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April 01, 2005

New Concept From Scion

The newest Toyota division shows off its latest concept vehicle here in New York.

Just three years after the introduction of the Scion brand, the youth-oriented division of Toyota debuts an all-new concept called the t2B.

Designed at Toyota's Calty Design Studio in Newport Beach, the t2B is purely a design exercise, according to Jim Farley, vice president of Scion at Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. However, the two concepts that launched the Scion brand back in 2002 were very close to the production models that followed.

The t2B features an aggressive-looking front end and a somewhat boxy form, similar to the current Scion xB. However, this concept is much more shapely, with side windows that wrap around the front of the vehicle. A large rear window is featured as well, which Scion says is part of a design theme called "demado," which is Japanese for bay window.

The wedge-shaped roof allows for the aggressive exterior while retaining a roomy interior. There are no door handles to mar the smooth lines, and a large power sliding door allows easy access from the passenger side to both the front and rear seats. On the driver's side are two rear-hinged "suicide" doors.

The interior evokes a "lounge-like atmosphere." In the ceiling are two clear panels running the length of the vehicle. Passengers would have access to movies, games or music via Internet download, and the movies can be shown on the rear glass via a ceiling-mounted projector. This effectively turns the car into an entertainment center. Of course, Farley noted, these features would be used when the vehicle is parked.

Built on an all-new Toyota platform, the t2B comes gets power from a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine.

Scion designers had plenty of other ideas, showing two models of other possibilities for this new platform in New York. The one-quarter scale models feature fastback and pickup designs.

All three Scion models currently for sale in the U.S. also began as auto show concepts that quickly made their way into production. It's a fairly safe bet that this successful brand will eventually launch another new model based on this t2B design study.

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06:09 AM in Toyota | Permalink