What’s not to love about the quirky Scion xB? Aside from its cartoonish look and terribly awkward exterior that flies in the face of automotive aerodynamics, it almost begs for a quirky treatment. So what better way to toast “the toaster” than a tribute to the wildly popular Transformers toys? Michael Celmer was asking himself the same thing when the idea came to mind. He admits that selling everyone on the xB is not guaranteed, so creating a Transformer theme would either blunt the criticism of naysayers or make matters worse.
When Celmer purchased the car in 2006, he was only seeking reliable transportation at an affordable price. But the idea evolved and assimilated parts of his childhood into the build. While others have pieced together Transformer-themed vehicles, Celmer believed there was no exhausting this idea. Since having the car “transform” was out of the question and better left to Hollywood, Celmer settled on a custom graphics package that included familiar images from the TV cartoon show.
Next, Celmer added custom wheels and tinted windows. He upgraded the interior with an in-dash LCD screen accompanied by headrest monitors and a Rockford Fosgate 2,000-watt amplifier powering a Kicker 12-inch L7 subwoofer. Celmer added some custom work with an instrument gauge pod complete with an Optimus Prime graphic. The engine came to life with the addition of a cold-air intake and neon accent lights. An underbody neon light kit and police-edition strobe lights now illuminate the exterior.
| Specs Box |
| » Engine: 1.3 liter four-cylinder |
| » Performance: Fujita intake, custom carbon fiber valve cover, Strup Performance axle back exhaust |
| » Paint: Thundercloud pearl metallic silver and Canyon pearl metallic red with custom pinstripe and “Transformers” logo including Autobot and Decepticon heads |
| » Wheels: Defused 17-inch black and chrome wheels |
| » Interior: Custom gauge pod, in-dash monitor and headrest monitors, under-dash LED kit, red pedals and red shifter knob, carbon fiber accent panels, 2,000-watt mono amplifier, Kicker 12-inch L7 subwoofer. |
Celmer badged the vehicle with a Transformers emblem on the custom billet grille and added a two-tone paint job with pinstripes. The first set of wheels was scrapped in favor of larger 17-inch wheels.
Celmer’s not sure what the future holds for his Scion xB, but save for fending off an attack from Cybertron, he hopes the car will transform frowns to smiles and recreate happy childhood memories for fans of the cartoon series.
What do you drive? A 2006 Scion xB.
Why do you drive it? For the comfort and room that most people don’t believe this car has.
What makes this car so special? Not many people can appreciate how good it looks like I do, but people are amazed when they see it.
What is your most memorable driving experience? Driving back from Englishtown and Atco, N.J., after winning both NOPI shows.
What was the first vehicle you owned? A Suzuki Samurai.
What music are you currently listening to in your car? Avenged Sevenfold.
And your first ticket? What was it for? My first ticket was for doing 96 mph in a 40 mph zone one week after having my license.
