The problem, as Car and Driver points out, is cost. The Scion FR-S was designed specifically to sell in the mid-$20k range in the United States market. Such pricing is meant to appeal to younger buyers on a limited budget, making the Scion FR-S a “reverse halo” car for the brand.
With the strong Japanese yen and weak U.S. dollar, a turbocharged Scion FR-S would need to sell near the $30,000 price point, and Scion believes that’s simply too much money to attract the quantity of buyers needed to make the car profitable. Sadly, the option of an FR-S turbo in other markets isn’t off the table.
Subaru could potentially get away with a turbocharged BRZ, since it’s priced its base version higher, aimed at a different consumer than the Scion FR-S. That’s not to say that Subaru will definitely go the forced-induction route, since earlier reports had Subaru working on a normally-aspirated BRZ STI.
If there’s good news for Scion FR-S buyers, it’s this: the automaker has confirmed that HKS is developing a supercharger kit, and it may potentially be resold through Toyota dealers under the TRD brand. If the HKS kit fits the Scion FR-S, chances are better than average that it will fit the Subaru BRZ, too.
By this year’s SEMA show, you can expect to see plenty of other bolt-on horsepower options, too. We promise to bring you more details on go-fast parts for the FR-S and BRZ as soon as they’re available.