Scion Xb 2006 Special Release Series 4.0 on 2040-cars

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Scion FR-S may be getting supercharger kit from TRD

The Scion FR-S was just named the Hottest Sport Compact at the 2012 SEMA Show, and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) is apparently looking to make this car a little hotter. According to Car and Driver, TRD is close to coming up with a supercharger to fit to the car's 2.0-liter flat-four engine in order to squeeze out a little more performance. Currently, the FR-S produces 200 horsepower, but there's no guessing how much a supercharger could improve this figure.
With Subaru seemingly hard at work on a new turbo engine for the BRZ and even possibly a BRZ STI model, it is only logical for a force-fed FR-S to be in the works as well. Surprisingly, though, the report says that supercharger would be unique to the FR-S, but since the Scion and Subaru BRZ are mechanically identical, it isn't clear how this would be accomplished. TRD already offers plenty of upgrades for the FR-S such as exhaust, brake and suspension kits, and it offers a handful of superchargers for other models including the 5.7-liter V8 used in the Toyota Tundra and the 4.0-liter V6 used in the Tacoma.

Scion to offer redesigned xB for 2015, FR-S sedan in 2016?

The future of the Scion brand remains up in the air, with a report from a few weeks back that Toyota dealers with attached Scion franchises could drop the youth-minded brand without penalty, rarely a good sign. That report was contrasted, though, with a story out of Australia that claimed we'd see a four-door sedan based on the splendid FR-S's overseas sibling, the Toyota GT 86. Now, we're hearing that a revised xB, Scion's formerly lovable toaster, is on the way. What gives?
As for the new xB, the news comes from our friends at Edmunds, which cites an unnamed source, who claims a new box-on-wheels should arrive in 2015 as part of potentially larger push for the Japanese sub-brand. Aside from the original xB, which enjoys a strong cult following, and the FR-S, Scion has had fewer home runs than Prince Fielder's post-season.
"In the next two calendar years, we will have a blend of both upgrades to the products we have in the market and at least one new model," according to Scion's vice president, Doug Murtha, who spoke to Edmunds via phone.

PSA: Toyota wants to save your life, needs an hour of your time

Toyota wrote Autoblog to ask if we could spread the word about the Takata airbag inflator recall. Defective inflators remain installed in tens of millions of cars made by 19 carmakers, with manufacture dates that go back to the year 2000. Each inflator compounds the risk of serious injury or death in an airbag-activating crash. With a new ad campaign called "in about an hour," Toyota wants to make sure that unaware owners, or overly busy owners, know they can get their Toyota, Lexus, and Scion vehicles repaired free of charge in about the time it takes to do a load of laundry. The campaign focuses on cities in three so-called Zone A states where hot, humid climates worsen the threat of the ruptured inflators: Los Angeles, Dallas, and Miami. However, every owner everywhere who cares about his life, or his child's life, should at least check to see if his car is affected. All it takes is a quick VIN entry at the dedicated recall site at Toyota.com/Recall. The results will let you know if your car is affected and, if so, locate a local dealer for the free fix. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said the Takata affair has become "the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history." The numbers so far suggest the recall covers more than 42 million vehicles and more than 60 million airbags. Autoweek keeps an updated list of Takata information, including every make and model on the recall list. Consumer Reports published a list of frequently asked questions covering issues directly related and tangential to the recall. The 19 automakers maintain pages dedicated to the issue; Fiat Chrysler lists every relevant model and how it prioritizes repairs by Zone, Honda says it offers a free rental car while owner cars are repaired, Daimler vans says its fix only takes about an hour. And of course NHTSA serves all owners with its own VIN lookup site. We encourage you to check your vehicle — the life you save could be your own. Related Video: