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Originally Posted by matadormi5
We won't know until it goes on sale, but Scion could be creating a marketing scheme made specifically for this car. Car companies stir up new mottos, taglines, etc etc. all the time. Some even go through a complete re-imagination. There is the chance that Scion will be "reborn".
If this "new scion" is all about giving more cool cars then I'm all for it.
If they think they can just squeeze the 86 into the current Scion then I will have to side with all of you saying it will end badly.
Depends on how specific. If you only target 18yr old males, that's too specific, because you're right in saying their ideals and preferences change each generation. I think Scion right now is just on the edge of being too specific.
Car brands are purposely geared towards a set group of people. If everyone was making everything it'd be a bit strange. Buick is geared towards the older individual in a way that Subaru would never be, or probably would never want to be. When you target a general age group, you can be assured that the there will always be a new set to replace the old (When teens become adults, kids become teens and thus fills the void. cycle cycle cycle.)
I think Scion's decline in sales is due more to the fact that they haven't made any progress since their debut line. The newest model they've added is the tC and that was all the way back in 2004/05 and it's revamp this year isn't as great as it should be.
The 2nd generation of the xB and the xA/xD weren't great leaps forward either. Added onto that the countless hoards of "release edition" models with nothing more than fancy paint and a higher price tag.
When has company made more money by not doing anything? Hopefully they are now aware of this.
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The problem with Scion's image is that it is already somewhat a 'performance' image. Based on their concepts and the money they throw at real race teams to stick 'Scion' appearances on cars completely unrelated to the cars people buy. (Titan 2JZ powered 'Scion'???)
This has created a backlash in the real performance community. Plus all their retarded Scion Nation ads, and spamming the import shows with terrible Fast and Furious versions of 'custom' cars.
This will not go away with the FT86 as a halo car. The dealers are still geared up to sell stereos and cosmetic garbage to people who want to 'customize' their cars.
What we will get will be an odd mix of a very few legitimately fast cars given to certain companies to promote the brand, and a ridiculous amount of riced-out show and street cars.
April's Import Tuner magazine has a feature on a couple of Scion tC's (as well as my buddy's Supra). They won first and second place in the Scion Tuner Challenge. First, neither of these guys bought the cars. They were given to them by Scion. Secondly Scion gave them $15K each to mod them. Plus it's only for Scions (obviously).
The second place car, looks all racey and track built. The reference Rado in the text. But, never been on the track and never will be. As for its second place finish:
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John's track-prepped tC clinched Second. Some think it got robbed, but John's not surprised. "There's no audio at all," he says. "That alone made it a long shot, but I'm OK with it."
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No audio. No win. Sheesh...
The first place 'tuner' (with massive subs and airbag suspension!) doesn't even know how to put directional tires on properly on his staggered (not FWD staggered) rims... (Photo page 50)
That's what Scion wants. A race car that will never race, and a ridiculous riced-out and bagged car with directional tires on backwards.
But for what? Do these guys get to keep them? Nope. They go back to Scion to be used in the ads of show cars they use to promote customization, but always with the:
"Vehicles shown are special project cars, modified with non-Genuine Scion parts and accessories. Modification with these non-Genuine Scion parts or accessories will void the Scion warranty, may negatively impact vehicle performance and safety, and may not be street legal."
disclaimer.
They will use a custom car to sell their cars, then threaten to void warranties if you don't use their Genuine Scion parts. Horseshit. But this has led to the sense that most Scion customized cars are flamboyant riced-out, stereo filled crap, as a lot of the drivers do exactly what the brand wants them to. Buy their crap over-priced dealer options.
(BTW both those cars have turbo kits, and even if there was a third car with the same power, they wouldn't top my buddy's Supra's power.)
Think of the ricer image. Adding a legitimate product to a brand that already has a ricer reputation, isn't going to cure the reputation, as the ricers are still there. I liken this to Toyota putting a gun to my head to switch brands and hang out with ricers. To that I say 'Fuck you, Toyota. That Subaru looks like a nice option.' Now with the many people that may feel the same way as me, going to Subaru for this car, there is immediate lost sales potential right there. This includes mature former Supra, MR2 or Celica owners that maybe the kids have grown up and its time to buy a fun car, but stepping 'down' to a Scion doesn't cross their mind (maybe they go IS, Miata or 1 series, who knows?)
Bottom line, look at the sales figures I posted. The disgruntled former fans won't help Scion increase their sales by the nearly
120,000! annual units that it has lost since 2006. It will be an expensive showroom car, that gets passed over, and dealers dislike because it's harder to sell to the Scion-target market. The sales don't go up. It gets labeled a failure and it and the whole dying brand gets canned.
Just like Saturn.
(Worst case scenario.)