Supercharged Scion tC

The few who know William Law can attest to his love and devotion towards all things in the automotive performance world. Since fixing up his first car, Law has dabbled in building some of the most memorable show cars to grace numerous magazines. In 2005, Law was given an opportunity by Scion Corporation to build a vehicle noteworthy of the S-badge name. Given a two-month deadline before the car was scheduled to be unveiled at SEMA, the pressure was on to build the Scion. Law, employed under Design Motorsports Engineering Inc. (DME) as office manager set off to reconstruct the entire vehicle with the help of fellow employee Jimmy Le, while envisioning the finished project to encompass the virtues of a versatile street car that can turn heads while putting egos on check during any stoplight confrontation.

It's often been said that the Scion TC's engine delivers good acceleration with plenty of torque but often falls flat on its face when looking to peg the tachometer. Law experienced the mishap firsthand and was determined to quickly solve the problem with a simple yet logical solution-forced induction. With the aid of a TRD supercharger kit, the mild mannered TC transforms into a formidable force on wheels. With a sudden stab of the accelerator, the TC's 2AZ-FE powerplant comes to life as a Vortec V-5 centrifugal supercharger, capable of flowing up to 475 hp at 20psi feeds the 2.4-liter machine through a custom ported throttle body and port matched intake manifold. A set of upgraded 400cc/min injectors pulse in rapid succession as a blend of air and fuel enters the cylinder head. The mixture quickly combusts under the HKS Iridium spark plugs before making its way into a DME 4-1 stainless steel header. Spent gases are finally huffed out the tail section of the TC with the aid of a DME 60mm axle-back full stainless exhaust system, complete with a removable silencer. Combining the current boost pressure of 7psi along with a re-flashed ECU to accommodate the TC's newfound horsepower, the white horse comes in at a respectable 240 wheel hp.

The factory 225-width tires proved to be too small in diameter for this forced induced machine as Law often found himself roasting the front tires with every engagement of the ACT Extreme clutch. After much deliberation on wheel selection, Law decided upon bolting on a set of 19x8 Volk Racing Progressive ME wheels and wrapping them in 225/35/19 Falken ST115 tires. All four tires were mounted and balanced by The Wheel Supply in Walnut, Calif. Combining a larger wheel diameter and more horsepower under the hood created a formula that would only be solved by improving upon the factory brakes. Law enlisted the help of Stoptech in providing their 4-piston big brake kit with slotted rotors in the front while the rears received a set of Power Slot rotors and Pagid street version brake pads. Stainless steel lines were also installed to improve on the pedal feel. Looking to acquire a more aggressive stance for the TC, Law researched the market on the most reputable suspension sold for his TC and came across none other than TEIN. A set of TEIN Super Street (SS-P) coilovers complete with 16-level damping force control and pillowball upper mount not only helped to lower the vehicles stance but improved the TC's handling over the stock suspension.