2013 Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ claim a single award

Not since 1997 have two cars claimed the same 10Best Car and Driver award, but the 2013 Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ have done it again after 15 years.

The 2013 Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ share the 2013 10Best award from Car and Driver. This is the first time since 1997, when the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique shared a single 10Best award. But that was one car sold under two different marques from the same manufacturer. These two cars, maybe for the first time in history from two competing automakers have been awarded a joint honor and the same award. But this is the second time that these two cars have claimed the same award.

The second joint award for the two cars

The 2013 Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT 86 (Scion FR-S in the U.S.) have just recently jointly been honored by receiving the 2012-2013 Car of the Year Special Award in Japan. The two sports cars have been wildly successful and are now being rewarded by the press. When Toyota and Subaru joined together to create a new two-door sports car, they didn’t have any idea that the two rear-drive sports cars would be as successful as they have been. Both cars have been selling well around the globe.

Now Car and Driver has recognized the two sports coupes for their 2013 10Best award. C&D say that despite a few shortcomings like a “buzzy” interior and few rattles here and there, the two cars were built and designed with a sporty character in mind. Buyers who are attracted to the “Scibaru”, are looking for a rear-drive sports car that is fun to drive. The two-door coupe’s are definitely sporty and handle well in the curves.

Affordable and fun to drive

And with a starting price of $24.995 for the Scion FR-S, both are priced well and buyers are responding. Car and Driver compares the two coupes with the Porsche Boxter’s handling characteristics, but at about half the cost. That’s exactly what Subaru and Toyota had in mind when they agreed to the joint venture to design and produce the car.

Subaru supplied the boxer engine that sits super low in the chassis for a near perfect weight balance, and Toyota contributed their cutting-edge 4-DS direct and port injection that was added to the Subaru 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine. The technology comes directly from the high-performance Lexus IS F.

Subaru and Toyota came up with a car that Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda has dreamed about for a long time. Toyoda loves fast cars and is a certified test driver for Germany's famed Nurburgring. Before the creation of the BRZ / Scion FR-S, Toyoda was quoted as saying, “where is the passion in our lineup?, I want to build a sports car.” And this is one of the first cars that is coming out of that vision that Toyoda has for his company.

Both the 2012-2013 Car of the Year Special Award and the 2013 10Best award from Car and Driver are well-deserved by the joint venture that produced the 2013 Scion FR-S and 2013 Subaru BRZ.