24hcar: Subaru

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New JDM Subaru Legacy B4 2.5GT tS

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, June 11, 2010

Subaru's in-house tuning arm STI has added some flair to the latest generation of the Japanese market Legacy B4 sedan and its Touring Wagon brethren. The limited production Legacy 2.5GT tS (Subaru talk for Tuned by STI) models come with various cosmetic and performance enhancements, but unfortunately, no upgrades to the 2.5-liter flat-4 turbo engine.
The list of performance goodies includes a Bilstein suspension, strut tow bars, sport exhaust system, and 18-inch multispoke alloy wheels shod in 225/45 R18 rubber.
On the outside, STI's team added a front lip spoiler on both models, along with a discreet boot lid spoiler for the B4 sedan and a roof spoiler for the Touring Wagon.
More attention was paid to the interior of the Legacy 2.5GT tS models as both variants get a revised instrument panel, sport seats dressed in alcantara and leather with contrasting red seams, decorative carbon trim in a titanium finish, STI leather steering wheel and gearbox lever with red seams and of course how can we forget, STI-branded floor mats.
In Japan, the sedan model starts from 4,029,900 Yen (around $44,190) and the Touring Wagon from 4,187,400 Yen (around $45,920).

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Wide-body 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan and Hatch Live from New York

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, April 2, 2010

Subaru is closing the styling gap between the Impreza WRX and STI models with the release of the wide-body 2011 Impreza WRX sedan and hatchback that had their world premiere today at the New York auto show.

By adopting the styling lines of the high-performance STI with the wider body look, including a wide track front and rear as well as beefier 17-inch alloys and 235/45R17 tires, the 2011 Impreza WRX boasts a more aggressive road presence than its predecessor.

Both the four-door sedan and 5-door hatchback models continue to be powered by a 265-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine teamed with a 5-speed manual transmission.

In the U.S., sales of the revised 2011 Impreza WRX are schedule to start in the summer.

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2011 Subaru Impreza WRX Facelift Gets Widebody

Posted by Mr Dung Tuesday, March 23, 2010

[WCF]

Subaru plans to introduce the facelifted 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX at the New York Auto Show in April. The remodeled car will get a new, wider body with elements taken from the STI.

The all-wheel drive car winds up with a 1.5-inch increase to both the front and rear track. Large fender flares can also be seen, as well as a new set of 17-inch wheels that are now 1-inch wider than the 17x7-inchers used on the 2010 model year car. These changes contribute to a weight increase of 33 lbs (15 kg).

"The new wide-body designs mark another major step on the continuous evolution of the WRX to give driving enthusiasts an even more compelling all-wheel drive performance package," said Subaru exec Tom Doll.

What the new wide-body really does is further bridge the gap between the standard WRX and the WRX STI. The look applies to both the four- and five-door models. No change was made to the 2.5-liter four-cylinder Boxer engine producing 265 horsepower (269 PS / 198 kW) and up to 244 ft-lb of torque.

Also featured on the car is a new grille, redesigned headlights, and updated fog lamps. The car's interior is lined in checkered carbon black upholstery with red stitching.

The 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX will be unveiled the first week of April at the New York Auto Show.

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Unichip Upgrades Subaru Impreza 2.0 Turbo Diesel to 168HP

Posted by Mr Dung Monday, March 8, 2010

The diesel version of the European market Subaru Impreza has caught the tuning attention of Unichip, a firm that as its name implies, fiddles around with ECUs. The company claims that thanks to some subtle electronic tweaks to the 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine's fuelling and boost settings, output is raised by 18HP and torque by 33 lb-ft for a total of 168-horsepower and 291lb.ft of torque.

No performance or economy figures were released, but Unichip vaguely states that "drivers reported a 5-10% consumption improvement compared to standard".

In the UK, the Unichip U-Connect upgrade is priced at £465.30 including 17.5% VAT.

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Subaru to Start Selling Cars in South Korea

Posted by Mr Dung Thursday, January 21, 2010

Even though Kia and Hyundai are present in most countries around the world, you'll be surprised of the number of automakers that are absent from the South Korean market for one reason (import taxes) or another (legislation).

Subaru is one of them, but that's going to change soon as the Japanese automaker announced today that it is joining Toyota in South Korea's recovering market for imported cars. The company said that that sales of Subaru-brand vehicles will start from April in the country working through its local distributor, Subaru Korea Co., Ltd.

The automaker's range will initially comprise of the Legacy, Outback and Forester. Unfortunately for Subaru fans in South Korea, the Impreza series, and by that, we actually mean the WRX and STI, won't be offered.

Subaru's newly formed Korean division said that it has set an initial sales target of a mere 600 units in the first year but aims to increase that number to 3,000 units by 2015.

The company stated that it is the process of developing its own dealer network and is planning to open Subaru outlets first in Seoul and Pusan and then to other metropolitan areas in South Korea.

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Subaru Impreza WRX STI A-Line Type S

Posted by Mr Dung Sunday, January 10, 2010

Together with the top-spec Impreza WRX STI R205 325HP, Subaru also released another special edition version of its sport hatchback for Japan, the WRX STI A-Line Type S. But unlike the R205, the Type S isn't about performance or handling improvements, it's about cosmetic upgrades.

Based on the Impreza WRX STI A-Line which was launched in early 2009 and combines Subaru's 300-horsepower 2.5-litre turbocharged Boxer engine with a five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifts, the Type S adds Recaro seats treated in Alcantara and leather.

In addition, the seats, the leather steering wheel and the door panels are accented by contrasting red stitching while the package is rounded off with new lightweight alloy wheels in a gunmetal gray finish and gold-colored brake calipers.

Available for order now in Japan, the Type S is priced from 3,255,000 YEN which comes to around US$34,800 or €24,400 at today's exchange rates.

[Via:CC]

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Subaru Impreza WRX Rear-Engined Three-Door Widebody - Artist Fun

Posted by Mr Dung Thursday, December 31, 2009

When the first generation Impreza WRX hit the market it set the tuner/enthusiast scene on fire. Sixteen years later, Subaru decided to try something new by adding a 5-door variant for that hot-hatch appeal. Despite being a good performer, its styling was met with little excitement.

As a result, laptop artists have taken it upon themselves to fill in the blanks and create their own versions of what the ideal WRX hatchback should look like. This particular rendering was created by Pete Smith of Digimods.co.uk who decided to pull no punches.

With the slight silhouette of a massive engine stuffed in the rear, Smith outfitted the WRX with a 1980s Rieger-esque widebody kit with deep dish two-tone BBS type wheels and enough vents, louvres and scoops to make a wind tunnel blush.

Via Carscoop

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2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Special Edition Priced $2,000 Lower than Base STI

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, December 4, 2009

The new 2010 Impreza WRX STI Special Edition that premiered at the LA Auto Show this week will be priced $2,000 lower than the base STI model at $33,690 (including destination and handling fees), Subaru announced today. Available from early spring, the first batch of 125 cars will be painted in an exclusive Aspen White. After that, the Special Edition will join the lineup as a regular model and will be offered in Obsidian Black Pearl, WR Blue Mica and Dark Gray Metallic colors.

Subaru says that the Special Edition is aimed at the enthusiast who doesn't mind trading a few amenities to gain an extra measure of handling performance over the standard STI.

While the model retains the STI's 305HP turbocharged boxer engine, it adopts the sportier suspension from the JDM market WRX STI spec C model, which adds a 1-millimeter thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer rear sub-frame bushings plus upgraded springs. The front springs are 16-percent stiffer, while the rear springs have been stiffened by 29-percent.

The package also includes the spec C's charcoal-colored 18-inch, 14-spoke alloy wheels.

The trade-off is that the WRX STI Special Edition gets halogen instead of HID headlights, a single-disc CD player / 4-speaker audio system instead of the 6-CD / 10-speaker system, manual air conditioning in place of automatic climate control, and side mirrors without integrated signals.

Via Scoop

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LA Show Debut for New Subaru Impreza WRX STI Special Edition with Spec-C Suspension Mods

Posted by Mr Dung Tuesday, November 24, 2009

At next month's 2009 LA Auto Show, Subaru will launch a more hardcore version of its 2010 Impreza WRX STI aimed at the driving enthusiast. Available in an initial limited run of 125 units finished in an Aspen White color, the Impreza WRX STI Special Edition does away with some luxury amenities of the standard model while adding an upgraded suspension and wheels from the Japanese domestic market STI Spec-C.

Suspension goodies borrowed from the Spec-C include a 1-millimeter thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer rear sub-frame bushings plus upgraded and retuned springs. Up front, the springs are 16-percent stiffer, while at the rear, the shocks have been stiffened by 29-percent.

Furthermore, the Special Edition gets the JDM Spec-C's charcoal-colored, 18-inch 14-spoke alloy wheels shod in the same Dunlop SP600 tires as the other STIs.

Compared to the standard 2010 Impreza WRX STI, the Special Edition features halogen instead of HID headlights while the 6-CD /10-speaker system has been replaced with a single-disc CD player / 4-speaker audio system and the automatic climate control with manual air conditioning.

Other than that, the new Special Edition comes with the same 305HP turbocharged boxer engine, 6-speed manual transmission and Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) version of Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system as the standard STI.

The 2010 Impreza WRX STI Special Edition will go on sale in the States in early Spring with pricing to be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show. According to Subaru, after the initial run of 125 units in Aspen White, the Special Edition will become a regular production model later in 2010, offered in all standard colors.

Via carscoop

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SEMA Show: 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 315HP Tuned by STP

Posted by Mr Dung Sunday, November 1, 2009

Subaru of America's in house performance division, STP (which stands for Subaru Performance Tuning), will reveal a custom-built Impreza WRX STI at the Las Vegas SEMA Show next week. The WRX STI gets all sorts of goodies from the SPT catalog such as a sportier exhaust system that boosts the 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine's output from 305 HP to 315 HP at 6,000 rpm with peak torque remaining stock at 290 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm and a turbo heat shield.

To improve handling, SPT equipped the Impreza WS STI with a set of 19-inch Prodrive GT2 alloy wheels finished in Glitter Gold and wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 245/35R19 performance tires while the car's suspension is upgraded with STI performance springs, an SPT strut tower brace and an SPT lower chassis brace.

Cosmetically, the tuned model is said to feature SPT billet oil cap and billet battery hold down, an STI front lip spoiler and SPT exhaust finishers.

Interior appointments include an SPT boost gauge, a media hub digital music integration system and an auto-dimming mirror with transflective display and HomeLink transmitter plus an STI shift knob and all-weather floor mats.

Via Carscoop

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Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept with 2.0-liter DI Turbo Engine and Two Electric Motors

Posted by Mr Dung Sunday, October 11, 2009

*Story Updated with 18 New Photos
Bypassing the Hybrid Tourer Concept's rear end that is remarkably similar in design to the Alfa Romeo Brera (...), Subaru's latest prototype model will be displayed to the public for the first time at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show in late October. The gullwing-door model features Subaru's first hybrid drivetrain that combines a 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed direct fuel-injection turbo gasoline engine and the firm's trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system with an electric motor at each axle and a high-performance lithium battery.

Power is primarily provided by the boxer engine that is linked to a new generation Lineatronic CVT (continuously variable transmission). According to Subaru, at start-up and extremely low speeds, the 20kW / 27HP rear electric motor can move the vehicle on its own while during acceleration, it kicks in to give an additional power boost to the gasoline engine.

As for the 10kW / 13HP electric motor located on the front axle, Subaru said that it is normally used as a power generator to recharge the lithium-ion battery while it also provides additional power for hill climbing.

Another special feature of the four-seater Hybrid Tourer Concept is the EyeSight + (yes, that stands for 'Plus'), a new driving assist system that utilizes "stereo camera technology" to detect any obstacles in the vehicle's path and advise the driver on appropriate driving maneuvers.

Specifications

Length x Width x Height: 4,630 x 1,890 x 1,420mm

Engine type: 2.0-liter Horizontally-Opposed direct fuel-injection turbo gasoline engine

Max output of Motor: 10kW (Front) / 20kW (Rear)

Transmission type: Lineartronic

Drive train: Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with 2 motors assist

Battery type: Lithium-ion battery

Source Listcarworld

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Toyota FT-86: First Official Photos of Near-Production RWD Sports Coupe, gets Subaru's 2.0-Liter Boxer Engine

Posted by Mr Dung Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Fans of the long-gone Supra, MR2 and even the Celica may rejoice; as we tipped you off a few hours ago, Toyota has just released the first official photos of the FT-86, a near-production concept model of its Subaru co-developed rear-wheel drive coupe that will make its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The production version of the 2+2 seater sports coupe, whose conceptual name harks back to the popular RWD Corolla AE86 of the mid-1980s, is due to go on sale towards the end of 2011.

"The FT-86 Concept is neither an electric vehicle nor a hybrid vehicle, but is a sports model with a gasoline engine developed to convey the essential appeal of automobiles in a new era. It is a must-see concept car that expresses TMC's desire to once again create a Toyota sports car," the Japanese automaker said in a release published on its official site.

The compact-sized coupe is powered by a front-mounted, 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine sourced from Subaru that drives the rear wheels. Official details are still scarce, but our sources tell us that Toyota opted to equip the concept model with a naturally-aspirated version of Subaru's 2.0-liter flat flour that produces 150HP in the Impreza.

However, it is most likely that the Japanese automaker has tweaked the engine to crank out a few more ponies boosting output closer to 200 horsepower.

It's worth noting that in Japan, Subaru also offers a 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer with 250HP that powers the Impreza S-GT that we all know as the WRX in most markets.

It's still too early to know which powertrains will be available on the production version of the FT-86, but Subaru's 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engines (depending on the market) in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms would have to be the most serious candidates.

The coupe is quite compact in dimensions measuring 4,160mm (163.7-in.) in length, 1,760mm (69.3-in.) in width, and 1,260mm (49.6-in.) in height with a wheelbase of 2,570mm (101.2-in.).

The FT-86 Concept was penned at Toyota's European Design Development ED2 studio that's located in Nice, France. The exterior design, which obviously won't change much when it reaches production in 2011, is clearly inspired by Toyota's FT-HS hybrid concept that was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2007. And yes, we must admit that our first take is very positive.

Needless to say that the FT-86's interior styling is far too conceptual for production, but it does provide a hint or two (no more though...) at the design direction Toyota is taking with the production model.

As we've already said before, the FT-86 will also spawn a Subaru version that will share the same underpinnings and mechanical hardware but according to the two Japanese automakers, will feature its own distinct styling. Hopefully, Subaru's "design team" won't disappoint us this time...

Via listcarworld