The Original Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ Is the Millennial Generation’s Datsun 240Z
Astonishingly, it’s been almost 15 years to the date that the Toyota FT-86 concept car debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show. It was a near production-ready sneak peek at what soon became the best affordable sports coupe of the early twenty-first century. Actually, two of the best, as the car was marketed as both the FR-S under Toyota sub-brand Scion, and as the Subaru BRZ.
The second-generation of the car remains in production as the Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ, but in its current, purely ICE form, it’s days are surely numbered. And, as with one of the car’s spiritual ancestors, the Datsun Z-car, the first generation (2013-16) FR-S/BRZ will likely be remembered as the purest of the line. Now that the earliest ones are over a decade old and as the herd of unmodified, low-mileage cars begins to thin, it’s time to start thinking of the first-generation of the Toyota 86 twins, not just as superbly balanced, late-model, affordable sports cars, but as collectibles.
A few generation ago, front-engine, rear-wheel drive imported sport coupes were fairly common. The Datsun 280Z and the mini-Mustang-like first-generation Toyota Celica were the Japanese expression of the theme, while Porsche sold the 924/944. The gradual shift to front-wheel-drive cars, and the drop in sports car sales overall made it cost prohibitive for most manufacturers to maintain or develop short-wheelbase, rear-wheel-drive platforms for an increasingly low-volume segment. With a few brief reprises, like the Nissan Silvia-based 240SX and the BMW Z3 coupe of the 1990s, the genre was essentially left for dead. Until it wasn’t.
A manufacturer listening to what auto journalists ask them to build, building it, and then actually selling it in large numbers makes a solar eclipse look about as common as going-out-of-business sales at mattress stores. But the original Toyota 86 is certainly one of those cars. When the entry-level rear-drive sports coupe was basically extinct in this country, to the chagrin of car writers and enthusiasts alike, Toyota and Subaru worked together to answer the call. In its first road test of the Scion-flavored 86 in April of 2012, Motor Trend had this to say: “The FR-S is one of the most playful and enjoyable cars we’ve driven in quite a while. Throw the car into a tight 90-degree bend and after initial front-end push, the rear end will start coming around predictably and controllably. Countersteer and dial in a little throttle, and suddenly you’re drift star Ken Gushi, sashaying down a stretch of switchbacks in perfect rhythm.”
The baked-in predictability and controllability was in part, the result of the fairly low limits of the car—with just 200 hp, and 151 lb-ft of torque, it was hard to get into felonious levels of trouble. Add into the mix, skinny, low rolling resistance tires with limited grip, and you have a car in which you could explore the physics of car control in a fairly safe manner, on public roads. Getting from 0-60 took about six seconds. While not quick even by 2012 standards, that wasn’t really the point of the 86. Fun was.
Stylistically, not much gets said about the 86. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the car was its Toyota 2000 GT-inspired rear quarter window. The long-hood, short-rear-deck look are classic front-engine/RWD proportions, and while the interior is fairly generic Japanese econobox, the driving position is at least quite nice. This is all oddly familiar, because much of the same was written about the Datsun 240Z back in the early 1970s. Styling of that car, (which mimicked sources as diverse as the Jaguar E-type, Toyota 2000GT and Ferrari Daytona), was decried as derivative and the interior was criticized as being obviously designed to a price. Of course, none of that has stood in the way of early Z-cars becoming desirable collectibles.
Nor will it likely stand in the way of the 86 twins from being sought after one day. The Datsun brought affordable, reliable rear-drive thrills to the masses. Even in the ’70s, when sports cars were much more common, the Z-car had a bigger cultural impact than almost all the rest. The FR-S/BRZ had a similarly big impact, bringing rear-drive fun to thousands of young car folks who needed something more affordable and/or practical than the two-seat convertibles and pricier European coupes, Corvettes, and muscle cars. And, just as many 240Zs rusted or wrecked, the supply of nice first-gen Toyota 86s will diminish as the drifter and tuner crowds have their way with them. Frankly, they were never that common to begin with—after the initial rush which saw over 2000 sales per month, Scion sales stabilized for a year or so in the 1200-1500 a month range, and began to slowly sink thereafter. BRZ sales were generally less than half that and evaporated faster than Scion transactions.
What’s more, being a Toyota product means the RWD 86 has proven to be mostly robust, and capable of racking up significant miles. Really low-mileage cars are therefore few and far between already. It’s these examples, with three-pedals, that seem to be the best bets for future appreciation as the millennials who were at prime car-buying age when these cars came out start to get nostalgic for them.
Have literally been saying this for years. The BRZ and FR-S (now the GR86) are the spiritual successors to the the 240Z, with a pit stop at the S13 240SX along the way. Fantastic cars, all of them.
The 240 was of an eras where it was not competing with High HP brands. Todays models are weak powered and just too many higher powered models new and used that are available.
They also never hit the iconic styling the 240 stole from Jag. Todays cars have that econo car face.
They really needed more than 300 HP to really show what they could be.
Maybe with low volumes they may see collector prices but restoration would be difficult as it is with most imports from Japan.
About 3 months ago I went from a Honda CRV owner to buying a 2013 Scion FRS with 25k miles on it. Bone stock car, I bought it from an older gentleman who barely drove it. I’m new to the 86 world, but so far this thing is a blast to drive. I wish I could take down some backroads more often but it currently serves as my daily driver, and yeah passing people is a bit tough, but when the road gets curvy, the drive gets so much better.
Most definitely. I own an 83 280zx and a 13 FRS, and there are so many similarities. It’s basically the same car 30 years in the future. I just wish the 86 had a hatch like the Z.
Bought a brand new 2017 86 that I still have. I cross shopped it against more popular and more powerful cars and the minute I pulled out of the dealer lot on my test drive I knew I was buying an 86. This car is all about fun to drive, no matter what you’re doing. I don’t drive it much more than to and from work but it makes me look forward to each commute.
I’ve been saying this since I bought my 2013 FRS from the dealership. I used it as a daily driver for over 6 years and then I transitioned it to a weekend driver. I’ve done some tuning and mods to it, but nothing that can’t be reversed easily. My other opinion is that these cars were made as a platform for modifications. I will keep my FRS for life and I will eventually fix it up cosmetically when I have a good place to store it.
Go to a car show and you will see plenty of these, generally with a younger crowd. All the talk of these things need turbos and more horsepower kind of proves the car isn’t for you. If they added more power/turbos, etc. this will make them more expensive and price them out of the younger crowd who can barely afford them now and then the sales will drop substantially. The cars will then get cancelled. I like these cars but I have no want for them, they are for me underpowered but I am also used to driving 400+hp cars for quite awhile now. So this car is not for me. When I go to a meet with my Supra they want to talk about my car but I always make it a point to talk about there car. Showing their cars some enthusiasm and support goes a long way to making them feel welcome. Also this car is the likely gateway to a more powerful one in the future.
One thing that rarely ever gets talked about with these cars is how practical they actually are. With the 2+2 seating and the ability to fold the rear seats down to extend the trunk, I’ve fit 8′ long 2X4 boards from the hardware store and closed the trunk, and a full sized 88 key electric piano in the back. How many rear wheel drive sports cars in any class can you say that about? Maybe mustang, Camaro, M3, C-class AMG? Are there any more? Problem with most of the other options in this car’s class is you need another car for the practical stuff. With this car you really just need one.
Not to mention very low maintenance and bulletproof, can easily make 250,000 miles without any major issues. A legitimate daily driver plus your weekend toy.
I’m not sure what I must have been looking at but a few years ago but I looked into these cars and I shyed away after finding a lot of bad/blown engines, certainly surprising for Toyota and Subaru
Well, okay: invoke the original Datsun 240Z if you will, youngsters. It was and still is in a class of it’s own, though the milieu changed markedly during the original Z-Car’s tenure; emissions and rubber-baby-buggy-bumpers turned the Z into the less sporty 280Z models — and all that of sad memory!
Datsun was dropped in favor of Nissan, and during the ‘malaise’ period the marque never really reclaimed the slot the first (1970-72) Z’s had claimed. The sales of the first cars — and the whole series — was unprecedented, and virtually drove the fustian Brit sports cars from their market, plus it provided the entree for Japanese cars to be taken seriously by the US (and European) buyers who accessed unexpected performance and luxury from the Rising Sun for the first time. The US manufacturers never had an answer to the Z, but Mazda did, if you like funny motors with high emissions. The Pontiac Banshee with OHC-6 might have competed if the price were kept down — I might have bought one rather than my ’70 HLS3547!
NISSAN Japan never offered a factory alloy rim (nor DOHC ‘hemi’ head) until the last 280’s came out (not 280ZX), though the early ‘seventies professional rally cars had the rims and a trick cross-flow head, never offered. The 280 2+2 was rather a disappointment, with the funny flattened roof line (designers in Japan had sketched a sweet 2+2 Kammback wagon design that would have been a classic, but not produced) and just added more weight for the L28 to drag around. The 240SX was a good idea, but not promoted much.
Sooo… I’ll stick with the 240Z, and leave the technosports to the youngsters, thx! I M Humble O Wick
I have a new 86 and it’s a great little car. Other cars are mentioned in the article as comparables but one that seems to really fit is missing. Honda s2000.
Wrong. You spelled Z33 350Z wrong. The Hyper, Popularity and SALES NUMBERS are completely different with the Z being the more successful car. It’s unfortunate that Nissan could not follow up the Z33s success with the Z34 and Z35.