The art of scion

Automotive Design & Production, June, 2004 by Gary S. Vasilash

How utilizing blazingly fast product development, a realistic cost calculation system, completely engaged engineers, designers who want to achieve something different, the Toyota Production System, a different philosophy about how to bring cars to market, and more result in a coupe that ought to get Gen Y (and more) customers on the 'net (www.scion.com) or into their dealers post-haste ... and which ought to leave other vehicle manufacturers shaking their heads in wonder. Or, Meet the Scion tC.

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Toyota is really good at getting high marks on things like J.D. Power surveys. Lexus is better. Guess which one Scion wants to emulate?

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Dr. Shigeyuki Hori has a PhD in bioengineering. Which should be kept in mind when also realizing that he is the executive chief engineer for more vehicles in the Toyota Motor Corp. lineup at one time than any other chief engineer in the history of the company.

These products are:

* Prius

* Celica

* MR2

* Caldina (Japan market)

* Opa (Japan market)

* Avensis (European market) and last, but not certainly least,

* Scion tC

Recounting his time at the University of Tokyo, Hori notes, "My nine years at university taught me the importance of process and procedure, and how problem-solving can be successful when the process is unique to the problem."

Arguably, the tC project had its own share of problem-solving requirements, in as much as the goal of the team was to develop a vehicle that would be appealing to Gen Y buyers NOT because it is an econobox (which it isn't) with a bitchin' sticker of $16,475 (manual transmission-equipped, but that price includes delivery), but because it is a car with the feel and amenities that are more characteristic of higher-priced vehicles, especially Euro coupes. Hori admits, "Our goal was to give the tC the upscale look and feel, the fit and finish, and the attention to detail that approached that of a Lexus." Note two things about that statement: (1) he doesn't say that the goal is to be a Lexus or even Lexus-like, but rather that the Lexus was held up as the model to be emulated; (2) he doesn't say, "that approached that of a Toyota."

Go to School on This:

If you want to create a vehicle that overachieves, aim high.

MISSION: Possible or Why cost wizardry is crucial for making a car at this price point.

It is fairly likely that Dr. Hori didn't get the assignment on the tC because of medical studies. Rather, because he is the developer of the Toyota Cost Calculation System. He explains that when he was the assistant chief engineer working on the Corona/Carina Japan-market vehicles, he came to the realization that costs were being estimated based on relative vehicle types, which essentially made calculating the true total cost of a vehicle impossible. "If total costs were not accurate, it made it impossible to accurately figure out cost-reduction targets." So he went to work and created the Toyota Cost Calculation System. Dr. Hori says it "reflects the exact cost of each part." Which means, "With this data, we can reduce costs more effectively." (It is now used on all Toyota vehicle development programs--so one could speculate that TCCS is to product development what the Toyota Production System is to manufacturing.)

Being able to have an accurate handle on costs undoubtedly led to the ability to create a car that is priced at $16,475 and comes with standard features including:

* Panoramic power moonroof

* 17-in. alloy wheels

* Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)

* Cruise control

* Power locks, windows, mirrors

* Keyless entry

* Pioneer 160-W AM/FM/CD head unit with six speakers

* Chrome exhaust tip

* More. Lots more.

It's not surprising that one of Dr. Hori's nicknames is "Dr. Cost-Magician."

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Go to School on This:

Cost estimates get you only so far. Having a precise understanding early on keeps you from having to change the program parameters later on.

SPEED AS A WAY OF LIFE

Even though the tC is built at the Toyota Tsutsumi plant along with the Toyota Prius and Camry, cars that are, in their own realms, benchmarks, Hori and his team aimed in a different direction. It is a fair statement to say that the tC is a car of a different class. Difference is part and parcel of the Scion raison d'etre. As Jim Farley, vice president of Scion, proudly states, "The Scion tC is the very first vehicle developed exclusively and strategically for the Scion brand." It joins the xA five-door and the xB urban utility vehicle (which are built at the Takaoka Plant). Farley continues, "After nearly four years of total immersion in this vital-and-emerging culture we call 'Gen Y,' we will bring to market the most important piece of the puzzle. The coupe concept is the youth concept. Its focus is on style and freedom and personal expression--which are the core values of the Scion brand strategy." Or one might say, "the heart and soul" of the Scion brand strategy. Which brings us back to Dr. Hori. His final project in grad school involved examining "the factors that affect the rate of speed that oxygen travels through the blood. Through many experiments I found that oxygen speed depends, primarily, on blood temperature." When things heat up and the heart starts pumping, with the right focus, things can move quickly--whether we're talking oxygen or sheet metal. With the tC, Scion is speeding things up in a variety of ways, and more than in the case of the 2.4-liter, 16-valve, DOHC with VVT-i, all-aluminum engine that produces 160 hp @ 5,700 rpm and 163 lb-ft. of torque @ 4,000 rpm.