Saturday, August 25, 2012

Non Tech Alert: Spending Some Precious Moments with the Scion FR-S

Well this is another blog entry straying from the tech realm, but since I got to spend some time today with an incredible piece of driving technology today, I think this will have to qualify as a tech post.


The object of my driving desire
I don't hide my love for fun driving cars.  But this has always been tempered by budget, practicality, and life.  My current Mazda 6 fit this mold - super fun to drive, low cost, decent gas mileage, and it has room for the little buggers in my life.  

Well today, I think my car philosophy might have changed when I had a chance to drive a couple of beautiful new Scion FR-S on a test track at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Here is a car that by any sports car measure is a fantastic value, drives like virtually nothing else in its class and looks oh so good to boot. 

Now in my affordability book, a car just shy of $25,000 may not being the ultimate economy car, but for a car that can snake through tight corners with the greatest of ease, and DOES drive like a top of the line sports car, this is a STEAL.

Today Scion and Yokohama setup a first drive track with some great corners that really let the FR-S shine. I must give a special thanks to Yokohama for putting their S Drive tires on the FR-S. We had these things squealing through the turns, yet they held like glue to the pavement.  I have not driven the FR-S on the stock "what were they thinking European Prius tires", but I am convinced from others that those should be ripped off by any self respecting car enthusiast. 

Enthusiast drivers were clearly the main audience out for this event today - there were some beautiful Mazda 3, 6, and RX8 in the lot, so I could tell that there were a lot of people who were very curious about all the great press the FR-S has received.  I imagine, much like me, there are many folks who are becoming Scion fans after this event.

Well my next chore is to get one from my local dealer to test drive (which could be a next to impossible feat, as they seem to have almost no Scions at their Scion dealership.)  My goal in this is to see if one of these can actually make it onto my steep driveway........ I sure hope it does, as I am sold!