Unlike Subaru->ke86, Scion->ke79 is still a relative newbie to the Rally America scene, having only raced in the series for one year before this season. But now that it's got its maiden experience out of the way, Scion is preparing to be more of a factor in the series' two-wheel-drive class.

Championing their cause is the new 2013 Scion xD Rally Car, an innocuous model that has been turned into a full-fledged rally car with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that has likewise been force-fed with a GReddy turbocharger. Add some rally-spec components, redesign the interior for rally purposes, slap on the obligatory sponsor logos, and you have a race car that's primed and ready to get down and dirty.

The make the xD Rally Car more competitive this year, scion bumped up its horsepower – the amount remains undisclosed, of course – added in an all-new suspension system and better balanced the awkward-looking xD’s weight distribution.

Of course, Scion has no illusions of being a straight-up contender to the mighty Subaru team. But considering that they're just entering their second year of competition, we'd be very disappointed if Scion doesn't build on the foundation they set last year and get some winning results in the two-wheel-drive class.

Click past the jump to read Scion's full press release

2013 Scion xD Rally Car

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  • Model: 2013 Scion xD Rally Car
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