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08/04/2005: "Theatrical Vehicle Design..."

A Scion with Aftermarket Attitude
Written by Business Wire

Creativity is king in the North American automotive aftermarket. Just ask designer Troy Sumitomo, who presides over Huntington Beach, Calif.’s Five Axis Models, one of the premiere fabrication and custom car companies in the business. In an industry pegged to reach the $53 billion mark by 2006, the North American aftermarket is fueled by products and vehicle components sold for both DIY (do-it-yourself) and service provider installation. But what happens when a car company like Scion, recognized as an industry champion for creativity and individuality, asks you to create the most unique Scion image car to date? The answer is plenty.

As Five Axis’ reputation and business grew, the group began to branch out into concept and design work on show cars – now considered their bread and butter business.

Scion began working with Five Axis in a “redesign” capacity in 2004 when the company was first tasked to transform a Scion xB into a mobile DJ vehicle – complete with state-of-the-art sound equipment and DJ turntable platform. Aided by StudioTools software, Five Axis dramatically enhanced body proportions in many areas, ultimately increasing the xB’s body width by eight inches, extending the distance below the stock body by three inches and chopping the roof by four inches. A motorized DJ platform, containing multiple turntables and a mixer, was then designed to slide out from the rear of the car. An award-winning “lifestyle” vehicle was born.

With one Scion image car under their belt, Five Axis was next commissioned to create a car with even more “wow factor” from its tC sport coupe. Following up the xB was no easy task, but the results, complete with a 43" large plasma screen housed in the car's rear, speak for themselves.

All body panels on the tC's lime pearl-painted exterior were redesigned using StudioTools, including the front and rear fenders, front and rear bumper, quarter panels, and rocket rocker panels. Inside, StudioTools was also a contributing factor in the engineering of a true “first-ever”design for Scion – with the push of a button, the tC’s rear hatch lid slowly rises skyward revealing a complete audio/video system (housed in the rear cargo area) that would make even the most ardent stereophile jealous. From start to finish, this Scion tC’s transformation to a home theatre on wheels took under five months to complete.

Having now made a number of appearances at industry auto shows and other various events, this particular tC also takes on the role of a highly effective promotions vehicle as Alias SketchBook™ Pro, Image Studio™ and Portfolio Wall™ software are all loaded on to the car’s giant plasma screen. The end result: a mobile arsenal of design and presentation tools allowing for visual and compelling two-way communications by creating, capturing, organizing, annotating and communicating ideas and concepts in 3D form.

This article and image were found on the www.speedtv.com website, and you can find the orginal article here.