Some newbies out there might think of Scion as just another automotive manufacturer spewing out small gas saving cars designated by variations of 2 or 3 letters with alternating cases. For those who really know, it’s much more than that. Scion owners are a breed of enthusiasts that cannot be duplicated. Their passion for Scion is unparalleled. It’s not a hobby, it’s a life. It’s the Scion Life.
When the first xB was unveiled in North America back in 2003, Toyota took a risk to start a new brand and bring over their rolling box into our market. The quirky styling of the first generation Scions were different from anything available at the time. Were people ready for the xB? You bet they were. In the first year, almost 100,000 Scions were sold and hit a chord with every demographic. In the blink of an eye, you would see xB’s and xA’s being represented by tuners, fabricators, racers, hip hoppers, families, old people, and young people. It was at this point that everyone recognized the Scion Life and the industry would never be the same.
Fast-forward to present day and you can’t drive one city block without seeing a Scion, either stock or fixed up. In Vancouver, Mati Ma of 604 Scion saved up his money for nearly four years in order to buy the xB that he always wanted (that’s a lot of top ramen lunches and dinners). Mati enjoys the west coast cult status of Scion but sees it spreading quickly through Canada on the eastern borders. Canadians will have no trouble customizing their rides according to Mati, “There are tons of companies making parts for Scions in a gazillion styles so it’s easy to start fixing up your car right away, customized to your own style.” His rapidly expanding group provides support, event coverage and meet-up details to BC owners and enthusiasts.
There are thousands of diehard Scion owners that devote their lives to a brand that fully embraces their supporters, which is rare in this day and age. I guarantee that if I grabbed 100 Scion owners off of the street, their descriptions of the lifestyle would have miniscule variations, if any at all. In fact, we chased down a couple more Scion owners just to prove that point.
Martin Trujillo reminisces about his first encounter with Scion as “funky, cool, and different. Like nothing I had ever seen before.” He’s met so many people by modding up his Scion that he couldn’t get out of the Scion Life if he tried, not that he wants to. When we asked Kirby Quinto what set Scion owners apart from the rest, he said “We don’t steal from each other. To me, Scion owners are how automobile enthusiasts should be. We show togetherness and embrace any new owners that introduce themselves in the scene. It’s not about how your car looks or how fast. It’s about you as a person showing love for the Scion brand.”
Scion Life is more than just a trend, it’s a worldwide movement. And if you’re lucky enough to be reading this from the front seat of your new Scion this new world will soon open up to you in time. Just remember to continue spreading the Scion Life to everyone that you come in contact with to ensure that the daisy chain will never end.
Scion Life was originally published in Issue 3 of Scion Magazine. To read more, visit scion.ca/magazine
