2009 Toyota Scion Custom Professionally Lowered - 60 Photos on 2040-cars

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Aston CEO claims Cygnet cancelled because Toyota is dropping iQ in 2014

While slow sales and a $50,000 price tag may have been contributing factors to the Aston Martin Cygnet being cancelled last month, Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez is pointing the finger at Toyota for the demise of this luxurious little city car. In a discussion with Autocar, Bez is quoted as saying that the ultimate reason the Cygnet was cut is because Toyota plans on dropping the iQ (on which the Cygnet is based) in 2014 - a claim denied by the Japanese automaker.
Interestingly, the article also cites another publication reporting that a Toyota importer in the Netherlands heard the same news as Bez, and it has already stopped importing the cars. If the European Toyota iQ is cancelled, that would likely spell the end of the slow-selling Scion iQ in the US, which has sold just 3,365 units through September (a drop of 51 percent year over year).
Regardless of why production of the Cygnet ended, Bez also says that a lack of support from Toyota on the project prevented it from being offered in the US or receiving a supercharged engine, which are two factors that likely would have made the car appealing to more buyers.

Scion celebrates first 10 years with special edition models

As the story goes, Toyota's Scion brand was imagined up in someone's basement and then came to fruition in 2003 as a youth-oriented brand with a focus on delivering unique vehicles with an equally unique retail experience. A decade later, the brand has grown to five models, which will each be commemorated starting in June with a new Scion 10 Series edition.
In varying quantities, Scion will be offering the FR-S, tC, iQ, xB and xD with an exclusive package that will all come in the Silver Ignition exterior color. Aside from the paint, these cars will also receive Scion badges on the front and rear that are backlit with blue LEDs that illuminate when the car is unlocked. Silver seat belts and a solar-powered illuminated shift knob will help distinguish the interiors of these cars, but the iQ, xB and xD will stand out further from the outside with darker alloy wheels.
In total, just 10,000 Scion 10 Series models are planned, and each will be identifiable with a sequentially numbered badge inside the car. The redesigned 2014 tC will get the most of the special-edition models with 3,500 units, while other new models like the FR-S and iQ will be restricted to just 2,500 units and 900 units, respectively. The original Scion, the xB, will get 2,100 Scion 10 Series models, and the xD will round out the 10,000-unit run with 1,000 models being produced. Scroll down for the official press release.

Scion FR-S Convertible (in Toyota GT86 form) spied in South Africa

Though the eventual existence of a convertible version of the Toyota GT86 (and its Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ versions for America) is a no-brainer, we've yet to get a glimpse of the real-deal car until now.
Spotted in Cape Town, South Africa, of all places, this completely undisguised GT86 convertible seems to be in a remarkably advanced state of development. The image seen here was obviously sniped from quite a distance and without the aid of a powerful lens, but we can still make out a production-ready looking piece of rear bodywork for the convertible top to hide away in, as well as a functioning trunk lid. It's hard to make out with any certainty, based on this evidence, but there does seem to be space retained behind the front seats for two, small rear chairs.
With the first car spotted, we'd expect to seem some more and better images of it flow through in the near future, and if not, Toyota has already confirmed a concept version for next month's Geneva Motor Show, dubbed FT-86 Open, so stay tuned. For now, click through to the FT86Club.com forum to have a slightly closer look at the images.