Finally something with soul comes to the market.
 

Hello all, There hasn't been anything in the automotive marketplace that has made me even consider selling my current car during the six years i've owned it. It seems the manufacturers really got content just cranking out appliance cars. (Especially toyota.)

Until the FRS. I have been following its development off and on for a few years and have really been tracking it recently. I'm happy to see there is a car with some soul out there again.

I currently have a 06 Mini Cooper S (R53) some call em the "drivers" mini of choice. When I got my car there really wasn't much out there as far as reasonably priced and fun to drive. I immediately fell in love with the mini. Interesting design, great handling and communicative steering feel. Heck, I still get up early on some sunday mornings to hit some of my favorite roads. It hasn't lost its magic. I have done a few light mods here there over the years. suspension, brakes, wheels etc.

While I love the mini there is one thing I forgot about after being blinded by its good points. Its a BMW. Expensive parts, dealer labor charges, specialized shop labor charges, snobby suit wearin' advisers. I don't know if I can stomach tending to an aging notoriously unreliable BMW.

So, I'm considering the FRS. Or I might just keep improving on the mini. I'll just have to test drive an FRS before I go too far. Either way, I figured it would be fun to sign up and hang out with you guys for a bit. :thumbup:

Is there hope for the automotive industry again? Will the neo-86 spark a revolution? Only time will tell. I think we might be in for some exciting times.

All of Mazdas current offerings have "soul"......yes even the Mazda 5 and CX9....

But the FRS is a good choice since the RX8 is gone....

There is hope and the 86 is it.

I'm hoping hoping hoping that this car sparks a new-age pony war. I want to see as many manufacturers as possible from Japan, Korea, Europe, and the US recognize what this car really means and it's success and then start to develop their own offerings in the form of light weight, economical, sexy sports cars.

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The FRS feels a lot like a first-gen Miata to me as far as driving goes. The looks are reminiscent of past Toyota sports coupes. It definitely hits the right price for what it is, its competition is almost non-existent save for horsepower. The only other car out right now I would consider buying is the crz, just because I like the way it handles and gets mid 40mpg. I just wish it was 100% NA.

I can bet there are talented engineers, designers etc. within all of the big car companies just waiting for a chance to cut loose and develop something neat. Perhaps if the FRS is successful the big execs will allow some more creative projects to get off the ground.

If you was choosing between the FRS and a CRZ then the choice is way too friggin easy. Just get a FRS. Hell a CRZ might be a huge downgrade to your GTI right now.

This, and let's hope the trend revives the lightweight, RWD, affordable sport sedan like the Datsun 510. Subaru could do it easily, by dropping the BRZ engine into the Impreza, ditching the FWD hardware, and adding suspension similar to the WRX. Call it the Impreza R (for RWD). I'd really like to see Honda/Acura take a crack at it.