2009 Scion Tc Base Coupe 2-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Scion rules out roadster, turbo versions of FR-S

Ever since Toyota and Subaru released the sports car alternatively known as the GT86, 86, BRZ and Scion FR-S a couple of years ago, rumors have circulated that even more exciting variants could be in store. But at least as far as Scion is concerned, those rumors are apparently nothing more than wishful thinking. Speaking with WardsAuto at the LA Auto Show last week, Scion chief Doug Murtha said that the prospect of an FR-S roadster has been taken off the table entirely. Apparently Scion lobbied parent company Toyota to produce just such a model, but after failing to find other markets interested enough in the model to put it into production, corporate HQ said no. "I think we were pretty aggressive on our (submitted plan), but we looked at what we would have conceivably lost on the product and said, 'We're not going to even push it further,'" Murtha said, going on to note, "Nobody was more disappointed than we were." Murtha further shot down the idea of a turbo version of the FR-S, dismissing it as a prospect the blogosphere (that's us) wanted to happen but "that's not something that's coming." Either variant might have helped Scion and Toyota boost sales of the model (which are predictably dropping after their first two years on the market), but the investment also might not have paid off their development, tooling and marketing costs. Of course, Murtha can only speak for Toyota, but we'd be surprised to see Subaru go it alone on either model, as costs would be that much more prohibitive without a partner. Bummer.

Scion to unveil new sedan in New York

Scion is on a mission to inject some new life into its struggling lineup. It unveiled a refreshed and rebadged Euro-market Toyota Auris as the iM Concept at the LA Auto Show in November, and is bringing it to market with that same nameplate. But that's not all: the youthful division from Toyota has just announced it's bringing a sedan join the production iM hatch on stage at the New York Auto Show in April. Although details are scarce, the close association Scion has drawn between the iM hatch and the new sedan suggests that the two could be related. The iM (like the Auris upon which it's based and the Matrix that came before) is already essentially a hatchback version of the Corolla sedan, which US buyers can find in Toyota showrooms. So whether the new sedan will be essentially a rehashed Corolla sedan, or something else entirely, remains to be seen. If Scion were to take a similar approach and bring over another Toyota model sold overseas, the new model could borrow heavily from the European-market Avensis or even Japan's Mark X. Whatever form the car ultimately takes, however, this will be Scion's first sedan, believe it or not. The brand has previously offered only hatchbacks like the iQ, xD and xB, and two-door coupes like the FR-S and tC. The latter, for what it's worth, shares its underpinnings with the Avensis. Scion says the new sedan and the iM hatch will "represent two of the three new models Scion will bring to market in the next three years," so expect one more to follow sometime in the near future. New Names and Bold Bodies Coming to Scion in 2015 First-Ever Scion Sedan and Scion iM on the way TORRANCE, Calif., (Jan. 7, 2015) – Like many others, Scion has a New Year's Resolution to debut an all-new body by spring. And not surprisingly, all eyes will be on its backside as Scion will be adding its first-ever sedan to its line-up. The new sedan will be introduced in April at the New York International Auto Show along with the all-new Scion iM. The iM is the official name for the production version of the iM Concept car shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Together, the two vehicles represent two of the three new models Scion will bring to market in the next three years aimed at independently minded 18-34 year olds. The trio will bring exciting options for Scion's younger customers looking for vehicles to support both adventure and sensibility.

Scion trying to build business case for FR-S convertible as Subaru bows out

Hope may remain for a convertible version of the Scion FR-S, according to a report from Ward's Auto. You'll recall that rumors were swirling about the feasibility of a rear-drive Toyobaru convertible as early as October, and that back in November, Subaru - which makes the FR-S, Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT86 - essentially nixed the idea of an open-topped variant.
"We make the car, so if we don't make it, it can't happen," brand chief Yasuyuki Yoshinaga told Automotive News, according to Ward's, at the Tokyo Motor Show. "Our engineering department told me that losing the entire roof requires a complete redesign of the structure. It would need a big change."
Despite Yoshinaga-san's arguments against a droptop variant, Toyota is apparently still considering the model. Speaking to media at the 2014 North American International Auto Show, Scion's US vice president, Doug Murtha, hinted that the rear-drive droptop was in the works.