What would it take you to get excited about a Toyota Prius? Even as more hybrids enter the market and move beyond stereotypes, many folks consider the most popular one not to their liking for a variety of reasons.
What if it were teched out though in a way you’ve never seen before? Would all the gizmos and extra features wow you enough to get one? Consider those questions as you read on about the “Tekked-Out Prius” being built for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge.
NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer and RKM Performance Center in Mooresville, N.C have teamed up for an entry into the Challenge, with the winner getting a $50,000 check from Toyota to put to a favorite charity. Bowyer has chosen the Emporia Community Foundation, which “provides services and support to improve the quality of life” in Bowyer’s home town, Emporia, Kan., and its surrounding counties.
Bowyer and RKM have taken a stock Prius and turned it into an electronic Christmasland for gearheards as part of this vehicle-modification build competition. Toyota noted some of the major electric modifications made, including a 17-inch custom touch screen with built-in Windows 7 computer, two ASUS 12-inch tablets, and a side-view camera system that replaces the factory mirrors.
45 feet of fiber optic lighting and a 16-speaker JBL audio system with two amplifiers and six crossovers have also been added to the black-on-black Prius. Interior touches include custom leather and suede upholstery, imported German carpet and electric blue stitching accents, and to give the hybrid a little extra “attitude,” according to Bower, a set of Megan Racing springs and shocks as well as a set of custom EVOD wheels were tossed in as well.
The Challenge is a fan driven competition being hosted on Facebook, where voters can each day cast a vote for their favorite modified Toyota vehicle. The ballots close on October 29, and the winner will be announced during a press conference at the Toyota display at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas on Oct. 30.
