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Scion tC Release Series 10.0 is a limited-edition sayonara

We wish Scion could have gone out with a bang. But nope, it's yet another of the brand's Release Series models. The long-running group of special editions has been hit-or-miss over the years, but seemed to find its grove with its most recent FR-S Release Series 1.0 and 2.0. This is not an FR-S Release Series, though. It's a tC. You know, the only model that won't survive the Scion brand's death. Maybe we're being mean. Scion has made some decent tweaks for its Release Series 10.0, including TRD-branded lowering springs and a TRD exhaust. The Ken Miura body kit is a highlight too, and while Toyota has slathered its Barcelona Red on plenty of vehicles, we think this Scion is the best application of the shade. Other aesthetic changes, like the black badges, gloss-black wheels, and red contrast stitching could have been kitschy, but they actually kind of work. Like all Release Series models, this special tC will be limited to just 1,200 units. Prices start at $23,985 for the manual transmission model or $25,135 for the auto-equipped car. We've got a round of live images of the new tC Release Series 10.0 from the New York Auto Show up top. Be sure to take a look – it's the last new Scion you'll ever see. Scion-ara Celebration at New York International Auto Show Includes JDM-inspired tC Coupe and Classic Concepts TORRANCE, Calif. (March 16, 2016) – Scion is not going away quietly. With a final Kei Miura-inspired tC Release Series 10.0, a display of some of its most impressive project cars, and cool swag, the Scion by Toyota booth is sure to be a flurry of activity at the New York International Auto Show, March 25 – April 3, 2016. It's only fitting that Scion closes its auto show history at New York since that's where it all began. Fourteen years ago Scion debuted its first concept vehicles and announced the new youth division for Toyota that would be a laboratory for experimentation and introduce new products and processes. That commitment to innovation carries through to the debut of Scion's final Release Series vehicle for the tC sports coupe, Scion's most popular car. Thanks to a partnership with Kei Miura, known for his JDM aerodynamic designs, the final edition MY16 tC Release Series 10.0 will leave quite an impression with enhanced performance, and aggressive exterior and interior features.

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.

Consumer Reports says infotainment systems 'growing first-year reliability plague'

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey (right) is out, and the top two spots look much the same as last year's list with Lexus and Toyota in first and second place, respectively. However, there are some major shakeups for 2014, with Acura plunging eight spots from third in 2013 to 11th this year, and Mazda replaces it on the lowest step of the podium. Honda and Audi round out the top five. This year's list includes six Japanese brands in the top 10, two Europeans, one America and one Korean.
Acura isn't the only one taking a tumble, though. Infiniti is the biggest loser this year by dropping 14 spots to 20th place. Other big losses come from Mercedes-Benz with an 11-place fall to 24th, and GMC, which declines 10 positions to 19th.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not traditional mechanical bugs hauling down these automaker's reliability scores. Instead, pesky problems with infotainment systems are taking a series toll on the rankings. According to Consumer Reports, complaints about "in-car electronics" were the most grumbled about element in new cars. Problem areas included things like unresponsive touchscreens, issues pairing phones and multi-use controllers that refused to work right.