GReddy's Turbocharged Scion tC at Pikes Peak: The Full Story

What this article covers:

How GReddy’s 2011 SEMA show tC turned into a full time attack race car
The car’s full spec sheet — chassis, drivetrain, and GReddy hardware
Driver Takeshi Aizawa and the car’s road to Pikes Peak
The verified result from the car’s 2012 Pikes Peak run

TL;DR: GReddy built a 2011 Scion tC (AGT20) for the November 2010 SEMA show, then turned it into a real racing platform — a turbocharged 2AR-FE making 364hp, campaigned in Redline Time Attack before taking on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Driver Takeshi Aizawa, a GReddy R&D technician and Ken Gushi’s Formula D spotter, ran the car’s first full ascent of the 12.42-mile, 156-turn course at the 90th PPIHC on August 12, 2012, finishing in 12:08.60 in the Exhibition class.

Most SEMA show cars go back to being show cars. GReddy’s turbocharged Scion tC didn’t — it went to Pikes Peak.

From SEMA Show Car to Race Program

GReddy built a 2011 Scion tC for the November 2010 SEMA show with no plan to race it. That changed once the team saw what the platform’s chassis and 2AR-FE engine bay could handle. The goal from the start was to keep the car a “street-able track car” — something a Scion owner could realistically replicate — so GReddy built it around parts that were actually available for purchase, alongside a handful of R&D prototype components.

The car ran a full 2011 Time Attack season, taking a win and multiple second-place finishes. For 2012, GReddy kept the car in Redline Time Attack and added a bigger target: the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC).

The Car: GReddy Performance x Scion Racing Turbo tC2


Chassis	2011 Scion tC (AGT20)
Engine	Turbocharged 2.5L 2AR-FE, 6-speed
Power	364 hp / 325 ft-lbs

GReddy-equipped:

TD05H-18G Tuner Turbo Kit with SUS exhaust manifold, Type-T external wastegate, Type 28 V-Spec front-mount intercooler, and Airinx AZ-MB
e-Manage Ultimate engine control
70mm RS Racing Sport exhaust system
Prototype 13-row oil cooler kit with pump
Prototype forged pistons and connecting rods
Custom roll cage
Full Auto Turbo Timer II
Inforrmeter TOUCH engine monitor
Type-S coilover suspension
High-pressure radiator cap, Oil Catch Tank-SL, sports oil filter, magnetic engine oil pan bolt

Chassis and aero additions:

Rays Engineering Volk Racing G2 wheels with Hankook Z221 tires (265/35/R18)
TRD big brake kit and anti-sway bars
OS Giken Clutch Type LSD and twin-plate clutch
WPC surface treatment on engine and transmission internals
Five:AD aero kit, Papadakis Racing FRP roof, APR GT wing and front/rear carbon splitters
Sparco Evo seats, harnesses, and steering wheel; Energy Suspension bushing set

Why Pikes Peak Was a Different Kind of Test

Redline Time Attack rewards a fast, consistent car on a track the driver already knows. Pikes Peak doesn’t give you that luxury: 156 corners over a 12.42-mile climb to 14,110 feet, run once, with no re-runs to fix a bad line. The thinning air at altitude also costs real power — GReddy’s own estimate for the car was roughly a 30% power drop by the summit compared to sea level.

To prepare, the team’s changes were deliberately narrow rather than a ground-up rebuild: a new welded-in roll cage and additional safety equipment to meet PPIHC’s requirements, plus a switch to Hankook Z221 tires (265/35/R18) for the climb.

The Driver: Takeshi Aizawa

Takeshi Aizawa drove the car at both Redline Time Attack and Pikes Peak. Inside GReddy, he’s an R&D technician; outside it, he’s known as Ken Gushi’s spotter during Formula Drift events with the GReddy FR-S — putting him on both sides of GReddy’s factory-adjacent Scion racing efforts at once.

The Result: 90th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, August 12, 2012

The tC ran in the Exhibition class at the 90th running of PPIHC on August 12, 2012 — the car and Aizawa’s first full run of the complete course. He finished in 12:08.60, getting progressively faster through the run, particularly on the upper switchbacks near the summit. GReddy and Scion Racing returned to Pikes Peak with the program again in 2013.

Frequently Asked Questions

What engine was in GReddy’s Pikes Peak Scion tC? ▼

A turbocharged 2.5L 2AR-FE — the Gen 2 tC’s factory engine — built around GReddy’s TD05H-18G turbo kit, producing 364 hp and 325 ft-lbs, paired to the stock 6-speed.

Who drove the GReddy tC at Pikes Peak? ▼

Takeshi Aizawa, a GReddy R&D technician who also worked as Ken Gushi’s spotter for GReddy’s Formula Drift program with the Scion FR-S.

What was the car’s finishing time at Pikes Peak? ▼

12:08.60, set in the Exhibition class at the 90th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on August 12, 2012 — the car’s first complete run of the 12.42-mile course.