Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Coupes, Scion, Special/Limited Editions

As we told you last week, Scion is taking advantage of this year's Chicago Auto Show to drop yet another tweaked Scion tC, just like they did last year. This year's example is the 2009 Scion tC Release Series 5.0, of which 2000 examples or fewer will be built.

One thing that makes this Release Series more interesting than some of its predecessors is the fact that Scion's modifications go beyond new paint and wheels. Besides the gloss black paint and red-lined, matte black, 18-inch wheels, parent company Toyota has added virtually everything in their TRD parts catalog. RS 5.0 gets lowering springs, a rear sway bar, a sport muffler and special badging, and there's also an optional rear lip spoiler.

The interior features the same blacked-out TRD theme, with a leather-covered steering wheel, black seats and TRD-badged floor mats. To keep it from being too dark and depressing, the seats feature red inserts and stitching. Best of all, this TRD-infused package will add just $2,300 to the base price of the standard tC. Expect to see the new tC arriving in dealers beginning in March. The full press release is after the jump and we've added a bunch of live shots to the gallery as well.


Live photos copyright (C)2009 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, inc.

Continue reading Chicago 2009: Scion tC Release Series 5.0 is...errr... released

Chicago 2009: Scion tC Release Series 5.0 is...errr... released originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Butler Scion Events and the Big Roots Show were featured in the March 25th edition of Nuvo Newsweekly.

Be sure to check out www.nuvo.net for more great Barfly strips.

For more information on the the Big Roots Show and our other events visit www.butlerscionevents.com

Filed under: Aftermarket, Economy, Contests, Hatchbacks, Scion

Scion owners recently submitted pics of their personalized vehicles, including tC, xA, xB, and xD models, to the company for evaluation. The loyal owners were participating in Scion's "United by Individuality" brand campaign, designed to put individuals' modified vehicles in magazines, on billboards, even projected onto movie screens. More than 300 cars made the cut, and they soon found themselves in the Nevada desert for a photo shoot that included racing, tuning events, and even music performances. Shown above is a stunning aerial shot of more than 200 cars parked - very well we might add - at the event. The ad campaign launches in movie theaters July 21, while the other media won't go live until August 4th.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Scion's newest ad campaign puts reader's rides on billboards originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Crossovers/CUVs, Toyota

The wagons we all know, love and grew up with gradually fell out of favor as the minivan took hold in the '80s. Led by Chrysler's practical little boxes, the van became the king of Mt. People Mover, only to be usurped by the SUV, which took the wagon formula and added a heaping dose of machismo. The wagons have all but vanished, and today, both SUVs and minivans resemble Hollywood stars whose salad days are clearly behind them.

The so-called "crossover" is the new king, at least according to marketers who coined the maddeningly broad term, which now applies to everything from large, car-based pseudo-SUVs to what are - by all rights - traditional wagons, albeit with tall roofs and occasionally all-wheel drive. When Toyota elected to make the Highlander a substantially larger vehicle with three rows of seating, it left a void in its line-up for people seeking a utilitarian five-seater. The lack of a Camry wagon, which has been dead for ages, meant there was an opportunity for Toyota to fill-in the blank with something to compete against the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano and rest of the CUV set. And so we have the Venza.



All photos Copyright (C)2009 Alex Nunez / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2009 Toyota Venza is one surprisingly slick wagonoid

Review: 2009 Toyota Venza is one surprisingly slick wagonoid originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Toyota, Humor

Dear readers, this is what you get when you mix some serious damage, an aversion to body shops, a lot of time, and the belief that Bondo and duct tape can fix anything. This sad-looking fifth-generation Toyota Camry was spotted in Dallas by Final Gear user Spectre, and it appears to be wearing enough Bondo to give a nice boost to 3M's quarterly profits.

We applaud the effort on maintaining the window line as well as returning a Camry Coupe to Toyota's lineup, but we have to take points off for the roof bulge. If you can ignore the fact that it looks like the passenger side has been overrun by some sort of mutant mold and that it appears that you can't open the right side doors... well, there's not much else left to say about it, is there? Have a look for yourself in the gallery below. Hat tip to Pete!



[Source: Final Gear]

No Mo' Bondo: Hapless Toyota Camry gets its fill of filler originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, SUVs, Toyota

Once upon a time, if you were expecting company and they drove a Toyota Land Cruiser, you'd have Teva prints in your carpet and the smell of patchouli filling your house. Their refrigerator cheese selection probably included one with the word "Whiz" in it, and if things got too warm, your guests would unzip their Vatican pants at the knees and stuff the legs into their oversized shorts pockets. No more. With a starting price of $64,755, the 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser is a certifiable luxury proposition that only gets close to grime when tackling a grass-covered hill at the local little-league soccer field. Yet in spite of its juggernaut proportions and new personality, after a week in the 'Cruiser, it's obvious why Toyota's biggest SUV sells: it's a giant Camry that seats eight and eats volcanoes.

Continue reading Review: 2009 Toyota Landcruiser - A SUV good enough for Dr. Evil and his wife

Review: 2009 Toyota Landcruiser - A SUV good enough for Dr. Evil and his wife originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Scion, Toyota, Celebrities

One of our favorite events at the annual Long Beach Grand Prix is the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. The slash in its name lets you know that this event features celebrities racing against real pro drivers, as well as a few buy-in drivers. In this case, each entrant gets the chance to pilot an identically prepped and lightly modified Scion tC. Basically, Toyota has removed the mufflers and added racing wheels and StopTech brakes, plus a rollcage and other safety equipment. The pros spot the celebs 30 seconds at the start of this 10-lap race, and then it's every driver for him-or-her-self.

This year's field featured some pretty big names from the entertainment and racing worlds. The race itself sometimes becomes secondary to the mere spectacle, but this year's race featured some pretty good on-track action as well. After jumping out to a huge lead, skateboarding legend and polesitter Danny Way pushed a little too hard trying to hold off the hard-charging Farnsworth Bentley. They tangled, allowing the "pro" triumverate of Al Unser Jr., Johnny Benson and Tom Tudnai through. If that last name doesn't sound familiar, that's probably because Tudnai is the president of a local Toyota dealership - but he won this event once before in 2001, elevating him to pro status.

Just behind the top three, Keanu Reeves inherited the the top celebrity title, just ahead of Ken Baker and Carlos Mencia. Raven Simone finished last after an early shunt ended her run. This means that Little Al now has seven wins at Long Beach, six in an open-wheeler. No wonder he's known as "King of the Beach" in these parts. There's a full rundown after the jump and a gallery available by clicking on any image here.



Photos copyright (C)2009 Frank Filipponio / Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: 2009 Long Beach Grand Prix Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race

SPOILER ALERT: 2009 Long Beach Grand Prix Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Toyota

With the introduction of the Honda Insight, Toyota is facing the most serious challenge yet to its hybrid dominance since the Prius debuted. While the Insight's hybrid technology is not as sophisticated as Toyota's, it delivers excellent fuel economy, and more importantly, the Insight has a significant price advantage over the Prius. Given the threat and the current difficulties facing the auto market, Toyota has apparently decided to take up the fight by cutting the base price of the Prius by $1,000 to $21,000, only $1,200 more than the Honda.

Toyota's strategy in Japan was to keep the previous generation Prius in production to compete with the Insight on price. However, when we asked a Toyota spokesman in New York if the company evaluated the same option for the US, we were told Toyota decided against it due to new OBD-II regulations that would have required significant updates to the old Prius, negated any cost advantage. Thanks to Jarret for the tip!

[Source: Bloomberg]

Toyota to take on Insight by cutting Prius base price to $21,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's another place you can access Prius videos: at the center of the video universe, YouTube! All of the new Prius videos, plus lots of other Toyota-related videos, are available on the Toyota Channel of You Tube.

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Toyota

Toyota has announced official pricing for the five (!) trim levels for the 2010 Prius, due to hit dealers in the States sometime in late May. The bare-bones version (which must be pretty bare, since Toyota hasn't divulged what's included) will be just $21,000. On the other end of the spectrum, the top trim level starts at $27,270 (add $750 to both prices for delivery), and the most you can pay for the new Prius this spring will be $32,520 for the V trim equipped with the Advanced Technology Package (ATP). Full details are available after the jump, but note that you can't get the ATP, which includes the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, the Pre-Collision System, Lane Keep Assist, and Intelligent Parking Assist, if you want the solar roof option.

As mentioned earlier, the $21,000 base price is important, since it is only $1,200 more than the new Honda Insight. The current, second-generation Prius starts at $22,000. For more on the third-generation Prius get the info overload and check out our First Drive.

Continue reading 2010 Prius starts at $21,000; one with everything costs $32,500

2010 Prius starts at $21,000; one with everything costs $32,500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Developing Range of Priuses to Compete With Honda's Soon-To-Arrive Hybrids

Filed under: Etc., Audi, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Ford, GM, Honda, Kia, Land Rover, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, Opinion/Editorial

New England's mercurial weather places demands on vehicles and drivers that other regions often don't get to enjoy. To help guide residents of the northern hinterlands, the New England Motor Press Association recently gathered its regional autowriters together to choose this year's Official Winter Vehicle of New England. Autoblog attended and did our part by casting ballots for the various categories, and the results have been tallied. Toyota's new Venza is this year's overall winner, supplanting last year's champ, the Volvo XC70. Fierce competition in other categories led to a couple of ties. Check out the gallery for all the winners.

Gallery: NEMPA Winter Vehicle award winners

Toyota Venza named Official Winter Vehicle of New England originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Euro, Safety, Toyota

We still wouldn't want to crack the tiny Toyota iQ into anything, but the little rollerskate has earned itself 5 stars in Euro NCAP safety testing. It's not a perfect correlation to hitting real objects, but the performance will undoubtedly help make a sales case. Results for the iQ are nearly as good as its larger sibling, the Avensis. The iQ will bust up your neck with whiplash, and the pole test also showed marginal chest protection, deflecting the ribs quite a bit.

The iQ's small size also leads to a C- for rear seat protection, and there's upgrades and revisions for the ISOFIX anchors and Britax seats to keep bambinos and bambinas secure. Despite any caveats, however, the iQ's rating trumps the four stars for Ford's new Ka, which will undoubtedly be strategically mentioned. We'd still drive anything in this segment with a modicum of care and heightened awareness. It's much safer, no matter what you drive, to avoid incidents all together.


[Source: EuroNCAP via GreenMotor]

Tiny Toyota iQ registers 5 Star NCAP performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We are proud to sponsor the 2009 season of the Naptown Roller Girls. Go www.butlerscionevents.com to view the rest of the photos or visit www.naptownrollergirls.com for more derby info.