[Scion iM News 1]

Congratulations to illest for winning the 2015 Scion iM Tuner Challenge this past weekend at the LA Auto Show! Details about the judging process has not been released yet but there has been an influx of images on Instagram. Scion may release more information this week but until then, enjoy these pictures taken at the event.

Crooks&Castles came in second place with a $5,000 prize.

Here are the competitors with their trophies!

And here is the Mark Arcenal in front of his winning Scion iM.

Did you guys expect this at all? Last time we saw the voting results Crooks&Castles was the fan favorite.
If you don't agree with the judging, let us know why.

 

[Briggs]

They were both pretty nice so I would guess that it was probably pretty close in the end.

 

[S-Factor]

I actually thought Crooks&Castles would win since they had more fan votes even though I was rooting for illest. Guess what the judges thinks weighs more in the final score.
Think illest may have won 10k. That was the grand prize last year. They both get to walk away with a nice cheque.

 

[Patrick.S]

****, I didn't see this coming, but it might be due to the fact that people are tired of seeing just ANOTHER liberty walk/rocket bunny vehicle, so seeing something more uncommon wakes them up.

 

[sr5toy]

That's the iM I voted for at SEMA. A more cleaner looking car in person.

 

[S-Factor]

The illest one isn't more uncommon but maybe it won because it's closer to the stock body and people can look at it and say "yea, I can do that to my own iM".
And yup, Mark won 10k.

 

[Patrick.S]

Maybe.

In the end I liked how these turned out which to me were much better than the Scion iA Tuner Challenge.

 

[ToddMS]

The illest one isn't more uncommon but maybe it won because it's closer to the stock body and people can look at it and say "yea, I can do that to my own iM".

That's why I thought Illest would win. If this was another fr-s or tC sure wheel arches and nitrous, but for an iM the VIP is the better upgrade.

 

[Patrick.S]

That's why I thought Illest would win. If this was another fr-s or tC sure wheel arches and nitrous, but for an iM the VIP is the better upgrade.

Might as well look good while you're low and slow

 

[S-Factor]

Lol, it's no longer low and slow.

Just hoping they will use it one day.

 

[S-Factor]

I found this on the Scion news page!

The judge's feedback accounts for 80% of the final score and the online polls makes up for the other 20%. They all unanimously voted for Arcenal’s iM so it was a clear cut win.

Here's the feedback from the three judges:

“Both iMs were nicely built, but in the end I had to go with the illest car. Mark and his team did a nice job of infusing their brand, along with great detail work and great craftsmanship.” – Keith Charnovia, Speedhunters
“When you pit two creative heavy hitters together like illest and Crooks, you’re going to get a high level of competition. I feel Mark’s car had a solid concept and they executed with flawless precision.” – Taro Koki, GT Channel
“With a new Scion vehicle that has no aftermarket support, I believe both builds pushed the boundaries of what many thought was possible with the new iM. In the end, it was a very close call for me; however, Mark’s clean VIP approach was consistent throughout the build and was executed exceptionally well.” – Sam Du, Super Street

 

[Patrick.S]

What probably impacted them winning was the well rounded list of modifications:

Parts list:

• Dark Grey color change with Safari wrap
• Brembo 4-piston caliper with a 380mm disc
• Rotiform 1 of 1 RSE mesh 19″ wheels
• Rays Engineering Lug Nuts
• Toyo Tires 225/35R19
• Air Lift Performance 3H Digital Air Suspension
• MB Quart Separates, Amplifiers & Subs
• Suede & Leather Interior by DJ Designs
• Momo Motorsports Shift Knob
• Vip’d Out Front and Rear Trays

and long with how it was all executed, with great attention to detail:

 

[S-Factor]

Would like to know why they didn't choose Crooks&Castles. Did they do something wrong in their execution?