Yellow S-FR Concept Proves Toyota Still Knows How to Have Cheap Fun

Toyota already has a winner with its GT 86, known as the Scion FR-S to the people in North America. However, to prove that it knows a thing or two about building entertaining cars, it's presented this cute creature at the Tokyo Motor Show.

They call it the S-FR, and it's smaller than the 86, about the size of a Mazda MX-5. Despite occupying the same segment of the sportscar market, this one is a coupe, and with a 2+2 layout, it has room for two more people than the Zoom Zoom roadster.

The reason we talk about the S-FR as if it were a real car is because it is. Toyota has let slip that a production model could arrive within the next three years, costing significantly less than the sportscar it built with Subaru.

This time, the world's biggest automaker will not rely on any outside help, so instead of a boxer 2-liter engine, we're getting a tuned 1.5-liter naturally aspirated mill with 131 horsepower. As coincidence would have it, that's the same output as the ND MX-5. What's more, these future rivals will both weigh under 1 ton.

When MINIs are not so mini, and the Fiat 500 Abarth costs a small fortune, the Toyota S-FR could be the car needed to make a whole generation fall in love with driving. While we don't think the PlayStation generation will ever give up their controllers and play with a manual gearbox, any competitor to the Mazda MX-5 is welcomed.

From a design perspective, the S-FR is not as imposing as the ND, especially with those large anime LED eyes. However, not everybody wants to have a brooding sportscar. In fact, when your RWD machine's dimensions are so deliciously compact, it's probably a good idea to play cute.