The F-RS rides on a wheelbase of 97.6 inches/2,480 mm, shorter than a Toyota 86 but longer than a Mazda Miata. Its overall length of 157 inches/3990 mm also places it between those two vehicles. When it comes to height and width, the F-RS is taller and narrower than either the Miata or the 86. It would have looked like the 86’s little sibling in a Toyota showroom!
Beyond Toyota’s statements that the F-RS was front-engined with rear-wheel drive, had a 6-speed manual transmission, and used lightweight construction, not much else was known about this concept vehicle. There was a rumor floating around about a 1.5-liter, 130-hp normally aspirated four-cylinder engine providing its power. Another unsubstantiated theory claimed that the F-RS Concept was built using a conglomeration of parts taken from several different models of the Mazda Miata.
There is one more chapter to the F-RS story: The following year, at the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, a “reimagined” racing version of the F-RS appeared, prepared by Toyota’s racing arm, Gazoo Racing. It was called the Toyota S-FR Racing Concept. Featuring heat-extracting hood vents, aggressively flared fenders, as well as spoilers front and rear, the S-FR Racing Concept had a much more aggressive look than the original S-FR.
Sadly, that’s where the story ends. Neither of these worthy sports cars progressed beyond the concept stage, much like many other concept vehicles. Perhaps it was the shrinking market for small sports cars, the diminishing amount of consumer interest in shifting your own gears, or some other reason. Whatever prevented the Toyota S-FR from making it to production, it’s a shame it never saw the light of day outside of a car show floor.
