Mid-cycle Refresh For 2017 Scion FR-S Means More Power

More power. That’s the headline for the midcycle refresh for the 2017 Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. Can you believe that it’s been three years since this two-door sports coupe hit American shores.

Sales have been dismal at best and it looks like the partnership between Subaru and Toyota might be hampering the success of an evolving platform. The Toyota 86/Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ are built pretty much on the same platform. That means any drastic changes are out of the question.

But that hasn’t stopped some of Toyota’s engineers from trying their darndest best to save this mini halo of a sports car. According to an inside source thanks to Motoring.au, there’s more power on the horizon, a revised suspension and a new front face (kind of…)

How does a 5 percent bump in power sound like? Not much. Expect a bump from 200 HP to 207 HP. Those kinds of power increases can’t be felt honestly.

According to the insider at Motoring.au,

"“Engineers have focused on friction reduction engineering and a more efficient intake manifold design that will boost power and torque by around five per cent, while improving fuel efficiency by up to seven percent.”"

Right now, the FRS gets 23 MPG city and 30 MPG highway so look for an increase of 1 MPG on those fuel measurements. Again, nothing you can actually feel.

If you don’t know what under-priority is, it’s Toyota’s way of saying, “We’re making the lower half of the bumper look more aggressive. Supposedly the midcycle refresh will bring a new looking front end with emphasis on the lower half.

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The rear bumper is rumored to also get a facelift with a more aggressive diffuser and side exhausts pushed to the rear corners.

Suspension wise, Sachs dampeners will come standard and a reinforced rear suspension subframe will make the rear more rigid.

This refresh probably won’t be enough to bring more sales off the lot, but a bump in sales will be expected.

The chassis might not need more power, but the general consensus is that there’s a demand for it although Toyota remains reluctant to change that. Look to the aftermarket for your fix.

Check out this full walk around courtesy of SaabKyle04 below.