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Toyota Pro/Celebrity race switching from Scion tC to FR-S [w/video]

Toyota has announced that the rear-wheel-drive Scion FR-S will replace the front-wheel-drive Scion tC as the racecar used by actors, singers and celebrities of all grades in its annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. It's the first time a rear-drive vehicle has been used for the event in 27 years, with the tC having been in use since 2005, and the FWD Celica before that. This year's race takes place on April 20th amidst the festivities of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend.
The racing FR-S, which debuted today at the Chicago Auto Show, won't be left stock either, but rather outfitted with a range of official Toyota Racing Development parts and equipment, such as a stainless steel exhaust, new coil overs and springs, upgraded brakes, a bigger air intake and 18-inch wheels, not to mention all of the safety equipment required to keep the celebrities and pro drivers safe. The company says the performance mods have lifted horsepower to 210 from the standard car's 200. Check out the build process for the cars in the video below to see just how much work's been done.
The Toyota Pro/Celebrity race is also about more than just letting celebrities and pros do battle on a road course. The spectacle helps raise money for "Racing for Kids," a non-profit charity that supports children's hospitals in the US.

Scion pondering move upmarket?

Scion is simultaneously celebrating its ten-year anniversary with the 10 Series models and trying to figure out what to do with itself over the next ten years. Once a go-to consideration for young, first-time buyers who wanted something cool and different, in 2013 it has a model everyone is still talking about in the FR-S, a model few are still talking about in the iQ, and three models in between in the tC, xB and xD that make everyone wonder, "What happened?"
Automotive News spoke to Toyota's North American CEO, Jim Lentz - he was the VP in charge of Scion when it launched - about the options, and Lentz said one of them could be a move upmarket to challenge the established luxury brands that are moving downmarket. "There's going to be a big need in the $25,000 range for a fun-to-drive, nice-looking, value-oriented product," he said, and the FR-S, which starts at $25,255, could provide the platform for Scion to climb up a notch or two in price and perception. An idea like this could conceivably work in tandem with a proposal to move entry-level Scion products over to the Toyota brand - but remember, this is all just ideas on a whiteboard at the moment.
As opposed to an "entry-luxury fighter," the brand could swing back to the other option that was considered when it was formed, directly challenging the Korean makes that have usurped its cachet with first-time buyers. Lentz said Scion could go either way, and the tone of the piece seems to indicate that the final direction is still a ways away from being resolved.

Toyota confirms C-HR crossover to debut at Geneva

With the compact crossover segment booming with new entries, Toyota soon intends to burst into the popular market with a production version of the C-HR concept. The rakishly styled, little CUV will show off its final face at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show next March, and European sales will start before summer, Autocar reports. Customers in the US will likely get to drive the angular model, too. The C-HR concept's chiseled shape is expected to make the transition to the road largely unaltered. According to Autocar, customers reportedly really dig the razor-sharp look versus a more conventional CUV design. A hybrid is also expected to be included in the production powertrain lineup, but non-electrified options could be available, too. The Japanese automaker last displayed the C-HR at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Underneath the avant-garde shape, the Toyota New Global Architecture provided the underpinnings, and a hybrid powertrain was there for propulsion. The concept's general design idea was actually the revival of a three-door crossover from the 2014 Paris Motor Show. In addition, the production C-HR is expected eventually to arrive in the US but likely wearing a Scion badge. Spy shots highly suggest that a crossover is already under development, and the entry would give the division a much-needed challenger to the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, and plenty of others. Plus, the brand is keeping it absolutely no secret that a third, new model is on way to join the iA and iM.