2011 Scion tC Coupe Tuning Galore: Five Projects Heading to SEMA Show

Highlighting Scion's presence at next week's SEMA Show will be five customized examples of the Japanese firm's all-new 2011 tC Coupe. When it leaves the factory, the tC is motivated by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine pushing out 185-horsepower.

As you'd expect, most tuners chose the turbocharging route to increase the tC's performance under the hood, with GReddy being the only company to announce output figures (340hp and 325 lb-ft of peak torque). Scroll down for photos and full details (in the spec sheets) for all five tCs.

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2011 Scion tC

Scion fell into a sales funk last year, with the teensy xD and the bloated new-generation xB falling prey to the likes of Kia and Hyundai. The Scion tC? The same story. The Celica-ish coupe was in dire need of a replacement--and a personality infusion.

It's nearly a mission accomplished for the new 2011 tC, which we drove earlier this week in San Diego. The tC wears new lines that might remind you of a helmet--or a Nissan GT-R--and more room's been scooped out of its cabin. It's still four-cylinder only, though power's up to 180 hp and all the drivetrain bits have been massaged for something very nearly sporty in feel.

We're not huge fans of the collision of hard plastics on the dash, or the floppy vinyl that shades the sunroof--but we're sure you can get over them by choosing something from the big Scion accessories catalog, something like TRD stabilizer bars or Bluetooth or an Alpine navigation and audio system with a touchscreen interface and iPod controls. (That turbocharger you've been longing for? It's a ways off, Scion execs say.)

It's no longer a great value, compared to the Kia Forte Koup or even a heavily discounted, end-of-life Ford Focus two-door. The 2011 tC is priced from $18,995 including destination; with the automatic it's $19,995. Toss on all those add-on features and you could be looking at $24,000--which sounds a lot like a much faster base 2011 Mustang V-6 to us.

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2009 Scion tC "Touring Coupe"

Scion tC is a compact car introduced by Japanese automaker Toyota. The Scion tC was designed for the Generation Y market by making standard features numerous and optional features extremely easy to add. The Scion tC uses the chassis of the Avensis which is sold in the European market, and the Camry's 2.4 L 2AZ-FE I4 engine.

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Blacked Out Scion tC RS 5.0 Priced from $17,000

Those of you that are planning to visit the 2009 Chicago Auto Show (February 13-22), will get the chance to see the latest limited edition version of Scion's tC compact coupe dubbed Release Series 5.0 before it goes on sale across the U.S. in March, 2009. Unlike most limited edition Scion models that are as unique as a grain of sand, the tC RS. 5.0 actually comes equipped with numerous accessories and performance upgrades from TRD (Toyota Racing Development).

Offered exclusively in a glossy black exterior paint finish with matching 18-inch alloy wheels, the Scion tC RS 5.0 is fitted with TRD lowering springs, rear sway bar and sport muffler while the company also offers a black rear lip spoiler priced at $285 (not including installation).

The exterior theme is continued inside with a black leather steering wheel featuring red stitching, black seats with red accents, floor mats with the TRD logo and a plaque with the car's individual number.

Overall, Scion will produce a total of 2,000 units of the tC Release Series 5.0 priced from $17,000 when combined with a manual transmission and $17,800 with an automatic transmission.

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Scion Hikes 2009 Prices for xB by $100, tC Remains Unaffected

Toyota’s American sibling Scion, announced prices for the 2009 model year xB and tC sports coupe. The boxy xB that will arrive at dealerships later this month will carry a base price of $15,750 when equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission and $16,700 for the 4-speed automatic with sequential shifting. Prices for both configurations represent an increase of $100 or 0.6 percent for those of you who like numbers.

As for the 2009 tc coupe that set to go on sale this May, prices for both versions remain the same as the 2008 models meaning that the tC equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission has a base MSRP of $17,000, while the four-speed automatic transmission model carries an MSRP of $17,800.

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Scion Presents 400Hp Rear-Wheel-Drive tC Coupe for Formula Drift

The good news is that Scion has developed a rear-wheel drive version of its compact coupe, the tC. The bad news for all us RWD-lovers is that the RS*R tC was created to compete in Formula Drift events and not to go on sale for the public to enjoy. The conversion, that was performed by aftermarket specialist, RS*R, was able to be done thanks to the fact that the tC shares its platform with Toyota's Japanese market Avensis four-wheel drive and Caldina all-wheel drive.

RS*R changed the tC's stock transverse engine configuration to a longitudinal setup in order to drive power, through the transmission and drive shaft, directly to the rear wheels. While the stock tC is equipped wit a 161 Hp 2.4-liter engine, the RS*R features a 3SGE Beams motor, HKS GT3037 turbo and intercooler, Blitz Dual SBC boost controller, and AEM EMS engine management system that outputs more than 400 HP. –Continued after the jump

Power is transferred to the rear-wheels via a Tilton triple carbon clutch and a G-Force five-speed sequential transmission. Other upgrades include the Project Mu brakes, RS-R coilovers, Sparco Corsa seats, a custom concept wide body and Enkei RPF1 alloys wrapped with Toyo Proxes R1R tires. The RS*R Scion tC that will be driven by Ken Gushi, will make its first appearance at Formula Drift's Round 1, Streets of Long Beach in Calif. on April 12.

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Chicago Show: Scion tC RS 4.0 Live Pics

Despite the various problems we had with our photo cameras (the good one decided to take a permanent vacation, the spare one was on-off both days), we did manage to take pictures of the tC RS 4.0 that was on display in the Scion booth at the Chicago Auto Show. And good thing we did as Scion released just one image of the car (see here).

In a nutshell, the Release Series 4.0 (RS) features a tasty DAMD bodykit on the outside while on the inside, it gets gray and black Alcantara seats embroidered with a “tC RS 4.0” logo, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a black leather and dark wood RAZO shift knob. Prices for the tC RS 4.0 start at $17,000. –Pics after the jump

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Chicago Preview: Scion tC Release Series 4.0 With DAMD Bodykit

At next week’s Chicago Auto Show, Scion will unveil the limited edition tC Release Series 4.0 (tC RS 4.0) featuring a Galactic Gray Mica exterior, a DAMD body kit and upper grill and colour-keyed rear spoiler. Inside, the tC RS 4.0 will have gray and black Alcantara seats, “tC RS 4.0” embroidered on the front and rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a black leather and dark wood RAZO shift knob

Available at dealer showrooms beginning in March, the tC RS 4.0 will be built in only 2,300 units carrying an MSRP of $2,770 over the base price of the tC. The manual transmission tC has a base MSRP of $17,000, while the MSRP for the automatic transmission model is $17,800.

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SEMA: Scion tC by Artist Ron English

Ron English, a New York-based painter, billboard liberator, and toy designer has collaborated with Scion and several tuners to create a somewhat different customized tC Coupe. Painted in a custom purple pearl color and featuring electroluminescent lighting animating Ron English's ying-yang artwork the tC is unique in its own weird way. And because this is SEMA and not an art gallery, the tC sits on 19-in. alloy wheels complemented with 3/4" lowering springs by Eibach. -Pics & details after the jump

RON ENGLISH - SCION tC

EXTERIOR

• 19" custom billet wheels by Coddington Wheels
• 245/35/19 fk452 tires by Falken Tire
• 1 3/4" lowering springs by Eibach Springs
• Custom House of Colors purple pearl paint by Franks Autobody
• Custom hologram images by Rabbit Holes
• Custom electroluminescent lighting animating Ron English's ying-yang artwork by Lit Media Group Smoked lighting by Franks Autobody

INTERIOR

• Custom two-tone leather interior with Ron English artwork embroidered in the head rests by Bill Dunn Upholstery
• Interior accent painting by Franks Autobody
• Custom car design and coordination by Robert Wilson

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