The xA and xB are certainly designs that polarize opinion. I personally lean toward the xB, because of it's basic, elemental cleanliness. And while both lack horsepower, the solutions are forthcoming.
The JDM equivalent of the xB - Toyota's bB - enjoys healthy aftermarket support, including a bolt-on turbo kit from GReddy's parent company, Trust. AFAIK, GReddy USA is in the process of smog-legalizing the turbokit for our market.
The tC is definitely the looker of the range, and with the TRD centrifugal supercharger, should be one helluva car for the money. The only things that would preclude me from buying one are:
a) Weight. Apparently, the tC weighs in at nearly 3000lbs IIRC. For sustained mountain assaults, that kind of weight is hell on brakes.
b) Front-wheel Drive. While it's clearly a result of pricing and the donor platform, I personally have had my fill of front-wheel-drive sporting cars. For twenty grand, one can pick up a myriad number of rear-drive imports and build a much faster, better balanced machine.
But aside from all that, I am impressed that Toyota is dedicating itself to such an immense task. The market sector they're shooting at is a tough one to pin down ( I should know.
), and with the addition of the tC, I think they'll nail it.
My 2.1 ¥