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Toyota Pro/Celebrity race switching from Scion tC to FR-S [w/video]

Toyota has announced that the rear-wheel-drive Scion FR-S will replace the front-wheel-drive Scion tC as the racecar used by actors, singers and celebrities of all grades in its annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. It's the first time a rear-drive vehicle has been used for the event in 27 years, with the tC having been in use since 2005, and the FWD Celica before that. This year's race takes place on April 20th amidst the festivities of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend.
The racing FR-S, which debuted today at the Chicago Auto Show, won't be left stock either, but rather outfitted with a range of official Toyota Racing Development parts and equipment, such as a stainless steel exhaust, new coil overs and springs, upgraded brakes, a bigger air intake and 18-inch wheels, not to mention all of the safety equipment required to keep the celebrities and pro drivers safe. The company says the performance mods have lifted horsepower to 210 from the standard car's 200. Check out the build process for the cars in the video below to see just how much work's been done.
The Toyota Pro/Celebrity race is also about more than just letting celebrities and pros do battle on a road course. The spectacle helps raise money for "Racing for Kids," a non-profit charity that supports children's hospitals in the US.

Scion xB Release Series 10.0 headed for New York debut

Toyota promises that upgraded products for Scion are on the way, with the possibility of a redesigned xB coming soon. In the meantime, fans of the boxy hatchback have to make due with the new Release Series 10.0 special edition that is debuting at the 2014 New York Auto Show. The latest limited model puts an emphasis on technology with a wireless charging mat, backup camera, projected logos and a few interior changes.
All the Series 10.0 editions come in Electric Quartz, a pearlescent white color with green highlights, and their steel wheels are covered in Tungsten Gray caps. The exterior's jade color scheme flows inside with the accent stitching on the seats and door panels. This xB is equipped with three projectors - one in the rear bumper displays the company's logo on the ground, and two inside put "xB RS 10.0" on the driver's side and the car's build number on the passenger side. (That's kind of cool, honestly.) Smaller upgrades include piano black trim around the console, illuminated door sills and lit cup holders.
The Release 10.0 edition doesn't see any mechanical changes and uses the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 158 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque as all other xBs, mated solely to a four-speed automatic transmission. Scion plans to build 1,500 Series 10.0 models with pricing starting at $20,420, plus a $755 destination charge. Sales begin this summer. Scroll down for the full details in the release.

2013 Scion FR-S

The New Poster Child For Cheap Thrills
Let me tell you about a man named Larry. Larry works for a company called STI Fleet Services, one of a few companies that are responsible for the cleaning, prepping, maintaining, scheduling, delivering and picking up of the cars we test on a weekly basis, not to mention a whole slew of other duties. STI and its competitors are the silent heroes of this whole automotive journalism biz. Larry is one of the guys responsible for a lot of the grunt work - he's been delivering cars to me for nearly seven years now, and because of that, we've developed a bit of a rapport. Now that I think about it, my history with Larry goes back farther than several of my friendships, as well as every romantic relationship I've ever had... combined.
With that much history behind us, Larry knows my taste in cars pretty well. And even though he doesn't voice his own opinions about what's being delivered to me, Larry silently knows when he's about to hand me keys to something truly special. When Larry arrived at my door with a bright red 2013 Scion FR-S, I tried to play it cool. But Larry knows me better than that.