2013 Scion FR-S Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

2013 Scion FR-S Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds conducts a Long Term Test of the 2013 Scion FR-S and drives Innovate Motorsports' intercooled supercharger kit.

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evodad

seriously what's the point of doing a project car that has limited parts available if you're just going to dump it in a year just as the aftermarket is really getting going?

desmolicious

"some gentle driving and then turned off onto a closed course.."

Where would that be in that neighborhood? Please tell me you didn't take it to Laguna Woods dog park...

quadricycle

Completely agree with evodad. So you bought two cars so you could slap some wheels and a half completed supercharger system (missing intercooler, new ECU calibration) on one and leave the other stock? I'm exaggerating, of course, and not trying to diminish the effort that has gone into mods... But for a tuner car experiment this really seems like a failure to get rid of it this fast. I've seen picture-less forum builds that are more gratifying if you know what I mean. Then again, if it does stay the novelty will wear off and you guys won't drive or post on it, much like the Miata until someone asked about it in just about every post. So do what you will Edmunds. One more thing, since I'm already on my soap box, are you going to sell it and compare that price to the purchase price to determine depreciation like on the jeep where you completely ignored mod cost? That formula doesn't really make sense, and you might as well include the other expenses since we'll get normal depreciation from the BRZ.

duck87

You guys need to keep this car around longer. I thought that was the point of a "project" car. The intercooler system sounds pretty sophisticated actually.

cuselancer17

I have a few questions/comments.. you never even lowered it! i agree with everyone, don't get rid of it yet. and 2.. how much HP does that ring wing add? its gotta be 8 inches tall so its gotta be at least 80 right??

stovt001_

Ah CARB, no better proof in the world that if you want to burn a lot of money while making the problem worse, the best way to do that is with a government bureaucracy. CARB restricts the sale of many aftermarket parts in California, introduces even more stringent emissions criteria than other states on the OEMs, take forever to approve the few things they actually do allow, and yet we have smog so bad the sky is perpetually brown and most days I can't see the mountains that are just a mile or two behind my apartment.

quadricycle

@stovt001: Maybe its time to get out... I know its not always easy, but if life isn't what you want it to be then something needs to change. We don't get a second shot at this whole life thing.

socal_eric

Nice quickie review of how that car drives. I'm looking forward to a track test to see the improvements as this is a nice car look for more power. That said I know a lot of the Edmunds staff used to be at SCC and other publication and have seen the great journalism you're capable of and I agree on the comments questioning keeping a project car then dumping it just because a year is up. If you're going to go down the road of articles, reviews and regular series about modifications (i.e. project cars) and other types of articles you'd normally see in a conventional print publication then do it right. The Edmunds site and the now integrated Inside Line section more than ever seems like a poor mismatch of buying tools with some review/ comparison, light journalism tacked on. There's some occasional great content but it doesn't seem cohesive.

stovt001_

@quadricycle: I'm already on it. I'm planning on starting grad school next Fall and I'm applying out of state, and also in Northern California, where things aren't so bad (except for the pointless ineffective bureaucracy).