LAS VEGAS — Toyota's youth brand will cast a wide net at the 2008 SEMA Show, displaying everything from the kitschy Roach Coach Scion xB to the Neu-Vintage Scion tC, rife with retro military details that seem more appropriate for a Roush Mustang.
Additional SEMA highlights from Scion this year include Blaine Fontana's Art Car xB, an outdoor enthusiast's dream, with such touches as a tailgate-mounted shower and a collapsible tent setup anchored to the Scion's roof. Fontana gets credit for focusing on details to the nth degree. His Art Car xB even includes a dog door and dog bed — along with a welded pole system to string a hammock to a tree.
The Roach Coach Scion xB takes its inspiration from "the ubiquitous catering/food trucks that are common sights at construction sites and industrial parks." Details include a full kitchen and string lights to "keep the party festive."
Classic land-speed racers were the template for the Bonneville Salt Flats Scion xB, which gets a lowered ride height, custom aluminum wing, brushed aluminum racing hubcaps and, not least, a TRD supercharger under the hood.
Embedded in Scion's 2008 SEMA onslaught is the 2008 Scion Tuner Challenge, which will be judged during the event by the National Custom Car Association. Customizers who made the final cut were charged with modifying a 2009 tC.
Those offerings include Eddie Hahm's Neu-Vintage Scion tC. Hahm might consider a future career at Roush, since you had to blink twice to make sure you weren't reading a Roush press release in the description of his SEMA car. His Neu-Vintage Scion tC includes a shifter that uses a pistol steering grip from a P-51 Mustang fighter. Hahm said his car is "influenced by salt flat race cars of early Bonneville, World War II aircraft and the coachbuilt automobiles of the 1930s."
The retro Neu-Vintage Scion tC has rivets in the body panels, a bare-metal look patterned after 1940s-era bombers and a set of vintage wire wheels. One postmodern touch: a Five Axis lip kit.
Another must-see will be Mark Arcenal's Scion tC with a Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) theme. This tC has widened front and rear fenders, gills in the front fenders and a short rear spoiler with square end plates.
The Scion xD was not overlooked in this year's SEMA slate. Look for the Ruthless Cartel xD, which is described as "an homage to the '60s open-air look" with custom body panels, Extreme Dimensions front bumper and Jerk Designs graphics.
Scion's lengthy list of 2008 SEMA Show offerings can be scrutinized in greater detail at the Scion Web site.
Inside Line says: As usual, Scion is a standout at SEMA, with a powerhouse lineup that sets the bar for other customizers. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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