The Subaru line up consists of, latest globally acclaimed sedan – ‘Legacy 2010′, a 305-horsepower – ‘Impreza WRX STI’, the Best Selling All-Wheel Drive Wagon in America – ‘Outback’, listed in the Forbes top 15 safest cars – for 2009 – ‘Tribeca’ and Forester – an SUV with 5 star safety ratings from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, US and also one of the safest SUVs in its category.

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If that is the case, the wait will be worth it. Road & Track reports that Subaru is considering the new Impreza platform for a hybrid vehicle, it seems to me they would have to offer a hybrid WRX. The gas mileage for the standard Impreza isn’t exactly impressive, and only an automatic-equipped Legacy even breaks 30 mpg (31 to be exact). A standard 2010 WRX has a 265 horsepower flat-four Boxer engine – imagine adding a 50 horsepower electric motor to the all-wheel drive system?

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“However, we no longer recommend the Subaru Impreza WRX because our subscribers reported a relatively high number of problems, including transmission troubles, in our latest survey. Last year we recommended every Subaru model.”

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CHERRY HILL, N.J., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ — Subaru of America, Inc. today announced that it had the company’s best sales month ever with a 52-percent increase in August sales. The company sold 28,683 units this August versus 18,932 units in August 2008 and had an 11-percent gain year-over-year. Subaru sales for August 2009 also showed a 31-percent increase over July 2009 Subaru sales, which was also a record month for the company.

Record-breaking results for three Subaru models include: a 76-percent increase in sales for the Subaru Forester with 11,870 units sold, a 30-percent increase in sales for the Subaru Impreza with 6,590 units sold and a 49-percent increase in sales for the Subaru Legacy with 3,569 units sold for the month. In addition, Subaru received the distinction of being named the only automotive manufacturer with 2009 “Top Safety Picks” for all 2010 models by
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). To receive the “Top Safety Pick” designation, a manufacturer has to continually improve its crash safety requirements and each product has to be at the top level of crash protection in front, side and rear crash impacts.

“While the CARS program helped fuel our August results, the fact that this is our third consecutive record month reinforces that our products have connected with consumers,” said Tim Colbeck, senior vice president of sales, Subaru of America, Inc. “Well before our success with the CARS program, we were having great results and I am confident that with the newly introduced 2010 Subaru Outback and Legacy models, we will continue to be successful.”

“Subaru has the perfect products to capitalize in the ever-growing crossover utility segment with the new 2010 Outback and Forester models,” said Thomas J. Doll, executive vice president and COO, Subaru of America, Inc. “In the sedan segment, we have an unprecedented opportunity to gain sales and market share with the all-new 2010 Subaru Legacy. The Legacy, built on an all-new platform with a longer wheelbase and increased width for greater interior room also achieves 31 mpg highway. When combined with those attributes and All-Wheel Drive technology, as is standard with all Subaru vehicles, we think it is the best overall value in the sedan segment,” Doll continued.

After three years of development, the Subaru Impreza finally gets a Subaru diesel engine in Europe, two years after the new Subaru diesel boxer engine was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007.

“The horizontally opposed common-rail engine has not featured in the Impreza range before due to the exchange rate between the pound and the Japanese yen.

The boxer diesel produces 148bhp and 258lb ft of torque. It helps power the Impreza from 0-62mph in 9.0secs and reach a top speed of 127mph. Combined fuel economy is 47.9mpg and it has a claimed range of 670 miles on a single tank of diesel. CO2 emissions are 155g/km.”

Source: Autocar.co.uk

AutoExpress reviews the Subaru Impreza WRX Spec C and they’re quite amazed at the car’s handling and performance.

“The car sits on Subaru’s new SI-Drive ‘intelligent’ chassis with the latest mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear. There’s also a revised suspension set-up with new dampers and springs, as well as a thicker rear anti-roll bar.

All this combines with the 18-inch alloys and those sticky tyres to solve the vagueness of the STi’s steering, and turn-in is much more precise as a result.”

“The Spec C is 30kg lighter than the STi, tipping the scales at 1,475kg, so you’d expect it to be fast. But it’s the throttle response that stands out. A new ball-bearing turbo and intercooler waterspray device work together to transform the car’s power delivery.

The latter showers the intercooler constantly to reduce intake temperatures from 70 degrees Celsius to around 40 degrees Celsius. The result is that the engine retains the 25bhp that’s normally lost when it starts to suffer in the heat.”

A man in Colorado turned in a 1985 Maserati BiTurbo for a Subaru Impreza.

“A Colorado car dealer got a shock when a man drove in with a trade in the cash-for- clunkers program, a 1985 Maserati BiTurbo.

The owner got a $3,500 rebate on a new Subaru Impreza.

Wes Guthrie said the owner complained the Maserati would need work after being driven for 10 minutes. He had been trying to sell it for months and finding no takers.”

Source: UPI.com

HAVE A PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE? SO DOES SUBARU.

Drive Performance magazine from Subaru of America, Inc. has articles on:

• How performance components and systems work
• Subaru performance heritage
• Various aspects of the sports compact performance car industry
• Modifications to improve performance in your car – what, why and how
• Things you can do with your sports compact performance car

You’re automatically subscribed if you have one of these Subaru models:

• Impreza 2.5RS (2004 – 2005)
• Impreza WRX (2004 – current)
• Impreza WRX STI (2004 – current)
• Impreza WRX TR (2006 – current)
• Impreza WRX Limited (2006 – current)
• Impreza 2.5i (2006 – current)
• Legacy 2.5GT (2006 – current)
• All turbo models (2007 – current)

All other enthusiasts – whether or not you own a Subaru – must subscribe.

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE NEXT ISSUE! Two-year subscriptions are FREE! After subscribing, you’ll receive the next published issue on the schedule.

Auto Express conducted its ‘Driver Power 2007′ reliability and satisfaction survey and the 2001-2002 Impreza has been voted number one by owners of the Subaru car. The entire Subaru range comes in sixth place with 93.1% of owners saying they’d buy another Subaru. The survey had 30000 respondents.

“This is excellent news especially as it comes hard on the heels of Subaru being voted the ‘Best Franchise Opportunity’ by the Institute Of Transport Management,” said Executive Director, Sales and Marketing, Lawrence Good.

Source: The Fermanagh Herald

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.

Three years ago, Dana Stokes came across an old 1973 Porsche abandoned in the middle of a field. “Sure enough, this poor little 914 had been sitting out in the middle of nowhere since 1982, and I knew that I had to save it,” he thought. With a lot of hard work, he swapped the engine with a 2004 Subaru WRX boxer engine and managed to turn the old car into an astounding beast.

Picture from turbo914.

The project involved a lot of modifications to the original car. First, he had to stiffen up the chassis. Next, he sewed the entire interior. Then, before performing the engine swap, he had to upgrade the car’s suspension, replacing it by a Bilstein 911 Carrera suspension. Working at Renegade Hybrids in Las Vegas, a shop that specializes in engine swap in various models of Porsche, it made it easier to perform the swap. He was ready to replace the Porsche’s stock 72 hp flat-four boxer engine by the 227 hp Subaru boxer engine.

Picture from turbo914.

The engine swap was a success. The power of a 227 hp Subaru engine is pretty impressive in a 3000 pounds Subaru Impreza WRX car: imagine what it can do to a 1973 Porsche 914 that weights only 2200 pounds. Plus, the car is a rear-wheel drive: remove all the drivetrain power loss of Subaru’s AWD system, the Porsche is a little demon on the road. From 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

The Porsche with the Subaru engine is Dana Strokes’ daily driver. He’s not done with the mods yet, in fact he’s just getting started. He wants to turn the Porsche into a full-on track car. For pictures and videos of the car, visit turbo914.

Here’s the list of modifications Dana has made to the old Porsche 914:

Engine / Transmission

• 2004 Subaru EJ20
• Custom up-pipe
• Custom exhaust 2.5-inch
• Custom auger style muffler
• Custom intercooler mount
• Custom Renegade Hybrids radiator
• Custom stage 2 pressure plate
• Custom 9-inch Kevlar clutch disk
• Custom billet aluminum adapter plate

Suspension

• Renegade Hybrids high power axles
• 911 Carrera front suspension
• Bilstein adjustable rear struts, 200-pound springs

Wheels

• 2002 Porsche 911 rims 17 x 7-inch front 17 x 9-inch rear
• Kumho 712 tires 205/50/17zr front, 255/40/17zr rear
• Steel 914GT fender flares

Interior

• Custom roll cage
• Custom interior
• Custom tachometer with integrated boost gauge

Audio

• Pioneer DEH-P9600MP head unit
• Alpine 6.5-inch type S front speakers
• Alpine 6 x 9-inch type S rear speakers
• Arc audio 8-inch sub
• Helix B4 600 watt amp

Source: Subie speed, Porsche style

For those of us lucky ones who had a lot of snow this winter and thus have enjoyed a lot of “snowbaru” fun, CarJunky reminds us of some basic driving safety tips for the coming of the warmer spring season, to which I added one my own.

1. Do basic windshield maintenance. Cleaning your windshield and applying a special coating such as Rain-X will help your visibility tremendously.

2. Replace wiper blades. Winter can be pretty hard on wiper blades with all the ice and snow. If your wiper blades are not as effective as they were, they might be due for a replacement.

3. Replace worn tires. It can be upsetting having to spend money on tires since replacing four 16″ or 17″ tires can be pretty expensive, but it’s what keeps your car on the road, and as Subaru WRX drivers we should be concerned about getting the most out of those sharp corners.

4. Beware of water. The melting of the snow and the spring showers often leaves huge ponds of water in the streets, which can cause vehicles to hydroplane and even flood engines. Also, water lifts oils and other fluids which can create a slick layer on the road.

5. Check your lights. Make sure your taillights, headlights, turn signals, etc. are in order.

And to these, I would add:

6. Beware of potholes. If you live up north, warmer weather and the freezing and thawing of the streets also create a lot of potholes. But then, if you live up there you probably already know.

This is all pretty basic information but it is always good to be reminded.

… 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!

According to Winding Road, an artist by the name of Benedict Radcliffe made a wire outline of a Subaru WRX car and set it on display in London, England on Albemarle Street.

Modern Japanese Classic by Benedict Radcliffe. Picture from Winding Road.

While the frame may appear to be computer generated, I can tell you this is just the way these pieces of art end up looking on photographs. Apparently, the car, parked on the sideway, was even issued a few parking tickets!

Benedict Radcliffe entitled the piece “Modern Japanese Classic”.

The new Subaru diesel boxer engine was unveiled this month at the Geneva Motor Show. While no official power figures were release in Geneva, some speculate that the 2.0 litre turbo engine will produce 163hp and 251lb-ft of torque. The first Subaru cars which will be equipped with the new diesel engine will be the Legacy and Outback and they are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2008. The Impreza and Forester models will follow on, but the dates have not yet been confirmed.

Picture from Autoblog.

With the new diesel engine, Subaru wishes to increase its sales in Europe by up to 40 percent over the next three years. No words of a Subaru diesel engine in North America yet.

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.