Scion FR-S Wins Hottest Sport Compact Category at SEMA 2012
 

via Autoweek:

There are thousands of customized vehicles at the SEMA show every year, representing the best and most outrageous of the $30 billion aftermarket. Every year there's nothing more fun than picking the king. To determine which one was the most popular on the show floor, SEMA itself started counting the cars three years ago, giving awards based on sheer numbers. Officials wandered the nearly 2 million square feet of show floor the night before the show opened and started counting. While they won't release the exact figures, they did say which vehicle was most popular in each of four categories. And the winners are:

-- Hottest Sport Compact: Scion FR-S

-- Hottest 4x4: Jeep Wrangler

-- Hottest Truck: Ford F-series

-- Hottest Car: Ford Mustang

Again, no hard numbers, but the FR-S won its category by far, we're told. There were not nearly as many Subaru BRZs and no significant challenge was posed by any other car. Last year's hot sport compact was the Fiat 500.

Check out our directory of all FR-S/BRZ builds at SEMA 2012 @ http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20991

sorry i'll be the negative guy today. the FRS won in the category that was given last year to the Fiat 500 and not the same category with the Mustang?

I don't know enough so someone educate me about SEMA but reading that much tells me that this event is about stroking as many folks' ego as possible. Lots of people drive Mustang? Give it an award. Lots of enthusiasts converting to FRS/BRZ but we already reserved the spot for Mustang? Make another category.

I get it, SEMA is the CES of cars. Lots to see, not much worth seeing.

Damn im negative today. Sorry guys.

I'm not familiar with the way that they judge vehicles represented on the SEMA floor but from what I suspect it's probably one of those instances in which one vehicle cannot win multiple categories. Given that the Scion FRS is a compact sports car they probably wanted to leave it in the category that most other imports fall into. I can see how people would categorize the Mustang away from the FRS. I personally don't consider them in the same class/category either. I think both of those cars are trying to do something different from eachother. I'd imagine that SEMA's also looking at it the same way.

The Mustang is not a sport compact car. Apparently it's more popular than the FR-S, making it the hottest car overall (surprised? I'm not).

Just comes down to numbers. There couldn't have been more than a X or so FR-S/BRZ/86's in attendance.
There was prolly well over several X Mustangs in attendance.

I see yall points. Let me just say I have no problem with the Mustang. Neither with the Camaro that won last year, or Charger that won the year before last year.

I just think the categories don't make much sense, "sport compact" is a class of car, "car" is not. If Mustang won the "fullsize powerhouse" or something then it may make sense. My guess is when they started they only named the "hottest car" but then came along cars like the Mini Cooper, Fiat 500 that forced them to make another class to keep everybody happy.

My personal opinion is the FRS is in the same class with the Mustang but with a very different approach. Is it better? I want to make some popcorn and read the result a bunch of cars with different approaches being pitched together rather than watching them tossing each car an award to make peace.

It doesn't hurt my personal enjoyment of my FRS even if it loses to a Mustang and I would rather see the competition heating up for the better.

But then again, it's a trade show not a competition.

What a great show. So much aftermarket support for our vehicles...

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/y...Z/_DSC0273.jpg

Still uploading pictures.

My opinion, most Americans still love affordable horsepower. Consider you can buy a V-6 Rustang for a few grand less than an FR-S and gain around a 100 horsepower. I would never, partially because I was a Chevy guy and partially because a V-6 Mustang gets laughed at by V-8 owners. I wanted good gas mileage and the ability to go round a turn.

Feedback welcomed, trash talk is not.

Mustangs remind me of crown vics...the way they drive