Already boasting a lineup of cars specifically designed to allow maximum personalization, Scion swept into this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show with some bold new examples of how to take that core advantage to ye olde next level.
The brand is premiering a variety of models at the event, all tricked out by some of the best tuners in the business, with a particular focus on the all-new 2012 Scion iQ. The urban-friendly iQ comes wrapped in some particularly eye-catching sheet metal right off the Scion lot, but—as just one example—the Pit Boss Cartel iQ shows how the car can be just as at home on the race track as it is on city streets.
The Cartel group added plenty to the Pit Boss iQ, but most noticeable is what the team removed—the car’s roof. Now showing off the silhouette of a traditional open-top road racer, the Pit Boss iQ relies on an anything-but-traditional interface for vehicle controls: an integrated iPad and innovative RED EYE Automation. Other Cartel upgrades include:
- An AccuAir suspension
- Wilwood Dynapro brakes
- Big Lorenzo wheels and TOYO Proxes 4 tires
- Custom-fabricated body panels
- Hand-laid pinstripes accenting a House of Colors Electric Blue basecoat and black two-tone topcoat
- Autonet mobile wi-fi
- A premium Alpine sound system with digital amps, two-way speakers and thin-style subwoofer
Other designers increasing the style quotient for the iQ at SEMA include Michael Chang, Jon Sibal and Tatsu.
Also at the show, Scion’s top seller and top performer, the tC, gets an extreme motorsports-style makeover from Gruppe-S Engineering—a subsidiary of Dynamic Autosports Inc. The Gruppe-S tC adds forced induction for more power, courtesy of a GReddy Turbo Kit, along with stoppers from TRD (Toyota Racing Development), an enhanced suspension featuring a custom Gruppe-S rear camber arm, Recaro seats, and a full complement of carbon-fiber body pieces, including hood, trunk, and front splitter.
The Scion xB, long a SEMA favorite, breaks new ground this year with the Numeric, designed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of legendary snowboard brand 686. Created by 686 and Scion Racing, in collaboration with Spin Imaging, the upgrades here were “directly inspired from a product and brand that’s progressively pushed skateboarding and snowboarding to new levels.” Among them:
- New Balance tires modeled after NB686 snowboarding boots
- A roof that emulates the design of a Bern carbon-fiber helmet
- Windows based on Dragon’s APX frameless goggle technology
- Modified Sparco seats that take their cues from Union snowboard bindings
- A Skullcandy sound system
- GoPro video rearview mirrors and detachable backup camera
- Vestal time gauges
- Heated floor mats from Freewaters
- BOA heating and cooling systems
- Recco radar technology
- Interior panels designed by famed skateboard artist Marc McKee
- A custom CNC iPad cradle from Rokform
Finally, to really wrap things up, 686 and Spin Imaging developed a unique technology that allowed the Numeric to be wrapped in the same kind of waterproof, breathable material used in leading snowboard outwear. The wrap even features waterproof YKK zipper pickets and stitched seams.
And while this year’s SEMA show only runs through November 4, Scion fans can check out the brand’s accessories-friendly approach to driving anytime they want, simply by visiting their local Scion dealership or going online to www.Scion.com.
