Scion unveiled a teaser for the 2014 tC coupe, which the company will unveil next week at the New York auto show.
This isn't it, and since Toyota just wants to give us a glimpse to foster speculation, we're going to oblige:
In a marked departure from the current-generation tC, the new car will be based heavily on the mechanicals and chassis of the 1971 Toyota Crown, known internally as "S60" but popularly as the "kujira," or "blue whale." The new tC will expand to an 8.8-foot wheelbase and feature styling exactly reminiscent of the 1970s Toyota, complete with such features as curb feelers, fender-mounted mirrors, whitewall tires and a step-nosed grille that mimics the 1963-1966 Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprint GT, or possibly a 1970 Chrysler Newport.
Toyota has not yet hinted at what engines will go in the new tC, but if historical perspective is taken into account, we can speculate that the engines will be precisely the 2.6-liter 4M 2600 inline-six with a single overhead cam and a Keihin slide carburetor, producing around 122 hp. This compares with the tC's current engine, a 2.5-liter DOHC inline-four that produces 180 hp and is shared with the Camry.
There will be four trims available: The Deluxe will come with such niceties as an AM radio, while the Super Deluxe and Super Saloon -- pictured above -- will round out the lineup. At the top of the range is a Royal Saloon, which will include such luxurious features as velour upholstery, lace curtains in the back windows, a fold-down front seat for Japanese businessmen to put their feet upon while being chauffeured, and an FM band on the radio.
The Scion tC has faced declining sales for some time now. In 2006, Scion sold nearly 80,000 tC coupes. Last year, Scion sold less than 23,000. In 1971, Toyota sold 3,934 Crowns before pulling the model from U.S. shores.
Whether this refreshed 2014 Scion Crown tC Royal Coupe Saloon can save the brand remains to be seen, but we will find out more when the tC is unveiled next week in New York, and we won't have to put up with these SEO-fueled, buzzword-generating, manufacturer-supplied teaser images.
We're done with manufacturer efforts to drag vehicle reveals out for weeks and months. It's a marketing gimmick, and it's jumped the shark -- we're taking our ball and going home. If you're desperate to catch a glimpse of some random outline (in case one might question the fact that the vehicle comes equipped with four fenders), you'll have no trouble finding the 2014 Scion tC teaser on the Internet. If you want to see an actual 2014 tC, we'll have it for you here live from the New York auto show floor next week.
Blake Z. Rong - Associate editor Blake Z. Rong has been with Autoweek since 2012 as an Associate Editor in Los Angeles. He drove his Mazda Miata across the country and believes that no man needs a car any larger or faster. Well, ok, faster, certainly. See more by this author»
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