2005 Scion tC

The sport-coupe segment is fickle. Any new kid on the block gets 15 minutes of fevered buff-book fame and then disappears from the limelight. So, in addition to the high-testosterone fire-breather model everyone writes about, most manufacturers also offer a cheap, fuel-sipping, skinny-tired version to lure single females into buying about 60 percent of the production run. Scion is ash-canning that business model with the new tC.

First, there's no wuss version. All tCs get the "big" motor: the Camry's balance-shafted DOHC 2.4-liter four, belting out 160 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. It's bolted to a close-ratio, short-geared five-speed manual (a four-speed slushbox is available for $800). The long-wheelbase (106.3 inches) chassis is adapted from the Euro Toyota Avensis and boasts a strut-front and multilink rear suspension. Four-wheel discs with ABS are standard, as are 17-inch alloys wearing the same 215/45 Bridgestones spec'd for the Lexus IS 300.

Bog stock, it's equipped for hurrying hard, but for those who demand even more hormonal hustle, there's a catalog of factory-warranted go-fast bits, starting with a 5psi Vortech centrifugal supercharger good for 40 more horses (for about $3000). Other bonuses include higher-rate springs and struts to lower the car 1.2 inches and stiffen it (17 percent front/27 percent rear), firmer shock damping, a bigger rear anti-roll bar, and a choice of 18- or 19-inch wheels and tires.

It hangs together well. Acceleration may feel even quicker than it is, so invigorating is the engine note and so slick the shifter. The supercharger cooks, but our early sample suffered from excessive driveline lash in on-/off-throttle conditions. We'd stick with the base chassis setup and 17-inch tires. They offer the best ride/handling balance, and the 18s and 19s up the overall gearing by 1.9 and 2.4 percent, blunting acceleration a bit.