgenres for 30 years), torque never goes out of style.
2013 Scion FR-S: Stellar Handling
June 21, 2013
I continue to be impressed with the handling of our 2013 Scion FR-S.
There's the sharp and perfectly intuitive steering fed to you via a wheel that feels so right in your hands. And the precision with which the suspension works as you attack corners.
In short, the FR-S is simply a blast to point through turns.
2013 Scion FR-S: Unprocessed, Please
June 19, 2013
The Scion FR-S audio system features three sound-processing modes: Hear, Feel and Natural. Unfortunately, it doesn't feature OFF. This drives me a little nuts. Inevitably, Hear becomes the default and sounds most transparent when dialing in bass and treble settings. Feel amplifies bass and low-mids, while Natural applies some sort of compression and basically sucks the life out of your music.
2013 Scion FR-S: Aftermarket Exhaust Looks Loud but Isn't
June 18, 2013
For awhile, I was of a mind that the aftermarket muffler on our 2013 Scion FR-S made no difference in noise over the stock setup. Mostly what you hear in this car is engine.
Then I drove our 2013 Subaru BRZ and the FR-S on back-to-back nights and realized, yes, the big-honkus outlets do make a difference, small as it may be.
2013 Scion FR-S: Noisy Tires
June 17, 2013
The Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 tires on our 2013 Scion FR-S are getting noisier. They're exhibiting a more constant hum, particularly at elevated speeds on the highway. And the "thunk" over Botts' dots and expansion joints is up a notch or two, as well.
2013 Scion FR-S: Unexpected Features
June 12, 2013
The Scion FR-S's dual auto windows are a nice touch. Scion could've cheaped out and offered neither or just one window with auto up/down. You start to notice these seemingly minor features (or their absence) where you least expect them when you're in and out of different cars all the time.
2013 Scion FR-S: Fuel Economy Update for May
June 3, 2013
In the month of May, our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S spun an additional 905 miles onto its odometer and consumed 36.3 gallons of 91-octane fuel. That equates to 24.9 miles per gallon for the month, which is slightly higher than its lifetime average.
2013 Scion FR-S: Transporting Hazardous Cargo
May 30, 2013
Undoubtedly, this is not the safest way to transport canisters full of propane, but at least when this photo was shot, they were empty. With Memorial Day approaching, I was determined to beat the rush to get these crucial outdoor grilling necessities refilled ahead of the crowd or before supplies ran out.
2013 Scion FR-S: Caption This
May 29, 2013
We've all heard the urban myth of the Chevrolet Nova selling poorly in Spanish-speaking countries because "No va" would roughly translate to "No go." I wonder how much market research was done before bringing the Bimbo brand to the States.
2013 Scion FR-S: 15,000-Mile Service
May 20, 2013
Our 2013 Scion FR-S was due for its 15,000-mile service, so we stopped off at the dealer for maintenance. The oil and filter change was a quick job. Toyota of Santa Monica took care of it while we waited. According to the invoice, it should have cost us $130. But since the FR-S still falls under the free maintenance program offered on new Toyotas, this didn't cost us a dime.
2013 Scion FR-S: Not a Brick
May 9, 2013
While the kid was on spring break, we took a trip to the California Science Center, located next to the fantastically decrepit Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Spirit of Troy was with us that day as the weather was perfect, Rush and Public Enemy were later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a ceremony just up the road, and I even exchanged brief Lakers and Dodgers misery with local sports radio icon Vic The Brick Jacobs while walking around Little Tokyo. Feelin' Blue, indeed.
Sorry, that's likely a string of non-sequiturs for most readers. More to the point, we went to the Science Center to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour installation. Fantastic display. If you're in L.A., go see it. It's one thing to see it on TV, or even watch a lift-off or landing in person. Quite another to stand under it, stare at thousands of those thermal tiles and consider the miles THAT thing has seen.
2013 Scion FR-S: Scifosi
May 7, 2013
Sometime in the next decade, Ferrari will build something about this size, in similar shape, profile and color. Maybe it will be mid-engine, like the short-run Alfa Competizione 8C. It will cost $150,000-$200,000, will pick up where the BMW Z8 left off and will make the California a distant memory.
2013 Scion FR-S: Cross-Section Impressions
May 6, 2013
Unless you're road tripping in one of our long-term cars, it's rare to get more than two or three days in the same car. But I managed to stay in the Scion FR-S for a week recently, which generates a good cross-section of comment from friends and strangers. Like friend Mandi, a mother in her late 30's. "That's a fancy car. What is it? A Scion? Is that really a Toyota? Wow."
Or my buddy James, a father in his mid-40s: "This is a Toyota? (It's a Scion.) This is really sweet." (Later) "Oh man, this car's hard for a fat guy to get out of."
2013 Scion FR-S: Fuel Economy Update for April
May 2, 2013
The FR-S averaged 25.3 mpg over this stretch (taking 47.9 gallons of 91 octane fuel), which is higher than our lifetime average of 24.3 mpg. Twenty-five just happens to be the EPA's combined fuel economy rating on the manual-shift FR-S.
2013 Scion FR-S: It's a Small Thing, But
April 30, 2013
This update concerns a really small thing about the 2013 Scion FR-S, but it makes a difference to me.
2013 Scion FR-S: Earthy
April 29, 2013
It was an inglorious job, but I needed the Scion FR-S to help me retire an old microwave to a nearby household hazardous waste recycler. Monday being Earth Day and all, it seemed like an appropriate mission in a sports car in which we're averaging 24.3 mpg in combined driving. That's just 0.7 mpg shy of what the government's green people say we should be getting. And further proof that the FR-S isn't useful only for inducing permagrin in decreasing radius turns.
2013 Scion FR-S: Family Style
April 25, 2013
You already knew that the 2013 Scion FR-S doesn't offer much rear-seat legroom. Just 29.9 inches, in fact. But as this photo illustrates (possibly poorly), the FR-S is still up for a small family challenge. She didn't have a ton of room to stretch her legs, but our 7-year-old did fine back there during a day of driving around town, taking in the sights. No complaints about space or headroom with the booster seat.
2013 Scion FR-S: Easy-Cleaning Wheels
April 19, 2013
This morning after the 2013 Scion FR-S and I emerged from the car wash, I realized there's another benefit to these aftermarket Volk Racing wheels besides improved performance and styling.
2013 Scion FR-S: A Proper Tachometer
April 17, 2013
Maybe it was because I had spent most of the week driving mid-size sedans. But when I sat down in our 2013 Scion FR-S and fired it up for the drive home, I realized, yeah, this is how it's supposed to be.
What was I talking about?
2013 Scion FR-S: 15,000 Miles
April 10, 2013
Our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S hit 15,000 miles just as I arrived at work on Monday. It's aging well considering its aggressive price point, as there are no annoying rattles yet and the simulated suede upholstery still looks new. The stock audio system still sounds no better than my clock radio, but that isn't why you buy this car.
So why would you buy this car? Well, I imagine because you'd like to take it to track days like Jay Kavanagh. There's also a strong case to be made for getting an FR-S just to enjoy in your everyday life on public roads. I didn't make it to the mountain roads over the weekend, but I still had fun commuting in our Scion.
2013 Scion FR-S: Fuel Economy Update for March
April 2, 2013
Our Scion FR-S had light duty for the month of March, adding just over 700 miles to its odometer. No records, good or bad, were set for its fuel economy history as the Scion stayed the course, that being providing a lot of driving fun in a car that in our environment is still averaging 24.3 mpg.
2013 Scion FR-S: BRZEdit Reflash Tuning By MP Tuning
March 13, 2013
That's Mitch Pederson of MP Tuning getting busy with the BRZEdit ECU reflashing software on our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S. This is significant, as BRZEdit clears a huge hurdle in successfully implementing forced induction.
2013 Scion FR-S: Faster Than Ever
March 7, 2013
Two easy steps made our 2013 Scion FR-S faster than ever. Here's what you need to do:
Step One: Drive to Oregon. When I drove our long-term FR-S up to Corvallis, OR, I had the distinct pleasure of filling up with 93 octane. Well, someone else actually did the filling (crazy state law), but I enjoyed the fruits of that labor. In California the best fuel we can get is 91 octane. And 91 octane buh-lows.
2013 Scion FR-S: Needs New Brake Pads
March 6, 2013
This is not entirely unexpected. The brake pads in our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S are done. There's still meat left on them, but like any meat that's been overcooked, they feel like plywood now.
2013 Scion FR-S: A Grown-Up Play Date
March 5, 2013
My longtime friend and fellow car enthusiast Albert pulls up next to me in his Honda S2000 and examines our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S.
"Red is my least favorite color but I would still trade my car for that any day of the week," he says. "Damn, that thing is clean."
Our friend Ian arrives in his Hyundai Genesis 2.0T R-Spec coupe and we take off for a Sunday morning drive. I was on a spirited jaunt with friends, but I couldn't help to think, "Which one of these would I want to own?"
2013 Scion FR-S: Broken Shift Knob Cap
March 1, 2013
The shift knob for the six-speed manual transmission in our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S is one of my least favorite parts of the interior. I just don't like the feel of leather and plastic while shifting.
Luckily, the cap broke off in my hand today. It was easy to pop back in to place, but it still feels loose and flimsy. Maybe it'll be a good excuse to start shopping for weighted, metal replacements. What would you replace it with?
Travis Langness, Associate Editor @ 14,010 miles
2013 Scion FR-S: Not Faking the Funk
February 28, 2013
I love the wheels on our 2013 Scion FR-S. The Volk Racing TE37SLs and the Yokohama Advan ADO8 tires that they're wrapped in are two of my favorite aftermarket products. The ADO8s are a little loud and will wear down quicker than the stock tires on daily commutes, but they're sticky and I'm on board with that. There is something, however, that I can't stand about these wheels.