As a 10 year old, I put together a model of a Toyota 2000 GT Convertible. I took it to school to show my friends and our teacher took it away from me. I'm now 56 and I still haven't forgiven her. Mrs. Frankenhoff, wherever you are, I want my car back!
Well... Toyota doesn't use boxer engines... Subaru does lol. So it's understandable... And plus the vp isn't the one building the engines so he doesn't need to know the history of the name lmao, that is completely irrelevant... You don't have to know the origins of boxer to be able to build one from the ground up either.... Just saying
+Stuntihn MX If I was the VP of an automobile giant Id know Inline, V, boxer and rotary. That's basic. Volvo, American, Subaru/porche and mazda in that order.
Yes, as someone who owns a GT86 the lack of knowledge on the boxer from Toyota can be annoying. Sometimes you have to consult Subaru specialists to get answers to stuff.
My 2013 manual 6 speed FRS just turned over 60k miles. I also just put my second set of Bridgestone RE11A's from Costco on stock rims. I drive a 160 mile round trip commute from central KY to Louisville, halfway point is Bardstown. I cannot emphasize enough how many times that thing puts a smile on my face pretty much every single day on the 40 miles of twisties (each way) with virtually no traffic. And I can take multiple routes, all equally fun and about the same commute time. This car is a BLAST. And I can also get my bass and a small bass cabinet into it and still have room for a passenger. Oh, and for three months I "hypermiled" and averaged 40.1 MPG with one tank, but it was mostly in the 38-39 mpg range. I also just got back from one of my many trips to Chicago (grand kids there) and it is very comfortable on those trips. My wife and I are both over 60 and it is STILL comfortable for us. BTW, I don't drift as much on the RE11A's as I did with the factory tires, but it is a small sacrifice to have a car that rides on rails. It is another way that my life today is what I could only imagine as a young man that a person could experience daily.
Dude I remember seeing the first FRS commercial of a red frs driving through the mountains! I've wanted it ever since but I had a family at a young age (19) and now I have 2 months left to pay off my family car, I will finally get my frs
I agree. He did come a little less prepared. Jay really knows how to put someone in the corner, hoping they can drill their way back out. This guy faired a little less than most. No disrespect intended.
Yes that's true. Here in Australia it is called the Toyota 86. Little weird, but hey, that's what it is.. Why would you buy the Subaru clone ?? I see plenty of the Toyota version. Even the chicks are getting in them.
+Royalbigness how is it a subaru clone? The 86/frs/brz was a colaberation throughout the company's. I personally don't care which is which. Their all the same exept for interior and some exterior things. I mean subaru is trying to get the most of it right now since there working on a STI version of brz.
It's like what Jay said, you don't have to go 90 mph to feel the excitement cuz even at low rpm and at 65 mph the car feels fast. It's doesn't have to be fast just feel fast. Built for the track and comfort of the road. and it's an affordable sports car.
Mike Tallon I seen this comment before the guy started talking and wondered,"How bad could he really be? Its his company's car..." I now see how bad he is. He should be ashamed.
So glad this car exists, and an interesting point on the tall drivers! I'm 6'7" & nearly 300 lbs myself. Its a tight fit, a snug fit, but definitely a comfortable one. Love my FRS.
Jay: you know why it is called a boxer engine? Guy's brain: (Who the hell doesnt know why) Guy: No Jay:Cause it does this (punches) Guys Brain: (I dont want to live in this planet anymore)
I had a friend that had one of these, while he was on deployment his wife brought it back home and I had the opportunity to drive it. His was an automatic version, absolutely loved the car. It actually handles very well and it really is fun to drive
I remember when I first saw this car I fell in love with it. Now at 20 yrs old & a college student, I’m pulling up in style with one 🤙 (same color lol)
I think some people forget the true nature of the gt86. It's like a blank piece of paper and the owner can create their masterpiece and express their vision through this car. So many directions and limitless possibilities.
+p4horror He DID not help design this car he's just the marketing nark for scion that's why no car enthusiasts like the brand and why I rebadged my FRS and did a nearly full jdm conversion to it
Pretty hilarious that there's so many comments from people who believe that the GM of Scion didn't know why it was called a "boxer" engine". They clearly didn't notice the deliberately considered pause and then the gesture towards Jay... What he said was "no"; what he didn't say (but was most certainly thinking): "sure I know, but it's your show Jay, so you tell them". It's fairly easy to spot if you have reasonable social skills and decent understanding of human interaction and polite social behaviour.
jay is the man, he knows a lot about cars and their history, humble, he makes you see the positive side of each car, and the way he expresses his passion and love about car is just like any young car enthusiast,
I'm 59 with a 122 mile round trip commute on the twisties of central KY 5 days a week. Been doing it for 2 years with a 2001 chrysler 300m with the "suspension package" and love it. I'm getting one of these next week. I'm just trying to decide on the transmission. During the test drive it sure reminded me of my old Opel GT.
Thanks Leno for the review. I recently bought a 2015 FR-S last month, unfortunately it was automatic, but still a fun car. Your right about the aftermarket thing too, and I am on the hunt.
With this car, you can take the transmission to a skilled transmission shop, they can modify the transmission to make it fully manual. They have to weld two metallic hinges near the speed sensor and also grind down the teeth on the speed sensor gear, and I think also removing one checkball from the part with all the checkballs. If you can have them do that then it will only shift by paddle!
Josiah Thibodeaux Will probably buy one when I am done college in 2 years, could afford one now (barley) but want to go off to another to school next year so I will need the money for that.
Jay leno"s Garage is the best show on RU-vid No other show comes close to the amount of content that he puts out with each one of his episodes. Its not just about the cars, its also about the amazing people that are behind the making of these works of art and amazing machinery, and the history of it all, and he grasps each and everyone of those points every time. Great Series Jay, keep up the Great work. I just wanted to let you know all of us enjoy your work and this hobby, thanks for sharing!
Nathan McCallister Yea no Toyota heads here, It's not worth producing Heads for a Boxer engine which only goes into one model of Toyota by Toyota. It's all Subi.
That boxer engine "tid bit" was actually really interesting this why I like jay. Also I think the brz is little better, but the frs is way more adorable.
Agreed, although the FRS has a stiffer rear spring and softer front spring than the BRZ. I've read that this gives it a slight edge as far as turn in and makes it just a tad more oversteery. Most people just get coilovers for both so that all becomes nil in the end.
I was complaining until I drove one. It handles better than the STI, EVO, WRX, MS3, and the GTI I drove. Handles amazing and has enough power to get you in trouble and it can get tail happy.
+masterofsloths Well, maybe he was just being polite, like letting the host do all the explaining. All in all, I think he fared pretty good, given the fact that his agenda was to avoid "Subaru" and any other related term/technology as much as possible.
Mclaren, Ferrari, and Lamborghini need to take a hint from Toyota about how to design cars properly. This weighs less than virtually every car those supercar manufacturers have ever made, and yet it costs at least 8 times less than all of them and uses STEEL, not carbon fiber and titanium.
+Fat Pineapple But their engines are usually much bigger and if they are not, then they have massive turbo or superchargers. Super cars manufacturers also really have to worry about aero which isn't that much of an issue in a car like a Scion.
The brz/frs are actually very aerodynamic, only slightly more so than a Prius. The drag coefficient is basically the same as a GTR, .01 better if we're talking specifics. I do agree when it comes to downforce, the 86 twins don't produce much. It's a good thing there's no shortage in the aftermarket for splitters, diffusers, canards, and giant wings, all in carbon fiber if you have the money.
mclaren ferrari and lambo dont need to copy toyota, those are luxury cars and have a special niche in the market, toyotas are mass production poormans car, if you flip burgers at mc donalds you aint geting no lambo, and if lambo and the high end manufacturers made cheap cars their prestige image would drop dramatically
Although Brz and F-rs are practically twins, I personally think Brz's are more attractive. I gave it a try and unfortunately its not as fast. With 4 cylinders, at least the exhaust sounds good. The headlight projectors are freaking sexy, they look like 6ks fact one of the brightest lights on the streets. It's a bit compacted for me though. I'm in Colorado so it wont be too pretty in the snow unless im drifting ahaha. If you plan to pursue the car, hook up a turbo! It should be pretty clean :)
37robles that supercharger will give this car 350 hp, which is going to transform it into a rocket ship considering the weight of this car............you will need to get better breaks and so on, so it doesnt end there, not to mention the supercharge will cost you about 5500.......
Umm Toyota Sports 800 had a horizontally opposed "Boxer engine" in 1962 called the U2. Subaru's first boxer engine didn't see the light of day until 1966.
Thanks Jay! My son bought a 2013 FRS, 113000 miles. Boxer engine and exhaust sound great. Paddle shifters and sport modes all work. Traction control reengages after 30 miles an hour. Oh well, someday he can buy a Ford GT, no traction control.
I think Jay forgot to switch off the traction control as you'd do a burnout easy in this. In fact, those Michelins are from a Prius, to intentionally make breaking traction easy.
Yeah I was gonna comment the same thing until I saw your's. He definitely didn't have traction off lol that was weak, I've done better in my mom's Camry lmao
He didn't give it nearly enough revs, and he didn't push in the brakes enough, that's the problem. That wasn't a burnout, it was a launch, this car can definitely do a burnout.
3400 rpms at 80mph seems a little high, but I assume it's geared low and not targeted at long-distance driving. Not what I was expecting out of a 6-speed after driving a 5-speed for so long.
The incredible thing about this car is that it is fantastic from the factory, but has room for so much growth with aftermarket modifications. It can be a daily driver, but can also be a very formidable racer with some new tires, turbo, exhaust, and suspension kit. I can't wait to buy one. The people hating on this car either haven't driven one, or have no appreciation for true sports cars.
This video is one of the main reasons I decided to get my FRS. Yea I wanted a Celica also, but this car handles great. Enough power to have fun. Easy to get loose in the corners if you want. Having a blast. Thanks Jay for posting this. FYI The 85 Supra only had 170 hp. Only car I have had that handled better.
Always knew how the Boxer motor was different with horizontally firing pistons but never thought of why it was specifically called a 'boxer' until you were making the jabbing motions; - nice job Jay! Taught me something new.
Looking back, Jay just got it. He got the car and how people would react to it. Even predicted the huge aftermarket scene for these cars. Didn't even seem prepared, just knowledgeable.
i told people thats what the FR-S is design for fun not to be souped up and ran like musle you want musle you get a mustang or camereo this car was design for us paly car track guys 25k and fun to drive :) FR-S =Front engine Rear drive Sport . i own the orange limtied edtion fr-s
Wish I was in the market for a car, or I'd definitely be looking at his as a potential purchase. Saw it the other day at Toyota when I was getting my truck serviced, and man they are fine looking. I don't really car much for sports cars, but this has a nice sporty look without being too flashy, and enough power to weight to have fun in as a daily driver. Really have to see it in person to appreciate.
Inna Leonoff But instead of spending money on this, why not buy something that was faster to begin with? You will need to put quite a bit of money into that thing to make it really fast. Brakes, engine internals/externals/work, injection, ECU, mapping, quality suspension and other chassis parts etc. It adds up VERY quickly, and you lose the warranty and reliability, not to mention resale will drop like an anvil off a cliff. The car might be worth a lot to you, but most people won't touch a modded car with a ten foot red hot poker.
The FR-S doesn't have more power because it was designed to be simply a sportier looking and feeling Toyota Corolla, nothing more than that. (It's a 2-door , Rear-Drive corolla, that's all it is, nothing more.)
Jetkillr as of a year ago when I was checking both out and test drove both, the interiors were different. All the Scions had real cheap looking fake carbon fiber whereas the BRZ had a completely different center console with none of the cheap fake carbon fiber. I believe there is also a difference in materials but don't quote me on that. Keep in mind I don't have any hands on experience with the current model year so things could have changed.
Shane Rohr there's no difference in interior between the two cars. Non. At. All. Obviously you have many options, but with the same options, they look exactly the same.
I'm with you there, hence me getting the BRZ and not the FRS. Got mine about 2 weeks after you, even stock it's a beast. Outran an M3 out at Sear's Point about 10 days ago! Cheers!
This car needs more hp and torque and massive sound proofing inside! Lots of road noise especially on highways and rough roads. Don't drive it when the road has cracks and pot holes; if you do you be sorry!
+HW2800 Try driving something with little sound proofing and a louder engine (like a Lotus Exige/Elise), then come back and drive the FRS and you'll be praising it like it's a gift from God.
Man, Leno is just such a stand up guy! I really appreciate that he gave the dude the wave at 12:50 Hell of a guy. One woman, lots of cars, great personality and taste.
Wolfgang is absolutely right there is a tsb to replace this problem ....fixed ours and it's perfect now....there is also a cpu flash for the idling issue as well!
The FRS and BRZ are equipped with low rolling resistance tires from the factory made for the Prius. THE PRIUS. That must have been Toyota's idea. I can't imagine Subaru coming up with that.
Theyre not the stickiest tires, and theyre definitely not good all seasons. But they are fun as hell. They did this for a reason. It's too much fun losing the back end on these tires. If you're into taking turns at high speeds, I'd get new ones when they wear out because these aren't too confidence inspiring on temps below 10 degrees Celsius. But if you're into losing the back end at relatively low speeds (like me), these tires are fun and the fact that they're on a prius doesn't bother me one bit.
I actually remember jeremy clarckson driving one of those in top gear, he was sliding around at 40mph.. that's what they are aiming for, the car the 16 year olds want, so they can kill themselves in it ;)
Nick B When my original tires wore out, I picked up Bridgestone RE11A's. The car then felt like a race car, but I kinda missed my daily drifting on my commute. Also, the factory tires would scream like banshees when they broke loose. Sometimes it was fun, but sometimes embarrassing. I just replaced the RE11A's with a new set, going up from 215's to 225's. It's not really about drifting any more (thought I still do it a few times a week. It's more about being a slot car.
I had the same thought as you but the 370Z is more expensive. Not a lot more money though. The FRS/BRZ and the Mazda Miata are some of the greatest bang for your buck sports cars out there IMO. I actually own a 2013 370Z and I always tell people who are looking for a sports car but say the FRS and BRZ don't have enough power, spend the extra bucks on a 370Z. They're heavier but they handle extremely well and are a lot faster and more powerful thanks to the V6.
Well everyone has their opinion. Some people prefer certain cars over others. I was just saying that the 370Z is a great car and worth looking at if you want something faster than a BRZ or FRS.
naveenshanv Yes I agree. As an owner of one, I can tell you first hand it's a great car. People like to hate on them and say they're slow but they are NOT SLOW. It may not be the fastest car out there, but it's very quick and will keep up with cars that cost twice as much and is capable of reaching speeds the ricers couldn't even dream of.
Personally, I think a supercharger might be a better option for this car. Seeing as it's made for everyday driving with fun on the side, it would be fucking annoying if you couldn't get any boost driving through town. Also, when the boost did kick in, it would probably launch you forward uncontrollably with the jump in power. Look up the Innovate Motorsports supercharger for this car. It's amazing IMO. Power and torque increase over all RPMs and it has a kickass sound.
thank you!! plus all the after market pieces that will be coming out for this car will give you more than enough power to drive with your right foot and still have the precision that makes these cars what they are. which is a drivers car!
Mr. Leno asked no less than thrice how much the car weighs. His listening skills are almost as poor as his sartorial style. It seems he wears the same outfit in every video...
These segments aren't a continuous shot. They do a number of takes and combine them. Often, the way it's presented is not even in the order it was shot.
It reminds me of the Porsche 944 line-up. Both have 4 cylinders, both are very fun to drive, and both have a timeless design that will identify them as real cars.
what a lot of bullshit....THIS IS A SUBARU !!! its high performance chasis and boxer engine...toyota dont do that any more, thay only put the logo couse they "own" fuji heavy industries.
The exterior design is due to Toyota. Also, Toyota's new fuel ingection system is crucial to get decent mileage and power out of Subaru's engine. Its mileage is probably the best in the world for a normally-aspirated 100-horsepower-per-litter car. There were a lot of high-level Toyota people who objected to opening this cutting-edge techology to Subaru.
tedd johnson No, that's not what I meant! Sorry for not having been clearer. The PARTICULAR direct ingection system I mentioned is cutting-edge. So much so that it had been used only on a couple of the most expensive Lexus models when it was transferred to Subaru. That was the reason why some Toyota executives objected for the transfer. You know, the timing and number of injections per cycle, pressure at which to spray fuel, amount of fuel for each injection, etc. all have to be preciesely controlled depending on the condition of the engine (temperature, speed, etc.) and everything has to be super reliable---Developement of such a system requires a HUGE amount of efforts, time, manpower, and money.
Don't hate the sales guy, he was a bit annoying at the beginning but that's his job (plus he said little during the drive). I'm always impressed w/Jay's knowledge and honesty, you can tell cars are a real passion for him.
I just do not understand the reaction for this car, IT IS NOT FAST !!! Car and driver got 11 seconds in a 0 to 60 test. Back seat is useless, and all the "great" handling is worthless if just about everything is faster. Wait a second,..A go-cart handles great AND has no back seat.
John Michael Kane thats what got me first. I went for the 2015 WRX and saw my series.blue and had to have it. Read up on it and most non trolls in what we call reality love the car, lol.
Yes. I went to get the 2015 WRX. I saw the series.blue BRZ and then looked into it and decided I wanted it. The looks piqued my interest and ultimately swayed me after looking into the car.
Joshua Queen Same exact thing happened to me. I enjoyed driving the BRZ more, so i ran with it. It's a roadster. People don't understand what a roadster is any more. People think fast == fun to drive. Nobody understands how fun a little MG is to drive compared to a Corvette. Corvettes are fun too, but it's different.
Once again WarmSoftKitty is a mindless trolling idiot. I am pretty sure by now he is literally just trolling and NOTHING else. www.autoblog.com/2015/04/01/subaru-sti-performance-concept-brz-new-york-2015/
I have a friend named Rob who has this and its awesome. I love the way the car feels when it changes gears (Manual). Its in your face (in a nice way) but still pleasing and after riding in it...I actually want it!!!
My 11 year old is in love with these. He actually got a salesman to take him for a test drive, and the guy got it up to 100mph and slid it around a little for him. He was on cloud nine.
I had an 82 Subaru GL wagon with the boxer engine. It was front wheel drive, manual shift, and you wouldn't think so from looking at it, but it was fun to drive. I would love to get another one
I don't get why people gave your comment too much negative votes when you're right, the Subaru BRZ does come with more features like navigation, HID headlights, push start and alcantara seats (Limited).
If you're waiting for a stock turbocharged one, you'll likely only get that from Subaru. But there are turbo mods for it from aftermarket already. And best bet is that they will have a turbo mod from TRD that you can buy and have installed at the dealership, complete with warranty.
i've driven S2000 and RX8, both with ~240hp and under 3000 lbs, RWD, stick shift.. fun as hell.. but not only does it have 40 more hp, but it revs to 9000 rpm rather than 6k or 6.5k. And the S2000 came out in 1999 or 2000....
When this car first came out, it screw with my mind. One day I saw a guy with the Subaru sticker on, I thought, he's just slap that on for show. I didn't realize they were twins. Well, the Subaru is the favorite ones, it's endowed with more bells and whistles.
I drive an '88 MR2 Supercharged and I love it except in the winter when the T Tops leak. It's got 150 HP with a 1.6 litre twin cam and it is super fun when the supercharger kicks in but I am really leaning toward the FRS. The BRZ is very limited on colors but the FRS has quite a few colors I like.
I'm 16, I haven't really seen Toyota in it's "cool" days, but this car, it's predecessors, and the LFA really prove what Toyota is capable of; there are several reasons I have [personally] to prefer the Subaru. But hey, there's no reason to hate either branded vehicle! The fact that this is RWD, low center of gravity, a big blank canvas to play around with, FUN, as well as realistic (fuel efficient, safe, equipped, and decent rear seats!) for significantly less than $30,000; now THAT is golden.
Good lad, Toyota's cool days were when I was still too young to drive. Even now, the Toyota Supra is one of my favorite cars. However, Subaru knows miles more about making sports cars these days. Seeing the WRX and the Supra merge together to make this was fantastic, really a dream come true (for me)!
