Scion was created by Toyota to attract a younger audience and it appears that the brand is going to get even younger. At the SEMA show, the brand announced a partnership with RIDEMAKERZ, a new toy car customization retailer.

Inspired by Build-A-Bear Workshop where customers create their own stuffed animals, RIDEMAKERZ lets children of all ages customize their own ride by going to a model car customizing shop where they can create their own one-of-a-kind model car. Customers choose body style, paint, decals, sounds, engines and accessories to modify their new ride.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Scion to help bring the car-customizing movement to the next generation,” said Larry Andreini, CEO and founder of RIDEMAKERZ. “The process of building a kid-sized Scion and then personalizing it is pure fun.”

Car builders get to customize the Scion RIDE—based on the Scion xB—in three colors—Cannonball Black, Comet Blue and Wasabi Green. At approximately 12 inches long, the RIDE is about one-eighteenth the size of a real xB. Once it is customized, the builder receives a personalized license plate, a certificate of title and a unique RIDE Identification Number (RIN), which can be used to view and interact with their RIDE online at RIDEMAKERZ.COM.

A large scale model of the Scion RIDE in Wasabi Green was on display along with the smaller versions, including a special-edition RIDEMAKERZ Scion RIDE designed by Troy Sumitomo from Five Axis, a Huntington Beach, Calif. customization and fabrication shop.

Sumitomo also designed an actual Scion xD Widebody that is 6 inches wider than a stock xD and finished in Papaya Orange paint, 20-inch satin aluminum finish FIVE:AD  R6:F_SPEC wheels and Five Axis unique exhaust finishers. Inside, the xD Widebody features Sparco seats, steering wheel and pedals; Five Axis appointments; Pioneer AVIC D3 navigation; and a cargo area that has been turned into a toy vending machine filled with Five Axis Design plush souvenir toy cars.

Pricing for a Scion RIDE

The Scion RIDE starts at $22 for Cannonball Black and Comet Blue to $25 for Wasabi Green. Accessories range from $2.50 for grille guards and hood scoops to $15 for a “Muscle Kit” that includes a blown engine, spoiler, side pipes, exhaust tips and roof vents. A motor with radio control can be added for $25.

Customizers can build a Scion RIDE by selecting all the components on RIDEMAKERZ.COM or visiting one of the two stores located at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, S.C. or the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. Two additional stores are scheduled to open in November 2007 at the Spotsylvania Towne Center in Fredericksburg, VA and at Castleton Square Mall in Indianapolis, Ind.

When ordering online, the components are shipped unassembled so owners can still experience the fun of building their own RIDE.