Three blown Toyota 86s to wow SEMA

Toyota will use tomorrow's SEMA aftermarket show in Las Vegas to present not one but three supercharged versions of its 86 coupe, which is known in the US as the Scion FR-S.

The three piping-hot 86s on show will be part of a hot-tuner competition to see how far $US15,000 ($14,485) can go.

Interestingly, all three entrants decided to supercharge their Toyota donor cars because the mechanical forced-induction system requires less engine plumbing than an exhaust-driven turbocharger set-up.

Scion's Auto Shows and Events Manager Steve Hatanaka said the idea was to show the public the affordable rear-wheel drive sportscar is an ideal canvas with which to produce a high-performance vehicle.

"This year's SEMA show has extra energy from the recent launch of the 2013 FR-S sportscar," he said. "The buzz and enthusiasm from FR-S owners has been tremendous as they look for ways to take their cars to the next level with custom and performance accessories."

No power output figures have been revealed by Toyota but it's a safe bet that all three vehicles - including the Carbon Stealth, GT and Minty FReSh - will grind out significantly more power and torque than the standard 86's 147kW/205Nm.

All three models feature heavily augmented four-cylinder boxer powertrains, but there are also changes to the braking systems, suspension, wheels, tyres and most clearly the body work.

Each of the three supercharged 86 coupes makes use of an intercooler to maximise the forced induction charge, and the list of upgrades is extensive.

The FR-S GT, for example, features a giant rear wing and a wide bodykit, along with lashings of carbon-fibre to give it a motorsport look. Modified by Daniel Song, Toyota says the car is "built and designed as a performance vehicle to be enjoyed by both professional and amateur driving enthusiasts".

All three cars also show fully reworked interiors, with the FR-S Minty FReSh showing off a premium cabin fit-out. Built by Chris Basselgia, the interior was designed so that "driver and passengers will enjoy luxury while being thrilled by the powerplant under the hood," says Toyota.

The Minty FReSh features distressed ostrich leather upholstery, leather floor mats, a Nardi classic 360mm woodgrain steering wheel, an IAG titanium gearshifter and no less than four bass woofers and two sub-woofers.

Big wheels are also important on a show car and John Toca's FR-S Carbon Stealth rides on Cor Cipher Max Concave custom three-piece wheels, staggered-width 19x8.5-inch front and 19x10.5-inch rear wheels shod with 235/35 front and 235/30 rear Pirelli P-Zero tyres.

All three cars are a sight for sore eyes but don't expect anything like these to come out of the factory any time soon.

Toyota and Subaru have so far not committed to building high-performance versions of the 86 and BRZ sportscars, which means go-fast upgrades are largely the domain of aftermarket companies, though there is talk that Subaru is developing a turbocharged BRZ for release in 2014.

However, even getting a factory-standard version of the Subaru BRZ or Toyota 86 in Australia requires patience, with a 12-month waiting list for the Subaru BRZ and, if you want a white one, a 15-month queue for the 86.

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