LA 2010:cool Subaru Impreza Concept

The list of positive attributes about Subaru’s compact Impreza is a long one. Tough build quality, permanent all-wheel-drive, plenty of interior space, the turbocharged WRX and STI models are a hoot, rock-solid stability in any weather, the ability to cover a patchy road at ridiculous speed with ease, etc. But there are two things the Impreza’s never been: efficient or attractive. Efficiency is an inherent problem with the design: permanent four wheel drive makes it heavier, and higher driveline losses mean more power is used to move the car. Ugly, though, is fixable. And you have to admit, even in blistered-fender WRX form, the current Impreza is dog-ugly.

Yuck. At least it’s beautiful on the inside. So when Subaru pulled the cover off the Impreza Concept at the LA Auto Show, there were gasps all around. It was a car that was clearly identifiable as an Impreza… but it didn’t sear your corneas when you look at it. Considering Subaru has sort of lost the styling plot in the last few years (compare the current Legacy to the old one!), it’s pretty surprising that they spit out such an attractive car.

The front end takes heavily from the new Legacy, but the proportions have been squashed downward a bit, and it doesn’t have that peaky-forehead pedestrian crash friendly look that the Legacy does. The huge air intakes seem superfluous considering it’s a naturally aspirated 2.0L boxer-4 under the hood, but presumably the turbo versions could need them. The lack of hood scoop might mean Subaru is doing away with the top-mount intercooler?

The rear end shows a lot more creative styling than the current Impreza. Check out that bevelled trunk lid! There’s actually a bit of Altima Coupe back here, if you ask me. I would doubt the integrated diffuser makes the production model, but the integrated exhaust outlets might. It seems like those tail lights probably make more sense when you view them in the flesh; here they look a little confusing.

The side profile has ties to the current Legacy and Impreza, with the solidly defined fender flares that blend into that deep recess on the lower portion of the doors, connecting the front and back fenders visually. The busy wheels will also likely not make it to production, but concept cars always have these. The greenhouse is refreshingly simple and sleek, pinching down to almost nothing at the D-pillar and making a straight cut line with the door. Very pretty from this angle, with some hints of Opel or Volvo from the side – uncharacteristically classy.

The interior is typical pie-in-the-sky show car fluff, with glass touch screen controls and LED lighting in places it doesn’t belong. I can see the basic dashboard shape transferring to the production version, if not all the pricey details. It’s clean and uncluttered – hopefully this transitions mostly intact to the real thing.

As far as mechanicals, the Impreza concept has the 2.0L version of Subaru’s next-generation flat 4 engine and a CVT gearbox. Subaru doesn’t quote any power or performance numbers, which probably don’t matter – this concept car is more about demonstrating the future styling of the Impreza than the mechanical bits. Expect the new car to be bigger in every dimension than the old one – what, they were going to make it smaller? – when it makes it’s production debut. It might be mostly more of the same underneath, but for those who drive and love Subarus, that’s a good thing – and if the real deal is this attractive when it hits the street, they will have fixed the Impreza’s biggest flaw.

New Subaru Australia Gets Forester

I will admit some personal bias on this topic. The previous-generation Subaru Forester was, in my estimation, the embodiment of the “do anything” mentality when it came to automobiles. Especially in 2.5XT (Turbo) trim with a 5-speed, it hit pretty much all the bases. It was fast (Car & Driver clocked one at 5.3 seconds to sixty, which was considerably faster than a V8 Cayenne S), had huge aftermarket support, it was fun on the road, decent off road, great in bad weather, and combined SUV utility with car-like handling. It was a characterful, likeable vehicle. So when Subaru replaced the old-style Forester with a new, bigger, softer one in 2008, I couldn’t help but be disappointed.

It was taller, heavier, slower, more boring to look at, and most importantly the 5-speed manual was limited to the base-model non-turbo variants. No fun. The new 2.5XT is a great SUV – but it’s not the old quasi-WRX it used to be, more of a turbocharged CR-V. Bleh. So I look on with no small amount of jealousy at Subaru of Australia’s latest model, the Forester S.

Biggest changes for the S-edition are under the hood. The new model receives the WRX’s EJ25ET powerplant, which raises power output from 224 in the XT to 258, along with a small increase in torque. Bigger news: the 2.5XT’s ancient 4-speed automatic (people still make those?) is replaced with a new five-speed STI paddleshift automatic transmission. Subaru doesn’t claim any performance figures, but considering how much faster the WRX became after it received the new motor, it’s not hard to imagine with an extra (almost) 40bhp and another gear, the difference will be noteable in the Forester as well.

Other changes for the S-Edition are largely aesthetic. There’s a set of nice-looking white painted 17″ STI alloys, a black/chrome grille, silver roof rails, Alcantara/leather seating, and an assortment of special badges and stickers.

Equally important but not quite as exciting: the 2011 Forester is getting the new FB-series flat-four engine, which will be replacing the EJ that’s been around since (can you believe this?) 1989. It promises quieter NVH levels, better fuel economy, lower emissions, and increased torque – which is all good. The question is, when will be be seeing a WRX-engined Forester Turbo in the US? And with some manufacturers moving from “old-school” six-speed automatics on to 8-speed automatics (hell, ZF’s working on a 9-speed automatic), will Subaru be getting rid of the ancient Nissan-derived 4-EAT auto any time soon? I hope so. But maybe FHI can skip the WRX engine, and go ahead and give us a full-on Forester STI. Go ahead, Subaru. Just drop the whole drivetrain from the USDM STI in there. We’ll buy ‘em. Here’s hoping.

New Subaru “Toyabaru” Coupe

Toyota's efforts to capture the youth is led, as hoped. Toyota was driven memories and reliability problems, but there is a deeper problem. The company has apparently abandoned lovers together and to the youth.
Toyota FT-86 concept was introduced in an attempt to combat it. Toyota wants to attract young enthusiasts production of affordable, rear-wheel drive coupe. This is certainly a good way to start doing.

Recent reports on the new model comes under the Scion brand in America. But what about the Subaru version .... The much discussed "Toyabaru?" It appeared that the performance of the auto show in Geneva.
Subaru is one of the few brands that actually thrived during the economic crisis, Toyota has a 16.5% stake in parent company Fuji Heavy Industries. Rear wheel drive sports car in a joint development between the two companies since 2008.
We saw Concept Toyota FT-86, but none of Subaru. We are doomed to our first photo of Subaru models in Geneva.
Unfortunately the car will debut the production version, but instead simply called for vieled Subaru RWD Sports Car Concept Technology.
Rear-wheel drive, which probably will not be at all four wheels like most Subaru. It was as expected for these two special cars, can not wait until the production version was finally announced.

If it happens, everyone is guessing. Until then it will have the Geneva us more about what's in store for the new version of Subaru sportsc

SPIED: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C Sedan Scooped at the 'Ring'

The new 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI sedan was officially revealed at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, but our spy photographers have captured the Japanese maker's big-winged saloon testing at the Nurburgring.
At a first glance, it appears that the car is nothing more than the European specification version of the high-performance sedan.
However, a closer look reveals small but important differences clearly suggesting that the STI seen here may very well be a prototype for a limited edition Spec C model.
These include the blacked out alloy wheels, gold colored brake calipers (quite possibly "brembo"), fog lamp covers and the front lip spoiler, all of which were not shown on the New York Show car but are standout features on the JDM Impreza STI Spec C hatchback (see here).
If Subaru follows the same recipe with the five-door Spec C, then the sedan variant should also boast other performance upgrades including a tweaked engine with a recalibrated ECU, revised suspension and steering systems, beefier tires and a different limited slip differential along with a lightweight aluminum hood, laminar window glasses and a downsized battery.

Subaru UK Upgrades Impreza WRX & STI with Free Prodrive Performance Packs

Starting from this month and until the end of June, Subaru's Impreza WRX and STI Type UK will be offered in Britain with a bunch of performance upgrades worth over £3,200 at no additional cost.
The free items for both models include the Prodrive Performance Pack, which increases output and further improves acceleration, and new 18-inch alloy wheels and tires.
The Performance Packs, developed in conjunction with Prodrive, add a recalibrated ECU and a high-flow sports exhaust system. On the Impreza WRX, output rises from 230HP to 265HP, and torque from 320Nm to 390Nm, while on the STI, from 300HP to 330HP and from 407Nm to 470Nm, respectively.
With these upgrades, the Impreza WRX accelerates from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 5.9 seconds (standard WRX: 6.5 sec) and the STI in 4.8 seconds (standard STI: 5.2 sec).
In addition to the free performance upgrades, the Japanese firm has also reduced the retail price of the WRX by £95.

Subaru Impreza P1 Coupe Owners Celebrate 10th Anniversary

The first and only Subaru road car to bear the Prodrive name, the Impreza P1 coupe, is ten this year. To commemorate the event, 100 owners of the Impreza P1 made their way to Prodrive's headquarters at Banbury on Sunday 9 May. They were joined by some 300 owners of various Subaru Imprezas and more than 1,000 fans of the brand.
Considered by many as one of the most sought after limited edition Imprezas, the P1 was developed as a joint venture between Subaru UK, the Japanese firm's STI division and Prodrive, which was responsible for the automaker's WRC cars.
Based on the Japanese market Impreza Coupe, the P1 had significant enhancements engineered by Prodrive to the suspension, drivetrain, trim and aerodynamics.
It was powered by a modified version of the Impreza Turbo's boxer engine producing 280 horsepower and 363Nm of peak torque, compared to 218HP and 290Nm of the standard version
It came with Subaru's all-wheel drive system featuring a centre differential with viscous coupling while it also shared the Turbo's limited-slip rear differential.
British designer, Peter Stevens who was responsible for the McLaren F1 and Subaru WRC car developed a special front spoiler extension together with a new design of rear spoiler following extensive wind tunnel tests to reduce lift and improve balance.
The two-door car was unveiled by England's only World Rally Champion, the late Richard Burns, at the UK motorshow in 1999, and went on sale in 2000. At launch, Subaru and Prodrive planned a 500 car production run, but due to high demand a total of 1,000 examples were produced, all in the same unique blue color.

Minor Updates for 2011 Subaru Legacy Sedan and Outback

The 2011 model year brings some subtle equipment updates and a modest price increase for Subaru's Legacy sedan and Outback.
Both vehicles receive equipment enhancements including manual-folding exterior mirrors, while Premium and Limited models equipped with Harman/Kardon audio now feature XM Satellite Radio and a three-month trial subscription. There are also new available colors for both cars.
Prices for all Legacy models aside from the Limited trim versions remain unchanged for the 2011MY, and range from $19,995 for the base 2.5 to $24,995 for the 3.6R.
Limited trim models receive a $300 price increase due to the inclusion of XM Satellite Radio, with the Legacy 2.5i Limited now starting from $25,295 and the Legacy 3.6R Limited from $28,295.
The 2011 Legacy 2.5GT sports sedan will be offered only in Limited trim and comes with a starting price of $31,395, an increase of $405. It now includes a standard power moonroof as well as XM Satellite Radio, fog lights, new simulated carbon-fiber dashboard trim, silver contrast seat and armrest stitching, and aluminum pedals.
For the 2011MY, the Outback receives a $200 price increase with the Outback 2.5i starting at $23,195 and the Outback 2.5i Premium at $24,495. New features for the Outback models include the addition of a Rear Vision Camera to the the Power Moonroof Package.
The Outback 2.5i Limited with Lineartronic CVT now starts at $28,495 while the six-cylinder Outback 3.6R is priced at $28,195. Finally, the Outback 3.6R Limited now starts at $31,495 and includes standard XM Satellite Radio.

*Photos: 2010 Subaru Legacy and Outback

Subaru Cosworth Impreza STI CS400: Official Photos of 400HP-Strong Limited Edition

The first official photos [high-res] of the hotly anticipated Cosworth edition of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI hatchback are out in the open. Set to go on sale in this June in the UK only and in a limited-run of just 75 units, the Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 promises to bring supercar-like performance figures to the hot hatch segment.
Starting with the Impreza STI's 2.5-liter boxer unit, Cosworth's engineers installed new high-performance pistons, connecting rods, head gasket and bearings. The tune-up also includes a remapped ECU, modified turbocharger and wastegate, and a custom exhaust system.
The result is an impressive output of 400PS (395bhp) at 5,750rpm, sufficient to dispatch the Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 from zero to 62mph (100km/h) in a mere 3.7 seconds. In comparison, the standard 300PS (296bhp) Impreza WRX STI completes the 0-62mph sprint in 5.2 seconds.
Subaru reports that the Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 also gets a revamped suspension with new coil springs and a 10mm lower ride-height as well as a bespoke brake package with six-pot callipers and 355mm discs at the front that was developed in partnership with AP Racing.
In the styling department, the changes are extremely subtle consisting of a redesigned front bumper with an integrated lower spoiler and a mesh grille, Cosworth logos, a different rear spoiler and specific 18-inch alloy wheels.
Finally, the limited edition Impreza STI CS400 gets a pair of Recaro bucket seats, glossy black dashboard trim and Cosworth badges.