The Scion $1000 Military Rebate

Scion thanks the men and women of the U.S. Military for their service and dedication to defending our country. If you are a member of the U.S. Military with current active duty status or an inactive reservist, you may qualify for a $1,000 rebate towards the purchase or lease of a new Scion when financed or leased through a participating Scion dealer and Toyota Financial Services (TFS).

Stillen wants you to design its FR-S body kit

There is little doubt that the darling of this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas will be the Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S twins. Stillen is one of many aftermarket tuners hoping to capitalize on the popularity of these two cars, and, in addition to developing performance parts like a cold-air intake, cat-back exhaust, big brake kit and sway bars, will reveal its first body kit for the FR-S in November at the big show in Vegas. The thing is, while Stillen is working on the performance parts, it wants you to design the body kit.

Stillen is now accepting submissions for a contest to design its new FR-S body kit, and what we like in particular about this competition is that you don't have to be a professional designer to win. Stillen is providing the templates to work with, so all you have to do is draw or render what you think the kit should look like from various angles. The contest rules say not to worry if you don't render 3-D objects for a living; judging will be done on shape and design rather than how well you can arrange 1s and 0s.

Submissions will be accepted until August 14th, after which Stillen will choose the top five entries and let the winner be decided by popular vote on Facebook. That person will get a two-night trip to Vegas to attend the SEMA Show in person where his/her design will be unveiled before it goes on sale to the public.

Official Batmobile documentary cometh

A new documentary is setting out to discern exactly where Batman gets his wonderful toys – more specifically, the Batmobile. The film will feature interviews with notable Batman movie directors including Chris Nolan, Joel Schumacher and Tim Burton, as well as actors like Christian Bale and even Adam West. From the looks of things, the documentary delves into every aspect of the Batmobile's evolution, from the early comics to the animated series and everything in between. With plenty of in-movie footage and words from stunt drivers and creators like George Barris, this looks to be the final word on epic transportation in Gotham City.

Visitors to this year's Comic-Con were treated to a special preview of the film, though the rest of us will have to wait until the holiday season to get a hold of either the digital download or a Blu-ray copy. In the meantime, you can check out a pretty nifty trailer for the Batmobile documentary below.

Toyota Proposal: Man Proposes With Toyota Commercial-Inspired Music Video

From flash mobs to lip-dubbing, the bar for marriage proposals keeps being raised higher and higher. The latest evidence comes from a man named Danny, who put together a photo montage of moments with his girlfriend Robin and set them to music, telling the story of their relationship.

The video begins with a photo of Danny jumping next to his Toyota by himself, with a caption below the image reading, "It all began with a lonely, lonely boy..." The image is reminiscent 1990's Toyota commercials, in which the company's tagline was "I love what you do for me, Toyota." The story then continues with Danny meeting Robin and the two taking the big step of posing for pictures together.

Danny described the origins of his proposal idea in a post on the website Ring On The Finger:

“I am a traveling salesman, and I would always take pictures of my self jumping by my Toyota (like the old Toyota commercials). I would set up my tripod and camera and take these pictures alone. Then I started dating Robin and we started taking our own “freeze frames” (as we called them) where we would drive to random places and set the camera and timer up and do silly things," he wrote.

Toward the end of the video, the photos stop and viewers see Danny taking Robin to a scenic overlook. She thinks they're about to take another jumping picture, but instead of landing on two feet, Danny gets down on one knee.

With that, the music changes to "She Said Yes" by Mumford & Sons and the captions get funnier; in one, Danny notes that, in addition to saying yes, Robin's is crying and making "mouse-like noises."

University Toyota July Service Specials!

As Car Sales Surge, AOL Autos and Toyota Unveil Powerful New Online Tool to Help Consumers Find the Perfect Ride

As the automotive industry continues to post its highest sales since 2005, AOL Autos and Toyota today announced the launch of a next-generation online search tool that helps consumers find the perfect car for their lifestyle. Whether someone has young children, wants to go green, participate in outdoor sports or has an icy commute in colder months, "ChooseControl" ( http://autos.aol.com/choosecontrol/ ) allows a potential car buyer to search for automobiles based on the largest range of social demographics currently available. The tool also incorporates dynamic and customized video into the experience to help the car buyer visualize how the vehicle matches their unique lifestyle.

"For the first time since the U.S. recession, consumers are headed back to automotive dealerships in droves," said David Kiley, editor-in-chief of AOL Autos. "As they consider their first new car purchase in years, consumers need help navigating the explosion of new options and technologies that greet them. ChooseControl goes well beyond traditional auto search parameters to help consumers select an automobile perfectly tailored to their unique needs--before they even visit a car lot to take a test drive."

The launch of ChooseControl represents the first time a creative brand company like AOL has teamed with an automaker to deliver this type of robust search tool to consumers; Toyota will serve as the product's initial sponsor and launch partner. ChooseControl will also include search results from every major car manufacturer in the industry, ensuring that consumers have the most extensive range of options available to meet their needs.

"This is truly the smartest car configurator available on the Web," said Tim Armstrong, Chairman & CEO of AOL. "ChooseControl marries AOL's technical vision and deep understanding of consumer online behavior with Toyota's expertise around consumer car buying preferences to put an incredible amount of information and decision-making power at consumers' fingertips."

"The vast array of options available to automotive buyers today can make the purchase experience overwhelming for consumers, particularly those who have been out of the market for a while," said Dionne Colvin, National Media Marketing Manager, Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. USA. "We are thrilled to partner with AOL to bring consumers a new tool that will change the way people shop for cars, making it a more personal and efficient experience."

"Consumers are looking for information when shopping, with more and more buyers headed to both OEM and third party web sites. The ChooseControl configurator will play an important role in the research that goes into a new vehicle purchase," said John Lisko, Executive Communications Director, Saatchi & Saatchi LA. "This new tool in the automotive landscape will change the way consumers shop for their next car, and we're proud to have strategically worked with AOL on the development from conception to completion."

Broken down into search options that include definitive lifestyle parameters, consumers can narrow their auto search by:

-- About You (Single Male or Female, Small or Large Family)

-- Work (Executive, Hard Worker, Long Commute)

-- Play (Outdoors, Gardening/Home, Music, Shopping, Travel, Tech/Info)

-- Live (Big & Tall, Eco-Friendly, Inclement Weather, Pets)

In addition to a broad set of search parameters, the use of original video also makes ChooseControl distinct in the marketplace. As car shoppers input their social demographic criteria, the tool creates a personalized vignette of how the car will accommodate their specific lifestyle. For example, an avid skier may see a video of how his skis will load onto the roof rack of the specific car that has been recommended. More than 600,000 video combinations were created by StudioNow, part of AOL's Advertising.com Group, which enables companies to create, manage and syndicate high-quality online videos by tapping into our network of nearly 5,000 videographers around the world. In addition, AOL Autos will integrate ChooseControl into its Facebook page, offering consumers the tool's full functionality as they begin a car search.

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Three athletes. One dream. One team. Share this video, then follow their journey. #TeamToyota

2013 Scion tC Release Series 8.0 Priced

The 2013 Scion tC Release Series 8.0 starts at $22,545 for the six-speed manual transmission model, reflecting a $3,090 premium over the base 2013 Scion tC. The price includes a $730 destination charge.

The uplevel 2013 Scion tC Release Series 8.0 with a six-speed automatic transmission starts at $23,595. The special model goes on sale in late July.

Scion said only 2,000 units of the 2013 Scion tC Release Series 8.0 will be built.

The base 2013 Scion tC with a manual transmission starts at $19,455, including shipping. The base 2013 Scion tC with an automatic transmission starts at $20,455, including shipping.

The 2013 tC RS 8.0 is decked out in Absolutely Red exterior paint, accented by gloss black sideview mirrors and black 18-inch alloy wheels. It also gets a five-piece body kit inspired by Troy Sumitomo of customizer Five Axis. The kit includes front and rear lower valences, side skirts and a rear spoiler.

Performance parts from Toyota Racing Development include lowering springs and an exhaust system integrated into the center of the rear lower valence.

The cabin gets sporty seats with texturized black fabric accented by red stitching.

Six-speed automatic models get steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Each car comes with a numbered badge.

Inside Line says: One way to make your 2013 Scion tC stand out from the crowd.

Watch the most epic Toyota GT 86 review to date

By now, you've likely absorbed every last ounce of ink, both physical and virtual, spilled on the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S and Toyota GT 86 triplets. You've watched the videos, poured over the press releases and configured your own. And while your waking moments may be filled with imaging what it would be like to cane the 2.0-liter terror across Europe, odds are you haven't actually done the deed. Nino Karotta has, and he's been kind enough to document the excursion for the rest of us.

Unlike most of the ham-fisted video reviews of the trio we've seen so far, this one delves well beyond the fact sheet to give us a glimpse of what the car is actually like to operate. Karotta takes the GT 86 from the twisting mountains of France across Germany via the Autobahn and into Austria for a date with his own AE86.

With a stellar soundtrack, beautiful videography and insightful commentary, the video is what all reviews should strive to be. How does the newcomer stack up against its ancestor? We won't spoil it for you. Check out the clip below. You'll be glad you took the time.

Cars.com reveals American Made index for 2012

Put on your flag shorts and Liberty Bell hat. Cars.com has released its American-Made Index, proclaiming that four out of the top five American-made vehicles are Japanese brands.

The Toyota Camry, built in Kentucky, was ranked the most American vehicle sold today, with the Michigan-built Ford F-150 coming in as the second-most American vehicle. The Honda Accord, Toyota Sienna and Honda Pilot round out the top five. And yes, all of these models are available in red, white or blue.

Cars.com's criteria for selecting the most American vehicle includes sales volume, percentage of American sourced parts and where the vehicle is assembled. Vehicles must have at least 75 percent domestic parts to even qualify for the list, which kept the F-150 off last year.

Did you know about the Scion $1000 military rebate?

Scion thanks the men and women of the U.S. Military for their service and dedication to defending our country. If you are a member of the U.S. Military with current active duty status or an inactive reservist, you may qualify for a $1,000 rebate towards the purchase or lease of a new Scion when financed or leased through a participating Scion dealer and Toyota Financial Services

Toyota, BMW to build sports car together, share tech

Toyota and BMW announced a broad deal today to work on a platform for an eco-friendly high-performance sports car -- as well as to expand their battery tech deal signed last year to include tech sharing on electrified and fuel cell powertrains and weight-saving materials.

BMW also supplies Toyota with small diesel engines for the European market.

The new deal would give BMW access to Toyota expertise in electrified vehicles and Toyota access to BMWs strength in premium performance vehicles.

"BMW knows how to make a car perform," Toyota President Akio Toyoda said at a press conference with BMW chief Norbert Reithofer, at BMW's Munich HQ, reports Bloomberg News. "I am the one who is most looking forward to a sports car that is environmentally friendly."

"We aim to further strengthen our competitive position in sustainable future technologies," said a statement from Reithofer.

BMW is developing a line of electrified cars, called its "i" brand, and has invested also in the U.S. in lightweight carbon fiber technology. It has shown concepts for a carbon-bodied i3 small electric sedan and i8 hybrid sports car and said they will roll out 2013-14.

The Toyota-BMW link comes after BMW said this week that it was dropping talks with General Motors for tech sharing on fuel cells. The company also said it was reviewing its deal with Peugeot for small engines in light of GM's deal to buy a stake in the French automaker.