Illinois isn't the first state you think of when it comes to orange juice, but this orange Scion xB certainly ranks up there with loads of juice factor. Michael Belo, owner of Driver's Image, located in Skokie, Ill, was lucky enough to get his hands on one of Scion's limited edition amber xBs, a model guaranteed to draw looks. While most folks would be satisfied there, Michael was just getting started.
Mr. Belo decided first to take advantage of DC Sports new line of Scion products. Michael selected the DC Sports 4-2-1 header, axle-back exhaust and strut bar. Sticking with DC's mother company, the xB is outfitted with an AEM Cold Air Intake. The intake draws air in from the fender well where the air is cooler and denser, providing more power to the 1.5-liter VVT-I engine. Matched with the increased exhaust flow of the DC Sports header and axle-back exhaust the xB now has the extra spunk to match its hue.
Since the xB has a very tight engine bay everything is on display. Thus, it is important to keep things tidy and looking good. This is where Injen comes in to clean things up with a polished engine cover. The Injen cover takes the place of the factory plastic cover.
How this xB rolls throughout the Midwest in its 20-inch Axis Reverb wheels, we don't know. As Turbo found out firsthand with our own project xB, rubbing was an issue with any wheels over 18 inches. The black powder coated Axis Reverb wheels features hollow spoke construction for decreased weight without sacrificing structural integrity. The machined finish on the mounting holes accentuates the wheel just right.
Driver's Image has somehow packed 225/35-20 Nitto NT-555 Extreme ZR tires under the car without excessive rubbing. Maybe they only cart around anorexic-thin Japanese car models.
Adding to the low profile is the xB's suspension setup with Ground Control coil-overs and TRD shocks. The lowered stance not only looks better but also decreases the center of gravity of the xB for better handling.
While this vehicle already draws stares because of its wild color and dub wheels, Driver's Image embellished the exterior even further by adding a three-piece billet grill by Stull. Additional exterior details include shaving the tow hook and molding in the rear lip seam. Making the chickenheads' necks spin are the X-treme Graphics and Street Glow neon kit. Now you really can't miss this gingerbread box.
Finally, this xB went to the car spa and had its interior spruced up by Momo. Decked out front to back with Momo floor mats, grids, steering wheel and shift knob and boot - can you say, ensemble? In order to feel like you are in your own personal club, interior lighting was done by Luxaura. Painting the interior bits and pieces to match the exterior color was handled by the talented group at M&B Enterprise.
While you may be lucky enough to see one of these limited edition orange juice xBs roll through a hood near you, you are unlikely to see one as fine as this. Next on the agenda for Driver's Image is to add a turbo kit to this xB to start kicking out some real power.