Scion tC

[Racing Rice]

I know most of you arent fans of the Scion cars, but this one looks kinda cool. I give Toyota props for targeting the Tuners.

http://www.autoweb.com/content/resea...cle&aid=138890

Building cars for young drivers is a mad science. What works for most, doesn't for them. And what doesn't work for the rest will for the kids -- at least as long as the next reality television season.

Then it all goes out with the bath water.
Automakers - who by and large are a gray lot with high blood pressure and dark suits, pour streams of dollars into figuring out what it is these strange little people want in a car. Racer? Boombox on wheels? Shiny paint and ground effect lighting? Toyota?

Apparently, not Toyota, unless you're talking about the tuner crowd or the high school scholastic high achievement club. Which is why the import giant has Jim Farley and the Scion brand - to build Toyotas that kids will like, and, hopefully, convince a generation or two into becoming loyal Camry owners.

It's working - or seems to be. Scion rolled out last year with two vehicles, the xA and xB, that were designed to appeal to a yonger crowd: high in value, low in price, with a hands-off sales approach and a monospec package that enabled buyers to put their money into personalizing their vehicles. Now, on the eve of their nationwide rollout, Scion is adding another car to the mix - the Scion tC - a sporty little coupe that could pass as the next Celica. Consider it a Toyota in training. A car for twenty-year olds who want a youthful sporty coupe and probably have no intention of doing anything more than hooking up with a nice set of rims.

"I'm pleased with the value of the car," said Farley, vice president of Scion. "And I'm pretty confident about the car's acceptance. I am nervous about what it means to Scion, about the long range plan. The addition of the tC gives buyers three different cars. We'll see what people appreciate, and where they go."

If buyers choose the tC, it would not be a surprise. Built from an all-new platform, the tC is not a warmed-over version of an existing Toyota vehicle, but its own car - one that is powered by an all-aluminum 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing that produces 160 horsepower and is mated to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The tC is built with a longer wheel base than many coupes, so rear passengers can more easily hop in and out - a nod to a youth culture that likes to share rides and make driving a part of their social environment. In order to improve performance, a supercharger was developed by Toyota Racing Development and will be available for installation at Scion dealerships. The supercharger should boost horsepower to about 220.

And while that's plenty fast, the idea behind the tC is not about speed - at least off the dealer lot. "From our point of view, there is a group of young people who want that (race worthy, high performance) stuff, but to be totally fronk with you, it's a pretty small group," said Farley. "That said, as Scion evolves, we will have to pay attention to that group of people." Farley believes that the factory should not do it all, that kids want to work on their cars, and as such has plans to introduce the tC into the aftermarket experience - with Toyota warrantied products. "We want them to be able to build their own pizza," said Farley.

But pizza-making may not happen with the tC, to the extent that it has with the other two Scions. It is pretty well loaded with features and styling. Unlike the xB and the xA - blank canvases that people could use to create a custom look and experience - the tC seems more complete, intended, perhaps, for the side of the youth market that wants a little more luxury and comfort and doesn't really want to spend as much money accessorizing. Case in point: According to Farley, the most significant thing about the tC is the design and the functionality. "I really like the look of it, and there's a bunch of cool stuff on it, like the glass roof," said Farley. "Kids really like to show off the car, but you can't just rely on one thing. It's got to work on a couple of different levels." The tC, therefore, is a vehicle that is cool on the lot - not after the personalization - and its success may change the method in which Scion builds cars and how they market to their buyers.

But that's all talk over banana lattes and inside-out thrift store ts. For people interested in buying a new coupe from Scion/Toyota, the tC will almost certainly be a cool car to drive -- for the glass roof, the features that are included, and the price. The glass roof, cited numerous times by Farley, certainly gives the tC a special "show me" element -- which is sure to be a hit. The front seat has full mechanical memory, and the passenger seat folds totally flat. The Scion tC also comes with seats that recline 45 degrees and offer 10 way seating configurations. What is sure to work on all levels is the price: According to Farley, the Scion will go on sale for "well under $20,000". "All Scions have to make money," said Farley. "That being said, it is a tremendous challenge to make money on a car at this price, with these features." Sales goals, according to Farley, have been set at 25,000 for the first year, probably jumping to 40,000 in year two.


---Story by Brian Chee

- More pics at thier website.