2006 Scion Xa on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Scion iA and iM rolled into Yaris and Corolla lineups for 2017

The Scion brand may be going away, but most of its cars (sorry, tC) are living on. We'll see the 2017 Toyota 86 (nee Scion FR-S) at the New York Auto Show next week, and the automaker already confirmed that the Scion iA and iM will be rebadged as Toyotas. But instead of standing on their own, the former Scions will be rolled into existing model lines. "Yaris iA" and "Corolla iM" will be the official names of the cars, effective for 2017. It's a smart move, paring the relatively new Scion nameplates with well-known, existing Toyota monikers. Scion spokeswoman Nancy Hubbell tells Autoblog that the iA already exists as the Yaris in the Canadian and Mexican markets, so "that connection was already there." Plus, it's better for marketing. The combination of the two vehicles all under the Yaris nameplate means Toyota can focus its advertising dollars on one vehicle line, simply saying that you can now have the Yaris as a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback. "The same goes with Corolla," Hubbell explains. She says the existing Toyota sedan and the Scion iM "paired really well," and again, it means Toyota can advertise the Corolla as having two body styles moving forward. There are benefits from a sales perspective, too. Never mind that Scion division sales were already included in Toyota's overall numbers – calling the new cars Yaris iA and Corolla iM means the company won't have to report these cars individual sales separately. It's like when Toyota made the Matrix – its technical name was Corolla Matrix, so its individual sales didn't have to be broken out. That means an extra boost in overall numbers for the Yaris and Corolla, even if the cars would have been reported under Toyota's numbers had they kept their Scion badges. View 18 Photos Related Video:

2014 Scion tC with updated styling priced from $19,210*

Scion has released pricing information for a number of models, the most important of which being the updated 2014 tC that debuted at the New York Auto Show in March. The cost of entry for the tweaked coupe is now $19,210 with the standard manual transmission, or $20,210 if you'd rather the car did the shift-work for you (*both prices exclude the $755 destination charge). These numbers represent an increase of $485 versus the 2013 model with either transmission.
We have yet to drive the refreshed tC, but Scion says it ought to provide a much more engaging experience from behind the wheel. Automatic-equipped models now enjoy faster shift times with dynamic rev matching, and regardless of transmission, the tC is said to have improved handling dynamics thanks to reworked shock absorbers, stabilizer bar hardware modifications and retuned electric power steering.
In addition to the obvious re-schnozzing of the tC, other updates for the 2014 model year include a new standard auto display, featuring a 6.1-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, HD radio and steering wheel-mounted controls.

Ryan Tuerck's Ferrari-powered Scion drifts, crashes, fixes, and drifts again

We were pretty astonished when Ryan Tuerck and Gumout shoved a Ferrari 458 V8 into a Scion FR-S. And as awesome as that fact alone may be, it's even more amazing that it's a fully functional drifter, not just a show car. Tuerck recently took it out to Portland, Ore. to do some sweet drifting on a mountain road. Unfortunately for him and the car, he did something substantially less sweet right off the bat. As you'll see in the video, in just the second corner of the course, Tuerck drives the front corner of the GT4586 right into the dirt cliff on the side of the road. For a moment, it looks like things are all right, but the car starts pulling to the right and he stops the car for repairs. After fixing bits including a thoroughly bent tie-rod, the GT4586 is good as new. We're glad the car wasn't down for long, because the drifting show following the repairs was fantastic. In the video, Tuerck throws the Scion into high-speed, super smoky drifts. And all of it happens to the tune of a shrieking Ferrari V8. It's well worth a few minutes of your time to watch. Related Video: Image Credit: YouTube / Donut Media Ferrari Scion Coupe Racing Vehicles Videos toyota gt86 toyota 86