| -

TORRANCE, Calif. — Scion announced today that it has launched a special vehicle customization challenge for active duty military personnel.

The "Battle of the Builds" contest is designed to attract attention and tap into the creativity and teamwork of today's U.S. military and challenge them to design a customized Scion xB.

On May 3, teams of dedicated service members were offered the chance to describe their vision of how they would customize a Scion xB based on a $15,000 budget. A total of 25 semifinalists were selected, and their proposals can be viewed on www.BattleOfTheBuilds.com. Scion now needs votes to select the finalists.

Now through June 30, military personnel as well as civilians will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite customized Scion xB by visiting www.BattleOfTheBuilds.com.

The three finalists will be announced on July 6 and will receive use of a Scion xB and $15,000 to make their vision a reality. Teams will have approximately 12 weeks to complete their build project.

One car will be selected as the Grand Prize winner, and the team will be invited to the 2010 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas to showcase their modified xB in the Scion booth.

"Scion knows and appreciates the job our military does every day," explained Jack Hollis, vice president of Scion. "Members of our military work as a team and have unmatched technical and mechanical skills.

"This contest is designed to let our service members showcase these talents in a fun and exciting way. Creating a design competition especially for the military is one of the ways Scion thanks and salutes our country's finest," he added.

To support U.S. troops, Scion is working closely with Morale, Welfare and Recreation of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps commercial sponsorship units and base Auto Skills Centers. Full contest details can be found at www.BattleOfTheBuilds.com.

Car enthusiasts, team supporters and other interested parties can register on the Battle of the Builds website to cast a vote for their three favorite designs between June 16 and June 30. During the voting and build phases, the program can be followed on Scion's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/scion) and at www.BattleOfTheBuilds.com.