Viva Las Vegas. If you are an automotive car nut, there is no bigger event then the SEMA show that is held annually in Sin City. For the third consecutive year in a row Scion Corporation is having their yearly Scion Tuner Challenge competition. The Scion Tuner Challenge has become one SEMA’s main attractions over the past few years, and this year’s competition is already starting to live up to the hype.
The 2008 Scion xD Tuner Challenge pairs three of the top teams (builders and designers) from within our automotive market place in a heated head to head battle. Taking part in this year’s Scion royal rumble are three SoCal powerhouses. Team Hybrid, Auto Concepts, and Team Koshak / aLL STaR will be battling it out in the Scion booth at this years SEMA show. If this year’s competition is anywhere near as explosive as last year’s event, ladies and gentlemen get ready to see some serious fire works coming from the Scion booth.
Last week we brought you some behind the scenes sneak pics of the Team Koshak / aLL STaR Scion xD, and with SEMA just around the corner we are proud to bring you the first feature on this incredible piece of machinery.
The exterior of the Team Koshak / aLL STaR Scion xD is highlighted by the chopped of roof, a, b, and c pillars, and the all-metal back deck lid. With the roof removed it was time to re-enforce the body with a custom Unique Fabrication 6pt roll cage and tons of metal bodywork. The xD features shaved door handles, handmade steel side mirror mounts, a one off all metal rear wing, rear valance panel, rear logo panel with recessed emblem pocket, rear panel lowered 1″ lower then stock, customized the window trim and a-pillar, capped off front and rear doors, capped off b and c-pillars, and customized fender wells to accommodate the custom 19×8.5″ and 19×9.5″ wheels.
A set of authentic C-west carbon fiber mirrors (painted green), and 2008 Toyota IST front and rear emblems from Japan (painted black) were thrown into the mix to add some flavor to the exterior of the xD. The stock headlights were taken apart and painted green to follow the xD’s bodylines. They were also outfitted with Varad strobes lights and the latest version of the Ignited 8000k HID headlight bulbs. Before the xD was covered in its custom Samari Green PPG paint scheme, the Extreme Dimensions prototype body kit and Zargari Edition front grilles were test fitted for perfect fitment. Finishing off the exterior highlights is a custom two-tone black and silver pin striping done by the world-renowned pin stripper Don Q.
Under the hood of this xD is super clean and subtle. No crazy wiring, or a bundle of wires everywhere. This engine bay is so clean you can practically eat off of it. Highlighting the engine compartment is the custom ID-Tuning intake system and Nitrous Express direct port 50 shot. The NX carbon fiber solenoids, hard lined wiring, and steel braided lines really make this kit stand out. Other custom performance goodies include a polished Autogear fuel rail, Magnaflow exhaust system, cold-air intake with K&N filter, and K&N breather filter with custom brackets. The engine bay is spiced up with a complete wire tuck, green color matched valve cover, AEM oil cap and battery box holder, NRG radiator cap, Allen-head bolts, Perrin silicone hoses, and a Kinetik Power battery. If you take a closer look you will notice the custom window cowl and the 4″ adjustments made to the strut towers to accommodate the cars new ride height. Unique Fabrication raised the strut towers 4″ and customized the rear suspension with a customized rear control arm and mounting brackets. A set of TRD lowering springs were installed to help with the cars handling.
Residing nicely behind the custom prototype flat black and green pin stripped 20-spoke 19×8.5″ and 19×9.5″ wheels are a set of one-off Wilwood and Autogear big brake calipers and rotors. The 19″ flat black wheels are matched up to 215/35/19 and 235/35/19 Toyo tires.
The cockpit of the xD may look a bit tame to the untrained eye, but the closer you look the more custom work you see. There is no doubt that the Unique Fabrication 6pt roll cage and Limited Edition Status Racing / Tjin Edition racing seats highlight this ultra clean interior. Other interior accessories include Varad Vision strobe lights, custom mounted Ignited toggle and starter switches, a Shutt steering wheel, shift boot, and pedals, a NRG steering, quick release, shift knob, and harnesses. If you noticed this car is outfitted with custom upholstery consisting of mini checker blue and green plaid. These guys didn’t want to go the traditional suede route, thus opting for something a bit more unique and bold. This custom checkered plaid covers the centers of the Status Racing / Tjin Edition racing seats, the centers of the rear seats, and the front and rear door panels.
No car competing for battle would be suffice without a booming sound system. Located under the all-metal rear deck lid is a custom audio video set-up done by J&G. A custom enclosure houses the four 10″ ARC Audio subs, two ARC Audio amps, and a painted NX bottle and bottle opener. Inside the cockpit resides a set of ARC Audio mids and highs, and a custom mounted Valor TV head-unit and DVD player.
Will the Koshak / aLL STaR Scion xD be able to walk out of the Scion royal rumble as champion? Only time will tell. The battle takes place this week during the SEMA show and make sure to check back later in the week as we will be announcing the winner here first.
Team Koshak / aLL STaR consist of team founder Jim Koshak, Elizabeth Koshak, Adam Carpenter, Jordan Zargari, Brian Stevens, Gene Tjin, Neil Tjin, OMC, Keith Morris and Robin Morris.
With a maximum budget of $15,000, Team Koshak / aLL STaR counted on their great sponsors to take this project to the next level. A big shout out goes to Unique Fabrication, Tuesday Afternoon, ID-Tuning, Tjin Edition, Turtle Wax, ICE, Status Racing, Mobil 1, Nitrous Express, Varad Vision, Ignited switches, Valor DVD, ARC Audio, Kinetik Power, Autogear, Toyo Tires, Extreme Dimensions, PPG Paint, A&A Autoworks, NRG, Shutt, TRD, Magnaflow, and Perrin.
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