Team Need for Speed (formed by the good folks at Electronic Arts, maker of the Need for Speed game series), has a new car for the Time Attack series in the US – a 1100 hp AWD Scion tC! The race car will feature an all-wheel drive setup and has been custom built by Chris Rado. The reason it looks like a tractor is because the large front and rear wings are there to create as much downforce as possible.

Scion backed Rado, who has his own World Racing team, also built a 899 hp tC for Modified magazine earlier this year. A professional racer by trade, Rado is approaching 60 career wins as a US based pro race car driver. He currently takes part in NHRA, NSCRA, Pacific Street Car Association and Full Throttle.

More information about the powertrain has yet to be provided, but for now enjoy the picture gallery after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:08:18 +0000.

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Scion, Toyota youthful North American sub-brand, has introduced the second-generation Scion tC sports coupe. The new car is powered by a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with Dual VVT-i, roller rocker arms and a Variable-induction Intake Manifold System. The result is 180 hp and 235 Nm, 19 bhp and 15 Nm more than the old 2.4.

Choose between new 6-speed transmissions (manual or auto with sequential shift) that increase efficiency over the old 5-speed manual/4-speed auto. The use of an electronic power steering (EPS) system also contributes to the improved fuel economy.

Handling is said to be better than before. The new tC sits on MacPherson strut front-suspension and a double-wishbone rear-suspension tuned for a “sporty ride that is both nimble and confident”. 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels are wrapped in wider tyres while the disc brakes on all corners are larger than its predecessor’s.

The dashboard is no frills and driver focussed. It comes with a tilt-and-telescopic flat bottom steering wheel, driver “walk-through seat memory” function along with bucket seats. Standard kit also includes a 4.3-inch colour TFT screen Pioneer stereo with speaker components from the Lexus LX 570, ABS/EBD/BA, VSC and 8 airbags.

Toyota doesn’t really do sporty these days, so this Scion tC is rare, and for a small sporty coupe it seems to tick the right boxes on paper. Gallery after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:08:18 +0000.

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The Toyota iQ will be making it onto American shores in the form of a Scion. A concept version of the Scion-badged car was shown at the New York International Auto Show 2009 this week. But it was no regular iQ – it was slapped on a bodykit penned by a Californian company called Five Axis, giving it an aggressive wide-body look. But looks are all the aggression the 3+1 seater is going to get as under the hood is only a 93 horsepower 1.3 litre VVT-i engine driving the front wheels. But it does get TEIN Super Street coilovers and 18 inch wheels wrapped with Yokohama S.drive tyres.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:08:18 +0000.

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Ken Gushi’s car for the Formula Drift championship in the US is an interesting one. The Scion tC is based on a transverse engine front wheel drive platform, but all-wheel drive derivatives are also available.

For drifting, rear wheel drive is necessary of course. The availability of all-wheel drive on the platform makes it relatively easier for a rear wheel drive adaptation. The transverse engine layout has been dumped for a 3S-GE Beams engine mounted longtitudinally. The 3S-GE is turbocharged with a HKS GT3037 turbine, and managed with a Blitz Dual SBC boost controller and an AEM engine management system.

More photos of the car after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:08:18 +0000.

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Toyota is considering adding a small monocoque two-door pick-up truck (think Proton Arena) to the Scion car line-up, which should fit right in to the whole youth and lifestyle angle of the Scion marque. Rumours are that a likely name for this new vehicle would be the Scion xP, with the P naturally standing for Pick-Up.

Scion currently has three cars in it’s line-up – the xB and xD 5-door hatches and the tC 2-door coupe. The new Scion xP’s styling could be based on the previously exhibited Scion FUSE concept shown above, which is something like a 2-door pick-up, except the truck bed is a large boot integrated into the coupe-hatch-like design. Translated into a real world production version, a traditional pick-up bed might be used instead.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:08:18 +0000.

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Toyota has always said that Scion cars are for the youth, and the youth generally like modifying their cars. So Scion’s designs have always been designed to be very modder friendly, like a piece of blank canvas that anyone can transform into a customised work of art. Scion wanted to demonstrate this “feature” of the Scion xD‘s design concept with a sample customisation – and this is Scion’s customised Scion xD Concept.

Basically, more of an aesthetic modification – custom bodykit, huge 19 inch wheels, and a lowered ride height. No changes to the engine bay – a supercharger would have been very welcome. 128 horsepower from the new Dual VVT-i 1.8 litre isn’t a whole lot, as competitor Honda’s R18 SOHC makes 140 horses.

More photos after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:08:18 +0000.

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Tbe Scion xD is the latest addition to Toyota’s Scion marque in the US, aimed at the younger crowd. The Scion xD replaces the Scion xA in the Scion line-up, and just like it’s namesake looks like a little happy smiley, it’s looks are sure to make you smile. The Scion xD is based on the same platform as the Toyota Yaris, but looks alot less like an oddly shaped bubble with wheels, taking on more boxy lines instead, which seems to suit the small car better.

Powering the Scion xD is the same new generation Dual VVT-i 1.8 litre that’s also in the Toyota Yaris TS for the UK market. The 128 horsepower engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed auto. A single spec will be offered, with the only customisable options to be the gearbox as well as stability control.

More photos after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:08:18 +0000.

Related Posts

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4. Scion to unveil a micro-subcompact concept car in New York
5. RS*R Scion tC: turbocharged with rear wheel drive!
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