How a legend was reborn… and died again

Last week, Subaru succeeded in creating some hype around a big announcement they were going to make at the New York Auto Show. They put a big countdown timer, entitled “A legend will be reborn - April 5th”, on their web site. Everyone was expecting to see the all new 2008 Impreza then.

A short time after the timer had been running, the magazine Motor Trend leaked some pictures of the 2008 WRX hatchback. A lot of people were doubting the photos… we’ve all had our share of “photoshopped” Impreza pictures. However, seeing all the negative comments the pictures from Motor Trend generated around the web, Subaru felt the need to release official pictures before the official announcement was made.

Today, as the counter reached 0, Subaru announced the 2008 Impreza at the New York Auto Show. I was still hoping for some kind of late April’s Fool joke on Subaru’s part when they first released the pictures - but sadly it was not so.

This is the real thing. The car has become much more mainstream. Heck, it even looks like a Corolla. Judging from the comments left here on this blog and on the Subaru forums around the world, current WRX owners are not too pleased by the Impreza’s new looks.

Please Subaru, change the front grille, remove that silly antenna and give us our sports car back.

… or so says the countdown timer on Subaru’s official website. Apparently, they have something big coming on April 5th. There already have been rumors about the new 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX being unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April. Could this be IT? Do you think we will finally lay our eyes on the real thing?

Stay tuned, and meanwhile, visit the official countdown page!

Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s parent company, has missed its 5-year sales goal they had set in 2002. To reach a bigger part of the market, Subaru aims at being more present in the U.S. market. This means the following:

• Opening of a new headquarter in Los Angeles
• 24 more Subaru dealers in the United States by 2010
• Possible opening of a new production facility
• New CEO appointed for Subaru of America: Tomohiko Ikeda

Let’s help spread the Subaru all-wheel drive fun!

Source: Autoblog

The Consumer Reports magazine features the list of the best and worst used vehicles for 10 years, 1997 through 2006, in their annual April Auto Issue.

The Subaru Impreza and the Subaru Impreza WRX have both performed well in Consumer Reports road tests and have had several years of better-than-average reliability according to the survey respondents.

Other Subaru cars that have performed well are the Forester, Outback and Legacy.

Subaru will unveil its new boxer turbo diesel engine next month at the Geneva International Motor Show. The new Subaru diesel engine will be on display at the Subaru stand.

The new diesel engine is supposed to make its debut in production cars next year. This new engine will probably help Subaru reach its target of 100000 units sold in the European market by the end of 2010.

Source: easier Motoring

Subaru unveiled STI concepts of existing models such as the Outback and the new Stella at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Salon.

We can expect to see more STI concepts cars in the coming years, and who knows, maybe some of these prototypes will hit the street.

For pictures, visit Straightline

Subaru’s pioneering work with electric vehicles has attracted a top award from Japan’s Minister of the Environment for helping prevent global warming. […] This is for developing the Subaru R1e electric vehicle in conjunction with Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc (TEPCO) and NEC Lamilion Energy, Ltd.

“We are very pleased to have Michael join Subaru,” said Tim Mahoney, senior vice president and CMO, Subaru of America, Inc. “He has a proven track record in the industry and brings with him a wealth of both product and corporate communication experience that will benefit Subaru as we continue to grow our brand in the U.S. We have a busy year ahead of us in 2007 and we welcome his appointment.”

“The exceptional Impreza lineup is doing a wonderful job of attracting new buyers to Subaru, as well as meeting the growing expectations of our long-time customers,” said Katsuhiro Yokoyama, chairman, president and CEO of SCI. “New buyers, and younger buyers, are discovering that the entry level model is an exceptional combination of power and value, and the Impreza WRX and STI are attracting driving enthusiasts looking for lots of sporty performance. This interest is drawing attention to the same qualities that exist throughout the Subaru lineup.”

Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) is proud to announce that the Subaru Legacy, Forester and B9 Tribeca have each been named a 2007 ‘Top Safety Pick’ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The award recognizes vehicles that provide the best protection for drivers and occupants in front, side and rear crash tests conducted by the Institute.