SCION’S REAR-WHEEL DRIVE DRIFTER TO BE UNVEILED IN NEW YORK

HOT WIRE—Last year, we broke the big story on the long-anticipated Toyota FT86—i.e., it will be debuting as a Scion (See LA CAR’s “Word: Scion to Introduce High Plains Drifter”). Sources in Japan informed LA CAR that Toyota decided to badge the long-anticipated rear-wheel drive sports coupe as a Scion. On April 20th, we come one step closer to that reality, as Scion unveils its front boxer-engined, rear-drive sporty coupe “concept” at the New York International Auto Show. At last, it looks like Scion will offer a production vehicle worthy of its high caliber drift competition program (see LA CAR’s “Scion Racing Drifting into Little Tokyo’s Far East Cafe”).

The car comes not a moment too soon. Scion, Toyota’s division aimed at the youth market, had been taking more than a few knocks lately. The company made a great first impression with its first-generation products, the xA and xB (the latter now a collector’s item), but its bigger, more mature replacements, the xD and second-generation xB, were met with a mixed reception. And while the bigger and boxier-looking 2011 tC kept its youthful demeanor, Scion still didn’t have a rear-wheel drive vehicle—the kind it races so prominently in drifting competitions.

With the new “concept” car, Scion is back in the game. We can hardly wait to see this “concept” on Scion showrooms. Suddenly, it looks like we’ll be seeing more clouds of smoke billowing from the rear tires from the Scion community.