Official Hype: TRD Supercharger Coming For Scion FR-S

It has been rumored since before the FR-S’ release but it was recently made official that TRD is in fact working on a Supercharger for the Scion FR-S, thus continuing its tradition of boosting Scion coupes that started with the tC.  Right now the FR-S supercharger is in the test phase as the first and only prototype unit has been sent to Ken Stout Racing.  The racing outfit will bolt the supercharger on to their Scion FR-S race car which will compete in the full 2013 season of the Pirelli World Challenge series in the GTS class.

TRD will gather data from the season to make nessasary tweaks and adjustments when producing the final product which I imagine will be sold through Scion and Toyota dealerships. 

This is great news but it also begs a few questions.  The first is: “What is with the supercharging?”  Almost all the FR-S SEMA cars featured a supercharger rather than a turbocharger.  Why is this?  The FR-S does feature a Subaru developed boxer engine and we all know how much those engines love turbochargers.  So, why is the aftermarket favoring a belt driven solution for the FR-S?  I don’t know the true answer but if I had to make a guess I would say perhaps it is easier to make a supercharger street legal than a turbocharger?  SMOG compliance is a big deal these days (especially in California) and its hard to enjoy a power adder if you are constantly worrying about the cops.

The other question is that with so many companies opting for the supercharger route, will anyone develop a turbo charger system? Greddy I am looking at you for an answer to this!

Finally, will Subaru go the same way?  Many are anticipating that an STi version of the BRZ will come soon.  Will Subaru abandon their tried and true turbo system for a supercharger? Or will they stick with what they know and bolt a turbo snail onto the BRZ?

Right now the FR-S has a significant lead over the BRZ when it comes to sales but if there is a factory turbo’d BRZ on the horizon then I predict the tide changing very soon.

For more on Ken Stout Racing’s TRD Supercharger test check out the press release below.

Tweet

Press Release:

TRD Supercharger Built for Ken Stout Racing’s Scion FR-S

Brownsburg, IN (February 21, 2013). Ken Stout Racing Inc. (KSR) today announced receipt of the highly anticipated, newly developed TRD supercharger for their Scion FR-S racecar. While most of us last week were receiving chocolates and cards for Valentine’s Day, KSR received the best gift ever in the form of the first-ever TRD supercharger built specifically for the FR-S. KSR will race the FR-S in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class in 2013 with Robert Stout, the 2010 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Champion, behind the wheel.

At the SEMA Show and the unveiling of their FR-S, KSR teased the industry with news that a supercharger was going to be developed for the car – the go ahead to develop the supercharger was given at the SEMA Show. The TRD team, in collaboration with their business partner Magnuson Products LLC, developed and built the supercharger for the car in an impressive 15 weeks. CAD data was quickly developed after SEMA and a focused group of the best engineers in the world went to work delivering the completed supercharger to KSR on February 14th.

“The concept for this unit was just a thought in somebody’s mind at the SEMA show,” said KSR Team Principal Ken Stout. “It went from a thought, to CAD data, to the real thing in about 15 weeks! They also delivered it three days before their predicted deadline, very impressive indeed. We are honored to be the flagship team for TRD in the development of their supercharger.”

“This has been a collaboration of great minds with years of experience using the most sophisticated tooling in the industry,” added Stout. “Thank you to Brent Craig of TRD for allowing this project to take place and Steve Hatanaka of Scion for his instrumental part of the equation as well.”

The development of the FR-S platform is a massive project to say the least and KSR has received significant support from over 25 companies to date.

“This has been a wonderful experience to see everybody pull together,” said Stout. “World-class companies are developing race quality parts for every aspect of this car that we will put to the test and racers from around the world will use. What an exciting time for all of us! The guys are already working on the next one, but as of now this is the only TRD supercharger built for the Scion FR-S in the world. To watch the complexity of this project take place so quickly is extraordinary. Now it’s time to put it to work!”

“New product development is always exciting,” said Ted Moncure, P.E. TRD, F-Sport and Functional Accessory Design Engineering Manager.

Toyota Motor Sales USA Ken Nunn, Technical Director for Magnuson Products along with Ted Moncure also added “Coupling the latest Eaton TVS rotor technology with a dual intercooler system significantly increases boost while keeping inlet air temperatures low, improving both power and efficiency throughout the rev range. We are all very excited to see this project develop and are eager to see the results of our efforts.”

KSR’s FR-S will feature the FA-20 boxer power plant paired with the newly developed TRD supercharger to boost horsepower to competitive levels for the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class. KSR with their TRD Supercharged Scion FR-S will compete against Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs, Acura TSXs and Porsche Cayman in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class.

Organized under the leadership of Ken Stout, award -winning motorsports commentator and automotive enthusiast, KSR has competed for seven years in various levels of motorsports and will make its sports car racing pro level debut in 2013 in Pirelli World Challenge. Since 2011, Robert Stout has been competing in GT, GS and ST classes in Grand Am. During his first year in Grand Am, Stout led numerous races and qualified as high as 2nd while earning five top 10’s and one top five in 10 GS races.

In 2013, Stout will return to Pirelli World Challenge where he had a stellar 2010 season piloting a Scion tC in Touring Car. Stout took home the Drivers’ Championship, Rookie of the Year and Sunoco Hard Charger Awards in his rookie season in Pirelli World Challenge on the strength of five wins, nine podium finishes, 11 top five results in 12 starts and one pole. Stout’s performance also led Scion to their first ever Touring Car Manufacturers’ Championship beating out Honda, Mazda and VW for the title. Stout became the youngest winner and Champion in World Challenge history at 18 years old, as well as winning the most prestigious street race in the US, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

About Ken Stout Racing (KSR) Inc.: Ken Stout Racing, based out of Brownsburg, IN, is a factory-supported partnership with Scion/TRD. Led by Ken Stout, award-winning motorsports commentator and automotive enthusiast, the team will debut the Scion FR-S in sports car racing in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class in 2013. Former 2010 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Drivers’ Champion Robert Stout will pilot the car.

Ken Stout Racing acknowledges its tremendous partners:
About Scion: Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., was developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind. Scion’s mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level. The brand features five groundbreaking models with a wide array of standard features: the xD urban subcompact five-door, the iconic xB urban utility vehicle, the tC sports coupe, the premium micro-subcompact iQ and the FR-S rear-wheel drive sports car. The Scion brand often applies new practices in all aspects of its business and pushes the creativity envelope with non-traditional advertising and marketing to engage young consumers. Scion also supports originality through its programs in the artistic community. For more information, visit RobertStoutRacing.com and Scion.com