helloSCION
FIFTH ANNUAL SEMA SHOW BUILD-OFF
SNEAK PEEK: 2009 SCION xB TUNER CHALLENGE
What's on tap for the auto maker's fifth annual SEMA Show build-off
Scion returns to Las Vegas this November to again take part in the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. In the tradition of its past SEMA appearances, Scion will once more unveil a trio of creative project vehicles built exclusively for the xB Tuner Challenge.
With a nod to Scion's new brand manifesto - be the original, not the copy - this year's challenge brings together three of the most innovative and creative visionaries in the industry: Bowls LA, Peter Colello and Mummbles Marketing, and Eneri Abillar, who is working with Leigh Guarnieri from BRS Autodesign.
Each was handed the keys to a Scion xB urban utility vehicle to modify however they pleased. A cool $10,000 and some truly epic bragging rights are up for grabs in this year's contest.
Bowls is an upscale lifestyle boutique in Southern California that lives by the motto "Blurring the lines for all to see..." It achieves this by introducing its clientele to a blend of unique and eclectic products they may have never known existed - hard-to-find and limited goods from across a spectrum of markets that are unavailable at traditional chain stores.
For its xB Tuner Challenge entry, Bowls took design cues from a 1970 Toyota Crown pickup truck, which was never released here in the States. Described as basically the Japanese version of an El Camino, Chevy's iconic coupe utility vehicle produced in the '60s, '70s and '80s, a matching bike was also created and will sit in the bed of the "truck." The feel of the vehicle is total '70s Southern California, and Bowls is incorporating several trick elements to the project besides the truck conversion.
Colello gained notoriety with two high-profile showstoppers, a 2002 Toyota Celica GT and a 2001 Ford Focus ZTS. Under Mummbles Marketing, Colello has also helped shops and individuals build vehicles as well; among his commissions, he assisted WR Team in 2006 with the build of a Scion xA for that year's Tuner Challenge.
Colello plans to produce a well-rounded show car with pure functionality, hoping to build and expand from past projects. The project spec sheet includes embellishment like a wide-body kit, copious carbon-fiber in the hood, hatch, wing and custom roof, and a color motif of teal to tie the exterior together. Other elements include a turbo kit, air-ride suspension, TRD exhaust, and what promises to be an over-the-top in-car entertainment system, one of Colello's signatures.
Eneri Abillar boasts a design resume that merges a bi-coastal US education with a global client history. Representing an eclectic background that bridges street culture and high style, Abillar's one of the leading forces in the urban renaissance of industrial design.
When not at the drafting table or behind the acetylene torch for his day job, Eneri can usually be found modifying (and most likely, improving) motorcycles, cars and bikes that have come his way. While we could get no secrets out of Abillar about his project xB, he did supply a rendering that gives us an idea about where he's headed.
The xB Tuner Challenge xBs will be on display at Scion's booth at the trade-only SEMA Show, where each will be judged. More than 2,000 exhibitors will set up displays in over one million square feet of space at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the show, which runs from Tuesday, November 3 to Friday, November 6. For more information, visit www.scion.com and www.semashow.com.
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