Tokyo 2015: Toyota S-FR – new entry-level sports car

We’re reporting to you live from the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show at the Toyota booth, where we’ve just laid eyes on the exciting S-FR concept. We have taken a few photographs for you to judge the modern day representation of the classic Toyota Sports 800 through your own eyes.

Being the smaller sibling of the Toyota 86 sports coupe, the S-FR measures 3,990 mm long, 1,695 mm wide, and 1,320 mm tall. That makes it narrower than the Mazda MX-5, the 86’s close competitor, but it is longer and taller, attributed to the 2+2 seating configuration compared to the Mazda’s strictly two-seater setup.

Although the exterior bears a striking design, the interior appears to be more conventional as you can see here. Most of the controls are positioned towards the driver for easy reach including a vertical pillar that houses the air-conditioning controls.

It may seem odd that a standard head unit is missing here, replaced with a smartphone instead. However, according to Toyota personnel, this was a design choice and the exclusion of a head unit is done on purpose, possibly a clever solution for an all-in-one lightweight radio, music, and navigation package.

However, a neat feature found on the concept is the digital instrument panel catered towards the driver. You can watch it in action in our YouTube video below. The panel displays standard driver information including the vehicle speed, tachometer, and gauges for the fuel level, engine temperature, as well as oil temperature and pressure.

As the name possibly suggests, this small, front-engined, rear-wheel drive coupe won’t have a monstrous engine lurking under the hood, if the approachable looks aren’t already a dead giveaway. This is still the 86’s little brother after all, and serves as a cheaper entry point for customers looking to own a sports car.

Instead, as previously leaked specifications reveal, the S-FR will reportedly receive a 2NR-FKE Atkinson-cycle 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated engine – taken from the JDM Corolla Axio. The engine features D-4S direct injection and redesigned ports, with origins related to the new Avanza’s 1.5 litre Dual VVT-i powerplant.

The leaked specifications reveals the engine be capable of achieving a fuel economy level of 20 km per litre following the JC08 test cycle. Power output is 130 PS and 148 Nm of torque, more than sufficient to propel the 980 kg coupe (10 kg lighter than the MX-5). A six-speed manual gearbox is the only option of transmitting power to the rear wheels here.

To ensure the coupe is as zippy as it looks, the suspension setup consists of MacPherson struts at the front and double wishbones at the rear. Even though it is still a concept on display at Tokyo, the earlier leaked details reveal an indicative pricing of 1.5 million yen, significantly lower than the 2,494,800 yen base model MX-5. Could this mean the concept shown is a near-production model?

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