Scion Tuner Challenge 2013 - Preview
Last night we took an early look at Scion's Tuner Challenge. It's happened for at least 5 years and is always the highlight of SEMA. Three participates with different backgrounds are selected by Scion based on their proposal. Once selected they are given a car and a budget. It's their job to complete it in the time given.The celebration of being accepted is just one hurdle of many.On paper it sounds easy, on the back end, you're dealing with contracts, schedules, budget, leadership, and actual work! Your life is suddenly halted.
Yesterday afternoon around 3:00 PST I posted an image on Facebook of Josh Croll's RHD Scion tC, the first RHD tC in the world. Instantly, likes, comments, tags, and shares went along with the territory. The buzz was also because it was the first leak of the car, even for Josh.
I followed it up with Walter Franco's L-DZ concept, the Next Level VIP tC and Young Tea's Simpli_tC. Facebook algorithm sucks and stuck Walter's and Young's car together and it didn't get nearly the reach that Josh's tC got.I then took the posting to the less filtered instagram (@instadayuum) - again, likes, tags, and comments where expressed. If instagram was to tell the story it would be Simpli_tC, Croll Customs, and Namsayin, with a tight 5-6 "like" gap. It's subjective to say each participate did one thing better than another, as are the votes and opinions on social media, with trolls and naysayers.One thing is certain, a lot of sacrifices went into each and every build. Contrary to what people think, automotive gods do not fall from the sky and complete the car for you while you're on the couch watching Sport Center and picking at Beer Nuts. What's not seen on your smart phones or internet browser is the back-end of the builds. The frustrations, the challenges, the thought process, and the amount of work each and everyone put into the builds. Its simply easy to point and say, "I like this one better" because that's what us humans do. It's equally important to look at the build itself - what's their background and what inspired them to build the tC the way they did?In the end, there will be a clear winner crowned at SEMA and the battle is closer than some may think. This will be a close one, therefore the panel of judges will decide based on their criterias - whatever that may be. We've seen many upsets and triumphs at these Scion build-offs that leave people a bit confuzzled.For only the sake of a preview because its translates better live, I introduce you the three participates of the Scion Tuner Challenge.
Walter Franco's L-DZ Concept of Pacific North West
Young Tea's Simpli-tC / Meng Tea, Noel Barnum, and Hubert Barnum of Southern California
Josh Croll's RHD tC of Pennsylvania
