Turbo Magazine - Supercharged xB
From SCION-TECH : The Scion Resource : tC, xA, xB, xD
This article covering the extremely modified and supercharged Scion xB was featured in Turbo & High Tech Performance magazine. Starting with a standard Scion xB, the team used high quality components from companies such as Blitz, Wilwood, and Momo to enhance the performance and looks of this box-car racer. Scion was so impressed with this build that they grabbed it for their own tour making appearances in some of the largest auto shows across the country.
There's no such thing as having too many cars. You need a daily driver, usually a nice four door like an E-class Mercedes, a Lexus GS300, or an Infiniti G35. Then there's your fun ride, something sporty like a Supra twin-turbo or an NSX. You also need a car to haul your junk around, like a good truck or SUV. And lastly, you should have a weekend cruiser that you can roll to the local hang out. That's where the Scion xB comes into play.
The first stop was Blitz North America for a supercharger kit, which pumps out 6 psi of boost and really moves the Scion xB. Dyno testing showed the kit produces an additional 25 percent more power. Let's just say our boosted 1.5-liter surprised a couple of Civic drivers who thought they'd take us out.
Scion is a new youth division of the Toyota Motor Company. Turbo magazine teamed up with Earl Mangune of PDO Parts in Irwindale, Calif., to trick out one of the first Scion xBs in the states for the 2002 SEMA Show. We received the vehicle only five weeks before SEMA, so it was crunch time. Fortunately, we already had plenty of performance parts lined up for the car.
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Next we focused on the braking and suspension systems. Blitz's set of lowering springs gave the Scion xB the tough cruiser look we wanted. Wilwood helped us custom fabricate a six-piston caliper and 13-inch rotor brake upgrade for the front and a stout four-piston caliper and 13-inch rotor setup out back. Making the most significant rolling statement are the 18x7.5 Professor SP-1 forged aluminum wheels made by Speed Star Wheels Japan wrapped with Toyo gumballs.
Along with the supercharger kit, we installed a transmission cooler to help keep the oil in the tranny at optimal operating temperatures. Blitz DC gauges (boost, oil temp, oil pressure) were custom installed into the dashboard. A Blitz Power Meter keeps tabs on how much power we are putting to the ground at all times. Rounding out the Blitz electronics is a FATT DC turbo timer allowing the engine to cool after a long drive.
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With the suspension squared away, the interior was next. The driver and passenger seats were replaced with Momo Street Racer GTs that were restitched in a silver-and-blue suede trim. The rear seat and door panels were also restitched by Katzkin Leather Interiors to match the front seat. A blue interior lighting kit from Scion, which complements the blue interior trim, completed the interior. Four-point Momo seatbelt harnesses and pads round out the interior mods.
Lastly, a sound system from Pioneer was added by Brandon Inoue of Sound Q. The trunk houses four TS-W1041C 10-inch Pioneer subwoofers and four GM-X962 760-watt two-channel amplifiers. There are four TS-D160R 6.5-inch speakers in the four doors and two 4-inch speakers in the dash. A custom 4-inch center channel was added below the ashtray for the full surround sound effect. For a visual sensory overload, we added an AVH-P7490DVD in-dash TV/DVD player, one AVD-W6000 6.5-inch monitor and one AVR-W6100 overhead monitor. The entertainment system is pumping more than 3,000 watts of power to the 11-speaker system.
Since completing the Scion in late October 2002, we've seen the vehicle for a total of only 30 days. Scion was so impressed with "The Box" that the company has toured the vehicle nationwide. "The Box" has been shown at the 2003 L.A. Auto Show, 2003 Detroit Auto Show, 2003 New York Auto Show, 2003 Chicago Auto Show and 2002 SEMA. Scion has also taken it to all the Hot Import Nights and I drove it on our Trek 2 Sonoma event.
