Skip to main content

This shag-swaddled Scion xB channels the ’70s right down to the CB and 8-track

With its latest batch of SEMA show cars, Scion seems to inadvertently gone back in time, dredging up some styling right out of the Disco Decade.

The top attraction at Scion’s 2014 SEMA booth will probably be the FR-S T1, which features a targa-style roof. Toyota’s youth brand might have been envisioning a poor man’s Porsche 911 Targa, but the T1 seems a bit more Smokey & The Bandit.

Those rear window slats look like they belong on a 1970s Firebird, Camaro, or Mustang. In addition to its cropped top, the FR-S gets custom 19-inch wheels, lowered suspension, and a Greddy-supplied turbocharged.

While this show car may seem to hint a production FR-S targa, don’t get your hopes up.

There have rumors of an FR-S convertible (among other things) almost since the beginning, but Toyota isn’t interested in producing any other variants of the small sports car right now.

Related: 2015 Scion FR-S gets suspension and appearance upgrades

Continuing the ’70s theme is the “Scion x Riley Hawk Skate Tour xB,” which was inspired by the “interests of professional skateboarder Riley Hawk.”

Those interests apparently revolve around retro vans, because that’s what this xB is. Check out the brown-on-brown interior, shag carpeting, and porthole side window. It’s even got a pop-up camper top and (non-functioning) dual side exhaust pipes.

Completing the trio is the “Scion x Slayer Mobile Amp tC,” inspired by, yes, the metal band Slayer. So it gets a paint job with plenty of airbrushed skulls, “sword-blade” wheels with spike center caps, and suicide doors.

It sounds like the perfect car to take out tonight for a Halloween cruise.

To help wake the dead (and your neighbors) while doing that, the customized tC has a Pioneer audio system with tower speakers, as well as a 32-inch monitor.

Scion needs to generate some excitement with modified cars because customers seem to have lost interest in the ones it actually sells. That’s why a couple of weeks after SEMA, the brand will unveil its iM concept at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.

We’ll have all of the details on that and more soon.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Tesla and Elon Musk sued over use of AI image at Cybercab event
tesla and spacex CEO elon musk stylized image

Tesla’s recent We, Robot presentation has run into trouble, with one of the production companies behind Blade Runner 2049 suing Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for alleged copyright infringement.

Tesla used the glitzy October 10 event to unveil its Cybercab and Robovan, and also to showcase the latest version of its Optimus humanoid robot.

Read more
Qualcomm wants to power your next car with the Snapdragon Cockpit and Ride Elite platforms
Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Ride Elite automotive platforms

It’s been a big year for Qualcomm. Alongside its massive launch into laptop chips through the Snapdragon X Elite series, Qualcomm is now entering the automotive space. The company has announced the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Snapdragon Ride Elite platforms at its annual Snapdragon Summit, which it flew me out to attend.

The two platforms are designed for different purposes, and can be used togetheror separately. The Snapdragon Cockpit Elite is built for in-vehicle infotainment systems and services, while the Snapdragon Ride Elite is built to power autonomous vehicle systems, including all the cameras and sensors that go into those systems.

Read more
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Read more