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Scion styles up the FR-S with 'Release Series 2.0'

Scion's long-running Release Series of special edition vehicles has just added its second FR-S, with the new Release Series 2.0. While the first special edition FR-S, which debuted at the 2014 New York Auto Show, placed a serious emphasis on sportiness, the second is a more balanced, perhaps more mature special edition. Release Series 1.0 had loud yellow paint, a lowered ride height, and chunky 18-inch TRD wheels on low-profile tires. The new RS 2.0 changes things up: The ride height appears unchanged. In fact, there doesn't appear to be any suspension upgrade in play, period. And while the wheels are still painted black, these 17s ride on slightly more reasonable 45-series rubber, rather than the 40-series tires used on the 2014 model. There's still an upgraded body kit, but combined with the Lunar Storm White hue, it's a lot more subtle than last year's aggressive setup and Yuzu Yellow paint. Where Scion didn't do much to the FR-S's interior for the 2014 special edition, the RS 2.0 gets luxed up with heated, two-tone Alcantara/leather seats. The black-and-camel color scheme works well here, appearing not just on the seats but around the steering wheel, doors, and dash. All 1,000 special editions will come with HID headlights, LED running lights, push-button start, and dual-zone climate control. Prices for the six-speed manual model start at $30,305, while the automatic adds $1,100, just like it does on the standard FR-S. Read on for the official press release from Toyota. SCION PAIRS SPORTS AND STYLE FOR 2016 FR-S RELEASE SERIES 2.0 TORRANCE, Calif., (Oct. 29, 2015) – Drivers of the 2016 Scion FR-S Release Series 2.0 will look better than ever in the most stylish version of the sports car ever offered. The new FR-S Release Series 2.0 comes with luxurious appointments and premium features, and with just 1,000 vehicles available, it's the most elusive and exclusive Scion Release Series yet. The interior creates the lap of luxury with heated seats in black Alcantara and leather with camel-colored accents. The same black and camel theme continues to the leather-trimmed steering wheel while the shift knob and parking brake lever are covered in black leather. Camel trim also appears on the door armrest and the upper door trim while the center armrest and knee pads are black. Camel accent stitching is prominent throughout the interior and embroidered on the dash insert is the release series badge, sequentially numbered from 1 to 1000.

2015 Toyota Auris freshens up in Geneva, prepares for New York debut

Toyota is preparing to bring its Auris hatchback to the US market as a Scion. That makes news of this refreshed Auris, debuting at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, a fairly noteworthy piece of news. Changes are decidedly light, befitting of a refresh. Toyota has tweaked the headlights, taillights and both bumpers for 2015, featuring a wider grille up front. In the cabin, changes are similarly limited, with updated connectivity equipment, particularly the area around the infotainment system, being the biggest change. A new instrument cluster looks to have been installed, as well. Aside from those changes, though, Toyota didn't do too much to the Auris. You can check out our full gallery of live images for Geneva, and you'll want to be sure to check back here next month, for the official coverage of the Auris-based Scion iM when it debuts at the 2015 New York Auto Show. NEW TOYOTA AURIS TO JOIN NEW AVENSIS ON STAGE AT GENEVA Motor show debut for British-built Auris hatchback and wagon Toyota will reveal its new Auris at the Geneva motor show (3 – 15 March), the British-built hatchback and Touring Sports wagon versions making their debut alongside new Avensis. New Auris enjoys a refreshed design that adds presence and prestige, together with an upgraded cabin and new comfort and safety equipment features. The hybrid remains at the heart of the range, having established itself as the leading powertrain in the line-up, accounting for around half of all Auris sales in Europe in 2014. Nonetheless, the new model heralds the arrival of new and improved petrol and diesel engines, developed with a focus on efficiency and performance. The simultaneous reveal of new Auris and Avensis follows on from last year's introduction of Aygo and Yaris to complete a full rejuvenation of Toyota's core European model range. Both Auris and Avensis will continue to be built side by side at Toyota Manufacturing UK's car plant at Burnaston, near Derby. Toyota will host its Geneva motor show press conference on its stand in Hall 4 at Palexpo, at 12.15pm on 3 March. Related Video:

A new Toyota MR2? We want to believe

In the wake of a busy Geneva auto show, the rumor mill is churning, and the latest grist involves one of the most beloved Toyota sports cars of all time. EVO reports that Tetsuya Tada, the chief of the Scion FR-S/Toyota 86 project and a hard-liner about sportscar priorities (light and nimble, but with modest horsepower), wants a third vehicle for Toyota's nascent sporty lineup. Currently, we know there's a Supra-like vehicle in the works, being co-developed with BMW, and the 86 is sticking around. Tada said he'd like a third sportscar to compliment the two we know about, and that he wants it soon. A quick bit of history: Toyota's classic sporty lineup had three components. The most visible was the Supra, whose power and prestige grew as the car evolved from a cushy personal tourer to a high-horsepower, high-technology icon. The Celica was its Clark Kent, more mild mannered but also more accessible and affordable. The third was the MR2, a mid-engined go-kart that lasted for three distinct generations. Each had its charms, and all have their fans. When Tada says that he wants three sportscars in the lineup, we already know about the Supra successor, and the 86 is already filling the Celica's role, so the blank is easy to fill. It doesn't sound like Tada spoke the word "MR2" to EVO, or hinted that the car would be mid-engined, but Tada doesn't seem to say anything without purpose. Whatever the layout, this third car – if it comes to fruition – will probably play a role similar to the MR2 in relation to its stablemates. To translate: it'll likely be even lighter and more nimble, and probably less powerful, than the 86. The closest real-world analogue to the pure MR2 ideal is the Honda S660, a mid-engined Kei roadster that's on sale in Japan right now. It's light, small, and powered by a 0.66-liter inline-three. Toyota could decide to directly compete with the S660, borrow an engine from its small-car specialist subsidiary Daihatsu, and produce a mid-engined MR2. Another possibility, even simpler from Toyota's perspective, would be to adapt the existing Daihatsu Copen roadster. Sure, it's front-engine and front-wheel drive, but it's a small, light roadster. And even better, it sells abroad with a larger 1.3-liter engine. Restyle it slightly, perhaps to resemble the S-FR concept of a couple years ago, and it's an off-the-shelf solution. The S-FR itself is a third possibility.