Scion Hako Coupe concept
March 21, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
Toyota’s niche U.S. manufacturer, Scion, has come out with what can potentially be called, the world’s ugliest – ever- concept car. Say hello to the Scion Hako Coupe concept.
Taking its inspiration from the Scion xB, which is a bad place to start, the Hako Coupe is supposedly a play on the growing interest in vintage American styles in Japan.
Scion has put Japanese design into American vintage style and, well, it has created a monster.
The high roof is connected to a flat windscreen, which according to the company is “ready to attack the road”, what that actually means is beyond us. Perhaps after the attack the car might look better?
Then there is the trapezoidal LED headlights and taillights which look like they were designed by a mad man. At least we like the deep 18-inch wheels.
We also like the massive panoramic glass roof that lights up the interior with natural light. The rest of the interior is an attempt to blend orange and black in every way imaginable.
The gear shifter is a joytstick and there is a big engine start button on the steering wheel. The entertainment system is out of pimp-my-ride with two dash-mounted video screens with Bluetooth connectivity to upload music and videos.
But it gets better, there is a monitor on each door which, wait for it, display images from cameras set below the A-pillar. After the car has stopped, the images can be downloaded to a PC to form a pictorial album of the journey!
Thankfully, Scion has no plans to turn this concept into a production model.
Print it: 
I cant see what was the point of this car? Was it a ultra fancy hybrid? maybe a diesel motor connected to a electric motor, making it a diesel electric? no its a brick with LCD screens inside. If this was to showcase toyotas design talent, i think they seriously need some help.
There are no details on the Drivetrain, so it was basically to show off what would happen if American vintage and Japanese style came together, not a very good example.
Goddamn, that has got to be the ugliest car EVER! Forget Nissan Micra, this is an Uglier car!
I literally spew my coffee on the screen with that one.
dont worry its just basically an xB with a PT cruiser inspired below the belt line styling….
WTF that is the fugliest car ever
I dont see the problem – it looks fine to me – could not be fuglier than a PT Cruiser. Thumbs up from me.
I wouldnt say that this car was ugly………..but if did come to production it will be just another underpowered box on four wheels!
I think it looks cool to me and unique style. :p I’d like to have one
Hideous.
OH SH*T!!!!!!
:(
I thought I couldn’t have seen anything uglier after I saw the Nissan Cube last night……BUT THIS IS FREAKING WORSE!!!
I thought future cars were supposed to be aerodynamic.
Toyota attacking again…. I think it looks awesome, another reason why Toyota is number 1, I suspect it will be a future success.
NOT. Dont know what the point of it is, imagine how much money went into design this POS! Better off giving it to a charity then giving us oral diarrhea
Hmm, I can see where they were trying to go with this one, but something’s obviously gotten lost in translation.
Not much different to a hummer really
Looks better than any Toymota on the road today, at least it has character not a grandpa cardigan feel..
PS: The regulars, please read above me as one of the comments is totally silly and cant believe the comment… AGAIN!
‘32 ford for the 21st century.
Needs side pipes and an LS3…
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t know that is the ugliest thing on the road. Have we all forgotten about the Ssangyong Stavic?
Anyway its only a concept, and i bet every year there are uglier things than this, some as mentioned above even make it into production.
No falcon buyer would consider it, but it would be a head turner none the less.
This is a really nice car. Love the design and idea behind it. It looks really cool. I would buy it if it were came into production.
But then again TP you bleive thet the Aurion/Camry are aerodynamic works of art.
I would ratfer to have The classic “Munster Koach” than this Retro-Tech Hot Rod Wannabe
Judging by the sluggish pace of the Mondeo and Epica, the Camry is a work of art. Have a look at the VE, got the aerodynamics of a fat lady.
The Mondeo’s quality is miles ahead, it’s also on a higher level of class than your cardigan no style Camry, so put your landcruising mining boots back on and get out of here..
This is bob the builder’s car!
No it’s not, they’re already having issues with the a/c and the interior trim is ugly. Camry is a proven survivor but the Mondeo is not so put on your slippers and go to bed and leave the real work to us real men in real cars.
“TOYLETA CAMRY IS FOR GIRLS PLAIN AND SIMPLE”
What the hell… a girls car. I think you will see more women and men who are into other men driving a Mondeo then a Camry. Its got the looks, but thats it, externally good looking… unfortunately under the bonnet, where it counts, just another unreliable Ford. The Camry on the other hand, it has the runs on the board, and its alrite looking, refined and above all, reliable.
FORD HAS MUCH BETTER RELIABILITY THAN TOYOTA, ALWAYS HAVE ALWAYS WILL…
^Aroggant ford lover. I bet the only car companie you like in the world is FORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THESE ARE PROBLEMS TOYOTA HAS FOR RELIABILITY MANY MORE TO COME….
In the U.S., Toyota’s largest market, the automaker has issued two recalls in July that include 400,000 SUVs as well as 8,500 Prius hybrids. The company has recalled more than 1 million vehicles in Japan alone so far this year.
Toyota faces a criminal investigation by prosecutors in southern Japan questioning whether quality-control managers delayed a recall that could have prevented an accident in 2004 that injured five people, including three children.
Toyota executives repeated their denial of any quality-control mistakes in 2004 that could lead to criminal prosecution but the also apologized to Toyota customers for causing them to question their trust in the automaker.
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe told the news conference that quality is Toyota’s lifeline as he fended off repeated questions concerning recent problems at the automaker.
“There will be no growth without an improvement in quality. This is the biggest task that this management team must undertake,” Watanabe said.
Yeah, I’m no different to TP Duck, wake up fella, he loves he’s Toyleta, you love your Holdens, I love Fords, do you think I’m arrogant, please look in the mirror and don’t start that crap around here…!!!!!!!
But i dont bag the crap out of every car companie!!!!!!!!!
I’m defending and broardcasting my opinion which we all have right to do, TP bags FORD and Holden all the time and then makes out Toyota builds the best car’s on earth hahahaha yeah right, if you read most he’s posts you will see what I mean..
Pretty Ugly Car, I wouldn’t buy one, but looks better than a Ssangyong. TP, and Ford AC Cobra you need to shut up. Fords, Holdens and Toyotas are good, but they all have their faults. No car is perfect. TP is usually the worst, he must work at Toyota.
TP…states “I think you will see more women and men who are into other men driving a Mondeo then a Camry”
NM response…TP sinks to rockbottom, just when you thought he cant get any lower! Dare say he would know as he is coming out of the closet!
I agree NM. He is one obnoxious dude.
Well TP, if that is true about the Mondeo, then how come you haven’t bought one yet?
^^^
because they dont do the mondeo in a matching cardigan red
but seriously, TP, you need to get a life dude
I forgot about that, good point Andrew M.
Visit AUTOBLOG and note the official recalls that have been published this year alone with most of them being either from Ford or GM.
1. Buick has recalled 207 500 cars due to engine fire fears.
2. GM investigating shonky brakes on the Pontiac Soltice
3. Ford recalling 2008 Super HD F-series pick up trucks because the seats fail to comply with regulations.
4. THIS IS GOOD – Ford is still recalling 10 million ( that’s right – 10 million) cars and trucks because of the faulty cruise control switch that has infact attributed to
fires, lawsuits and deaths with this issue.
5. Ford recalling 470 000 05-08 mustangs because of faulty passenger side airbags.
6. GM recalling 180 000 Chrevrolet HHR’s because of possible head injury risks.
7. NHTSA investigating GM SUV fires.
8. Ford recalling another 180 000 vans and SUV’s for faulty door handles.
9. SAAB 9-3 investigated for loss of braking power.
10. Volvo recalling 82 000 S40 and V50 because of rust issues that may lead to engine stalls.
11. Ford re-calling another 225 000 vehicles after it has discovered that the wiring harness used in the original recall is not up to scratch.
And lets not forget the 289 deaths associated with the exploding tyres on the Ford Explorer or the exploding fuel tanks on GM vehicles.
A stylish car for a stylish fella. Is that what TP’s saying?
MANGE MAN DINGO….easy to see where you go. Outta the closet with TP?
Keep relevant to the topic…..the Toyota inspired SCION HAKO COUPE CONCEPT instead of bland boring ~ AGAIN!
HEY GOLF…..dont you love the Toyota inspired Scion Hako Coupe!
TP is having a shot at gay guys now saying they would buy more Mondeo’s. Nothin against anybody here….but that comment is a bit low. But then again it is TP (need to get a life mate before you go blind!)
Naughtyius Maximus, you continually refuse to understand those two. Lists and surveys are FAR more exciting. I mean, the cars don’t excite…so the lists have to.
As lists go, it unsurprisingly omitted the Camry’s history of Kellogs crunchy 3rd gear sunchros and prematurely blowing head gaskets.
NM, the gay jibe? Yeah…that’s one really evolved guy. You should never overestimate the sophistication of some people.
Hey Dingo, you forgot to read Autoblog Toyleta’s recall page or did you lose your glasses, this is only a fraction of what’s there…
In addition to the recalls announced by Volkswagen today, we should all tell you about a recall Toyota issued on Wednesday for check engine lights in some 60,700 Highlanders built from 2001 through 2003 and 159,100 RAV4s built in 2001 and 2002. The Malfunction Indicator, as it’s called by sticklers, can light up when there’s no underlying problem with the vehicle due to an issue with the software on the ECM. There have been 80 reported cases of this happening.
Toyota recalls 215,000 cars worldwide
Toyota announced today that it’s issuing a worldwide recall of about 250,000 vehicles, including 34,400 Lexus models in the U.S., for potential cracks in their fuel pipes. The Japanese domestic market was hit hardest by the recall, with some 215,020 cars affected including the Crown, Mark X and a few Lexus models built between December 2003 and December 2005. In the U.S., only particular 2006 Lexus GS300, IS 250 and IS 350 models are being recalled. No accidents have been reported due to the cracked fuel pipes that could leak, but Toyota will be replacing the old ones with newly designed fuel pipes when the recall begins next month.
We don’t need to tell you that another recall is the last thing that Toyota needs right now. Already saddled with a high number of recalls this year and reeling from being knocked by Consumer Reports, the Japanese automaker is struggling to maintain its reputation for high quality while chasing General Motors to become the world’s largest automaker.
Toyota recalls another 553,000 Tundra and Sequoia models
Once again, Toyota is performing a voluntary recall of its Tundra pickup and Sequoia full-size SUV for ball joints that may wear out too quickly. We reported way back in May of 2005 when Toyota recalled 775,000 Tacomas, 4Runners, Tundras and Sequoias for the same issue, and the NHTSA has been investigating the issue since then. This time around, Toyota is recalling 553,000 Tundras and Sequoias built from 2004 through 2007. Anyone who has had a bad ball joint knows not only the irritation they cause, but also the potential for something dangerous to happen. The front suspension where these ball joints are located will make terrible knocking sounds, but in some instances, owners have reported that their worn ball joints have lead to losing control of the vehicle, rollovers and even the trucks collapsing on their front wheels! Automotive News reports that Toyota blamed the first recall in 2005 on the ball joints potentially being scratched during their assembly. Toyota has given no such reason for the recent recall, but it is acting in cooperation with the NHTSA to correct these issues that could be very dangerous for owners of the potentially affected vehicles. Toyota will be notifying those owners in February of the recall, and will replace both the left and right front ball joints at no charge. We should point, as well, that this recall will not effect the full-size Tundra pickup that’s all-new and being built in Toyota’s new plant in San Antonio, Texas.
Toyota recalls Prius and Echo for crankshaft problem.
Toyota has issued what it calls a “Special Service Campaign with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration” (read: a voluntary recall) of the crankshaft position sensor on some 2001-2002 Toyota Echo and Prius models. The sensor may become disconnected due to an improper seal allowing engine oil to seep into the sensor’s connector. Worst case scenario is the sensor becomes disconnected while driving and the engine stalls without being able to start back up again. The recall affects 26,200 Echo and 8,500 Prius models in the United States for a total of 34,700 vehicles. No accidents have occurred resulting from the problem and no instances of the sensor becoming disconnected have even been reported.
Wipe your feet: Toyota recalls 55,000 floor mats.
Toyota plans to recall 55,000 all-weather floor mats that have been blamed for unintended acceleration in 40 complaint reports collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Owners who filed complaints reported their floor mats, which should normally be secured by clips, had become stuck under the acceleration pedal. Toyota, however, has said that in some cases these all-weather mats were merely placed on top of the standard floor mats, rather than being secured with their clips. Regardless, the sticking floor mats have led to eight crashes and 12 injuries.
Though only affecting floor mats sold with the Lexus ES 350 and 2007/08 Toyota Camry, the NHTSA is also warning Toyota Prius, Avalon, RAV4 and Tacoma owners to check and make sure their floor mats are properly secured. The potential for an accident to occur is much greater in the Lexus ES 350, however, because it’s equipped with a push-button ignition so that the engine cannot simply be turned off by a key if an owner experiences unintended acceleration.
Toyota will notify owners of the affected vehicles in October and replace the floormats in November. If you own a Toyota or Lexus and opted for the all-weather floor mats, check to make sure they’re secure before your next drive.
Toyota bigwig blames increasing recalls on rising vehicle complexity.
According to Toyota of Europe president Shinichi Sasaki, the continuing escalation in vehicle complexity is to blame for the automaker’s increasing number of recalls. The executive points to a rise in safety equipment and engineering factors that have led to the unscheduled service bay visits, not slipping quality standards.
Toyota recalls new Camry for transmission issue.
Toyota is recalling one half of one percent of the new 2007 Camry sedans it started building this year for a problem with their six-speed automatic transmissions. Affected vehicles may lose second and sixth gear while the vehicle is on the move within the first 500 miles of use, but the automaker says that the problem won’t halt operation of the car.
We wonder if this is the same issue we’ve been reading about on the Cheers & Gears forum? Maybe even-numbered trannys aren’t Toyota’s thing — we’ll have to wait and see what happens with the eight-speed auto in the new Lexus LS sedan!
Toyota recalls 880,000 trucks.
Whoops. 880,000 Tacoma and Tundra pickups and Sequoia, Landcruiser and 4Runner SUVs built between May 2001 and December 2003 will be recalled to fix front-suspension ball joints that could wear faster than they should. If the ball joint fails, it could “hamper steering.” Recalls happen to everyone, just mostly Toyleta vehicles..
here we go…….
another slogging match
all one does is point out that toyota has its fair share problems too and we have the dingo going on about dodgy tyres on ford explorers and other recalls.
you toyota guys dont get it.
they all have their problems yet you love to be the ones rubbing salt into ford and GM’s wounds.
its a little like throwing stones at glass houses whilst living in one yourself.
toyota aint invincible as everyone likes to think.
the only real part where toyota is notably superior to ford and GM is their business stragegy. For one they are more efficient in that they use minimal platforms on a global scale on many many models.
but what they dont have is exciting vehicles.
thank god we have a choice, otherwise we would all be forced to buy a vehicle that can only brag about having a good phonepoll report
AC Cobra – every manufactuer in the world have thier issues but the fact is, some have more then others while others have more again. Indeed Toyota has slipped a bit in quality the last couple of years but they are also aware of thier mistakes that have come to light and indeed investing the required resources to not only fix the problems but minimize the same mistakes from occuring again the future.
A ’shakeup’ of Toyota will only prove to be positive for the manufactuer because if they did become complacent you can be guaranteed that they are not now. History and even today has proven that Toyota manufactuers quality cars and if they lowered thier guard abit then serve themselves right but you can be assured that once they manage to control and stabilise thier recent growth … thier products will continue to be consistantly ranked amoung the best players in the game as they are still today.
Its not only just about the faults but how they are handled and quite frankly – Toyota does a damn site better job then Ford or GM when it comes to this departmeent as with most others.
Probably more so then another other manufactuer – Toyota is in the mist of solid changes adapting not only to it’s increased global popularity but a vastly improved and more diverse fleet, the uprise of Lexus while not foregtting to mention thier hybrid programme, re-establishment of themselves into motorsport and of course introduction of various performance cars and quite frankly – despite Toyota’s enormous growth they have remained amoung the best manufactuers for suppling quality, reliable and dependable cars … PERIOD !!
You mention the Consumer Report but you failed to note the fact that each of the 3 TMC subsidaries sold in the US – Toyota, Lexus and Scion – all ranked in the top 6 while here in Australia they constantly ranked in the top 3 in each of the 4 surveys published in 2007 alone.
Ford however ranked 13th, 14th and 15th respectively in the Consumer report while apart from Cadillac at 10th – each and every other GM subsidary rated ‘mid to end of field’ which is way of the pace of Toyota despite some of thier recent mistakes.
The fact is – Toyota’s mainstream fleet today is argueably the most diverse yet consistant for quality while Lexus is finally maturing as one of the most recognisable and reputatable marque brands that can be found anywhere in the world today.
Performnace cars are gradually entering the market while thier motorsport programmes are starting to take hold although F1 still remains somewhat a challenge.
All-in-all … Toyota as a global automotive manufactuer remains argueably in the best position of all for challenging the future of motoring with quality, diverse and capable vehicles, favourable quality reputation, wealth, corporate efficency and stability.
ps. that Scion – is ugly, no doubt about it !!
Hey, I’m not disputing Toyota are a good company and make great reliable cars, but I’m a Ford supporter and I do respect Toyota and I still have my own preference. Nothing will sway me away from Ford even though Ford are down in sales, while Toyota are on to in a lot of places around the world.
Oz – fair crack of the whip !!
cool,
so Dingo buys his vehicles based on the results of an opiniated phone poll.
good for you mate.
i buy my vehicles based on other things