We’ve talked to our local Scion dealer, and they have seen a very high level of interest in the FR-S. In fact, there is two red ones out in front right now, and they are both already spoken for. Each time we drive by, people are standing around them taking a look.
All this floor traffic is much-welcomed, and it isn’t just a development limited to our local dealer. According to The New York Times, both the Scion FR-S and its Subaru BRZ twin are flying off dealer lots across the country. So much so in fact that they are the fastest-selling cars in the industry right now.
The BRZ sits on the lot for four days, with the FR-S close behind at five days. For a lot of enthusiasts, these cars are a big deal. For years now, they have been endlessly covered (Toyabaru, etc). That kind of coverage always translate into actual sales though, so we were eager to see how these cars were going to be received. So far, the initial impressions are good – and they are surpassing the expectations of their builders. Demand right now far outstrips supply.
Subaru planned to sell just 6,000 BRZ coupes this year, a very conservative number. FR-S is a bit above that, with a planned 10,000. In Japan, BRZ demand was four times what Subaru planned. Next year, Scion plans to sell 20,000 units, a figure that seems just about right to us. The genius of the free market is that generally (there are exceptions), if you’ve got a good product it is going to sell well. To enthusiasts, cars aren’t commodities though – they are far more of an emotional decision. The sparse, handling-focused nature of these two cars is something that people are responding to. Hopefully a positive response will cause Toyota to green light more enthusiast-focused projects in the future.
