Scion concepts at SEMA 2008

This is Scion's fifth year as a SEMA attendee, and it's arguably their best. Being the younger, hipper, tunier Toyota it makes sense they show up here with six concepts to spark customers' imaginations. To that end, they've brought several fun and outrageous customs from designers such as Mark Arcenal, Eddie Hahm (above), Drag Cartel, John Pangilinan, Rogue Status, MV Designz, Raging Bull, Blaine Fontana, Kenton Parker, Jeff Soto, and Christian Rado.

There are three xBs, an xD and a few tCs in the official booth alone. Scion distributed three tCs to customizers for the 2008 Scion Tuner Challenge, with the winner to be announced during SEMA. Our absolute favorite is the one done up by Eddie Hahm of "Fast Eddie's Garage" fame. He took it retro and created an homage to a time when hot rodding meant more than mounting dubs and a bodykit. Fatlace founder Mark Arcenal dreamt up a DTM racer, while John Pangilinan made an even more butch looking tC with his widebody design. Personally, we really enjoyed the most elaborately detailed model, the Ruthless Cartell xD with its completely chopped roof, but it's strictly for show. The trucklet xDt was pretty novel too. Check out the gallery and pick out your favorite.

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2009 Scion tC Review

If you want a recipe for a strong-selling car for the coveted 20-to-30-something demographic, ask Scion. Take a solid platform with a well-tuned suspension and a strong engine, add in plenty of standard features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning, a sunroof and a nice stereo, wrap it all up in a smartly attractive coupe-styled body and give it bargain pricing, and you have the 2009 Scion tC.

Having a sense of balance is always a good thing, and the Scion tC exhibits that virtue by providing fairly athletic handling along with a compliant ride. Rather than a high-winding engine that requires a lot of revs to extract the performance, the tC employs a big-for-the-class 2.4-liter four that furnishes strong low- and midrange power.

Another ace in the tC's hand is its relatively upscale cabin and accommodating rear seat. The former features high-quality materials and tight build quality, while the latter has enough room for two adults, a rare luxury in the compact sport coupe segment.

Although the 2009 Scion tC is well equipped, there are still a number of dealer-installed accessories, including a choice of wheels, body kits, stereo head units and interior accents, that can tailor the car to your tastes. Should you hunger for more excitement, your friendly Scion dealer can also hook up your ride with a supercharger that boosts horsepower up to 200 and puts the tC in closer competition against the Civic Si coupe, Mini Cooper S and Volkswagen GTI. Be forewarned that the supercharger is rather pricey, especially when you factor in the cost of having it installed at your Scion dealer.

In its basic form, however, the tC still represents a solid pick for an under-$20,000 sport coupe. True, it's not going to be able to keep up with the aforementioned competitors in a straight line, and its overall design is now a bit dated, having come out for 2005. But for hatchback or coupe shoppers wanting a little bit of everything without paying too much, it would be foolish to overlook the 2009 tC.

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2008 Scion RSR tC

(from Toyota Press Release) Scion announced it will drift the RS*R Scion tC in Formula Drift events this year.

Scion's drift car is based on its most popular model, the tC sports coupe. The factory built front-wheel drive tC turned into a drifting contender through a rear-wheel drive conversion performed by acclaimed exhaust and suspension manufacturer, RSR. The tC shares its platform with Toyota's Japanese market Avensis four-wheel drive and Caldina all-wheel drive, enabling it to undergo the conversion. RS*R used its extensive performance shop experience to change the tC's stock transverse engine configuration to a longitudinal setup in order to drive power, through the transmission and drive shaft, directly to the rear wheels.

The RSR Scion tC features a 3SGE Beams motor, HKS GT3037 turbo and intercooler, Blitz Dual SBC boost controller, and AEM EMS engine management system that outputs more than 400 horsepower, compared to the stock 161 horsepower. A G-Force five-speed sequential transmission, Tilton triple carbon clutch, Project Mu brakes, RS-R coilovers, Sparco Corsa seats and a custom concept wide body kit also make this vehicle unique. This tC will gracefully maneuver the track with Enkei RPF1 wheels and Toyo Proxes® R1R™ tires.

Ken Gushi will be at the wheel of the RS*R Scion tC. Gushi learned to drift at the age of 13 when his father took him to El Mirage Off-Highway Vehicle Area in California. Gushi started his drifting career at the age of 16 and was the youngest driver to compete in D1. Now 21 years old, Gushi has further developed his skills and placed in many drift events.

In addition to RS*R and Scion sponsors include Toyo Tires, XM Radio, Rogue Status, BASF, Mobil 1, Sparco, Enkei, AEM, Proceed and Meguiar’s.

The RS*R Scion tC will make its first appearance at Formula Drift’s Round 1, Streets of Long Beach in Calif. on April 12. Gushi and the RS*R tC will also compete in subsequent Formula Drift events including Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. on May 10, Wall Speedway in Wall, N.J. on June 14, Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nev. On July 12, Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. On Aug. 9, Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. on September 13 and Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, Calif. on Oct. 11.

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Scion Hako Coupe concept

Toyota’s niche U.S. manufacturer, Scion, has come out with what can potentially be called, the world’s ugliest - ever- concept car. Say hello to the Scion Hako Coupe concept. Taking its inspiration from the Scion xB, which is a bad place to start, the Hako Coupe is supposedly a play on the growing interest in vintage American styles in Japan. Scion has put Japanese design into American vintage style and, well, it has created a monster.

The high roof is connected to a flat windscreen, which according to the company is “ready to attack the road”, what that actually means is beyond us. Perhaps after the attack the car might look better? Then there is the trapezoidal LED headlights and taillights which look like they were designed by a mad man. At least we like the deep 18-inch wheels.We also like the massive panoramic glass roof that lights up the interior with natural light. The rest of the interior is an attempt to blend orange and black in every way imaginable.

The gear shifter is a joytstick and there is a big engine start button on the steering wheel. The entertainment system is out of pimp-my-ride with two dash-mounted video screens with Bluetooth connectivity to upload music and videos.

But it gets better, there is a monitor on each door which, wait for it, display images from cameras set below the A-pillar. After the car has stopped, the images can be downloaded to a PC to form a pictorial album of the journey!

Thankfully, Scion has no plans to turn this concept into a production model.

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Scion tC Series 4.0

Toyota won't be having much in the way of new models at next week's Chicago Auto Show, but its hip urban sibling will be showing off a new version of the tC. The Scion tC Release Series 4.0 RS (whew) ups the style quotient of the base model with a DAMD body kit, new upper grille and rear spoiler, all coated in Galactic Gray Mica.

The interior benefits from a leather-wrapped steering wheel, black leather and dark wood RAZO shift knob and gray and black seats swathed in Alcantara with "tC RS 4.0" embroidered into the front and rear seats.

All that extra kit comes at a $2,700 premium (an extra $285 if you want the spoiler too), with the automatic model coming it at $20,500 and the manual-equipped version for $800 less. Both prices don't include the $620 destination charge. Only 2,300 examples will be available when sales begin this March.

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2008 Scion xB

If you're an automaker and you're planning the successor to the iconic vehicle that all but singlehandedly created your new youth division, there are a couple of different routes you can take. For its second-generation Scion xB, Toyota could have ditched the box-on-wheels concept altogether in favor of something as fresh and as different as the xB was when it bowed in 2003. Instead, it concluded that the xB is the Scion brand, in much the same way that the 911 is Porsche. So Toyota reshaped and stretched the xB's sheetmetal while retaining the essence of the box, and it's underscoring the point with a hipster marketing scheme called "Want2BSquare." And did we mention that it increased power by half?

With a 55-hp boost courtesy of the tC coupe's 158-hp, 2.4-liter four, the new xB feels a lot torquier than the 2007 model but only a hair faster. No wonder: it gained a whopping 605 pounds, because it's a foot longer and three inches wider, and it rides on a wheelbase that's four inches longer. The standard manual transmission's vague gearshifter hardly makes the most of the available power, and even if you opt for the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) short-throw shifter, rowing through the five-speed gearbox is like churning butter.

Cabin ergonomics are top-notch. Naturally, the stereo is ready to blast the contents of your iPod, and the premium audio system's auxiliary inputs make it easier to add more equipment.

There will be those who can't stomach the xB's weight gain or its bigger, softer-looking exterior. But with a package this good starting at only sixteen grand, Scion needn't worry about finding enough people who want 2B square.

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2007 Scion Sage Vaughn xB

(from Scion Press Release) SAGE VAUGHN - SCION xB L-CON CITY SAFARI

• Truck conversion
• Custom black TRD wheels
• Lowered 3”
• Super white fog lights (8)
• Safari cage and bumper with rear step
• Bed liner
• Beard rear facing seats
• Graphics by Sage Vaughn
• Door graphics by “Lou”
• Paint and body by Third Element Designs
• Custom interior by Advanced Specialties
• PA system

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2007 Scion Des Moines tC

(from Scion Press Release) SCION OF DES MOINES - 2006 SCION tC

Under the Hood
• Turbonetics Turbo System T3/T04
• Spearco intercooler
• Fidanza aluminum flywheel
• Clutchmaster stage 3 Kevlar clutch
• TRD automatic torque biasing limited slip differential
• Creative Werks Inc. Optima battery tie down
• DME engine dress up kit
• Redline Tuning Hood QuickLIFT ELITE
• Custom hood panel by DeeZee
• Custom exhaust by Midas
• Flowmaster Hushpower II muffler
• KillerGlass
• Hotglow Neon (8 tubes)
• NOS nitrous oxide system single injector

Wheels & Tires
• HRE 5-spoke 19” wheels
• Pirelli P Zero Rosso
• 265/30ZR19 - front
• 305/30ZR19 - rear

Body
• Custom airbrushing, paint, and body by Custom Paint Specialists, Des Moines, Iowa
• Extreme Dimensions Rado Series Widebody kit
• Shaved bodylines, door handles, and fuel door
• Tinted headlights, brake lights, side lights, and windows
• PPG Vibrance Candy Sunset Red Over Fine Gold
• PPG ARG Vibrant Blue windshield
• AutoLoc shaved door kit
• HotGlow Neon (15 tubes)

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2007 Scion Dalek xD

(from Scion Press Release) DALEK - SCION xD

Interior modifications
• Custom built and stitched diamond-tucked black leather front and rear seats
• Custom stitched diamond-tucked door panel inserts
• Hand-carved beechwood door trim panels
• Hand-carved beechwood center console panels
• Custom beechwood rear center console
• Hidden 7.0” monitor and hidden champagne and flutes
• Custom “woodgrain” airbrushed dash trim paneling
• Autometer platinum series gauges mounted in custom dash
• Grant classic wood steering wheel and hub adaptor
• Speedster rear-view mirror mounted on dash
• TRD aluminum sport pedals

Wheels, tires, and suspension
• DPE GT7 Forged aluminum wheels
• Gloss black lips with flat black centers
• 20x8 front and 20x9.5 rear
• BFGoodrich g-force tires
• 225/30zr-20 front
• 245/30zr-20 rear
• Tanabe lowering springs
• TRD rear sway bar

Performance accessories
• Magnaflow exhaust system
• TRD air filter element
• TRD quickshift kit
• TRD radiator cap
• TRD oil cap

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2007 Scion Ron English tC

(from Scion Press Release) Ron English Scion tC

EXTERIOR
• 19" custom billet wheels by Coddington Wheels
• 245/35/19 fk452 tires by Falken Tire
• 1 3/4" lowering springs by Eibach Springs
• Custom House of Colors purple pearl paint by Franks Autobody
• Custom hologram images by Rabbit Holes
• Custom electroluminescent lighting animating Ron English's ying-yang artwork by Lit Media Group
• Smoked lighting by Franks Autobody

INTERIOR
• Custom two-tone leather interior with Ron English artwork embroidered in the head rests by Bill Dunn Upholstery
• Interior accent painting by Franks Autobody
Custom car design and coordination by Robert Wilson

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