There was a time, not so long ago, when Americans looked to Japanese car makers for fun-to-drive sports coupes: from Nissan’s iconic Z-cars to Mazda’s irresistibly cute MX-5 Miata.
Well, those cars never completely went away, but they got carried out to sea by the riptide of SUV popularity. Now, there’s a growing feeling among car enthusiasts that we are on the cusp of another high tide for light, inexpensive, rear-wheel-drive Japanese fun-mobiles.
A completely redesigned Mazda MX-5 Miata is in the pipeline, and two relative newcomers – the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins – are stirring interest among young buyers.
Fast facts
* Model: Scion FR-S * Exterior color: Firestorm Red * Interior color: Black * Engine: 2.0-liter, four-cylinder * Horsepower: 200 * Transmission: six-speed automatic * Fuel economy: 34 mpg highway, 25 mpg city * Dealer: Toyota and Scion of Cleveland * Price (as tested): $26,824
This week, we visited Toyota and Scion of Cleveland to take a spin in an FR-S, one of the sub-$30,000 coupes driving the trend. Unlike recent television spots for the new Miata, which are aimed at baby boomers and Gen Xers trying to recapture their youth, Scion’s broadcast ads are focused on younger buyers. The Scion ads even feature a bit of drifting, a break-away cornering technique popularized in those “Fast and Furious” movies.