Remember the Toyota S-FR concept? If not, we’ll jog your memory.
Way back in 2015, Toyota unveiled the S-FR Concept as a small, lightweight roadster. If anything, it looked tantalizingly close to production and didn’t have much in the way of wacky concept car details. It was, in many ways, a modern interpretation of the Toyota Sports 800 from the mid-‘60s.
And then, nothing happened.
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Nine years have passed since the S-FR was shown at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. It’s safe to say that not a lot of folks are expecting it to ever see it in showrooms. Granted, Toyota never said it cancelled production plans, but the lack of any updates regarding it somewhat implied that.
However, there seems to be progress in the last couple of days. Best Car recently reported that the S-FR might be built after all. The same publication also claims that the small roadster will be produced in cooperation with Daihatsu and Suzuki, allegedly sharing the same platform as the Vision Copen we saw at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.
There are a few interesting details about the Vision Copen from last year. For starters, it was larger than the standard Copen that fits within the kei car size rules. It also shifts from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive, hinting a more serious intent in the sports car class.
The S-FR and Vision Copen are around the same size as the evergreen Mazda MX-5. It’s said that the production version will use a turbocharged 1.3-liter engine making about 150 horsepower.
So, why the sudden interest in this model? Toyota won’t confirm anything at the time of writing, however, it’s likely that Toyota was looking for the right time and partner (or partners) to build a small roadster to keep costs relatively low. Building a bespoke chassis would be expensive, defeating the purpose of the affordable sports car idea.
Per the report, the Toyota roadster is expected to make its debut sometime in 2026 or as late as 2027. Again, the company hasn’t confirmed anything yet, so it’s hard to say if these alleged plans will even push through. We’re keeping our fingers crossed, though, and we’re wishing the Toyota S-FR will finally have a road-going version even if it takes a decade in the making.
