Motorsports fans who'd like to get a peek at the inner workings of Prodrive would be advised to get their fannies on a jumbo to England this July. That's when the company's motorsports HQ will be opened to the public for two days (7/14 - 7/15), giving fans a chance to learn how it creates and supports the five racing cars it handles on-site.
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Subaru introduced the all-new 2008 Impreza in 2.5i and WRX guises at the 2007 New York International Auto Show.
We don’t know if this will make European and American Scooby fans feel a little bit better or not, but from the looks of it, the JDM (Japan Domestic Market) version of the WRX will loose the "WRX" nameplate in favour of the uninspiring and meaningless "S-GT". As you can see from the images that where posted on NASIOC, apart from the 7.500 rpm redline (US WRX: 6.500 rpm) and the 180km/h tachometer, there’s no other visible difference between the US spec WRX and the JDM S-GT.
Dubbed the RB320, this limited-edition Impreza WRX STi gets some tweaks from motorsports tech firm Prodrive, including a performance pack that boosts horsepower to 316 at 6,000 rpm and torque to 332 lb-ft at 3,700 rpm. the RB320 comes in one paint scheme -- obsidian black -- with 18" alloys and a Prodrive-tuned suspension kit of Bilstein dampers, a sporting spring kit and rear anti-roll bar.
Subaru has been moving upscale with its vehicles for a half dozen years or so and its new Legacy GT Limited sedan shows how far it has come. This is a stealthy sport sedan that is attractive, yet blends into the crowd, especially when cloaked in the dark metallic blue of the test car. Overall, the Legacy GT is quick and well mannered on the road while also offering fairly sporty handling. Add to that its all-wheel drive and a base price just below $29,000 and it's a bargain in the near luxury market.
Prodrive says its version of the 2.5-litre, turbocharged boxer engine delivers 185kW and 360Nm, the standard engine 169kW and 320Nm. Subaru SA says the car will sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.7sec and top out at an electronically limited 210km/h.
A special Prodrive boot spoiler with four swept-back vertical surfaces adds to the boy-racer persona but the only visual indication in the engine bay is the blue Prodrive turbocharger plumbing. The only cabin styling cue is a polished aluminium Prodrive gear-shifter.
The chairman of Subaru Germany Jens Becker said "significant savings" could be achieved with vehicles equipped with LPG technology without a loss to performance, comfort and safety. Subaru is currently working on an LPG version of the Tribeca with an extra price tag of 3,100 euros (3,970 dollars).
According to the main developer of new Impreza Hiroshi Mori, this new car will be easier and cheaper to manufacture than the current generation, but will keep will keep all features of that legendary car. New generation Subaru Impreza hatchback version will receive shortened chassis comparing to the future sedan. This new hatchback Impreza will have more rigid body, than its sedan brother. In addition, this novelty will differ by short butt (a.k.a rear part of the body) and longer nose.
The UK will see a five-door hatch, with a traditional sedan to follow after the initial launch. Design influences will come from the B5 concept (pictured) that debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show this past October. Naturally, power will find its way to all four wheels, getting the required momentum from the brand's trademark boxer-four.
The good: The 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited disguises a sophisticated all-wheel-drive turbo drivetrain in a useful and nondescript body, with decent fuel economy and a well-done if simple interior rounding out the picture.
The bad: Interior tech features are scarce for the price, and Bluetooth and satellite radio aren't available. The navigation option curiously requires the automatic transmission.
The bottom line: The 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited offers more performance than most cars in its class, but this comes at the expense of cabin gadgetry.
Yesterday, Subaru announced the Subaru Legacy "tuned by STi" package for the Japanese market. Limited to 600 units total, the tuner kit can be ordered for either the Legacy Wagon or Legacy B4 (sedan). No engine modifications are part of the package since it's available only for the 2.0 GT spec.B trim, which already features Legacy's top-of-the-line 280-horsepower mill.
The STi package kicks off with new front and rear spoilers to beef up the looks and improve high-speed stability. Next come 18-inch STi alloy wheels and high-power Brembo brakes with four-pot calipers at the front and two-pots in the rear.
Subaru presented a new package for their Forester last Friday. The Airbreak version will be available in the 2.0x version and the engine will be the 2.0L 4 cylinder SOHC block, hooked up to a E-4at 4-speed automatic gearbox.
Only selected Subarus are eligible for £3000 worth of fuel, but buyers of all other models will get £1000 worth of vouchers to spend at the pump. The models that qualify for the maximum £3000 of vouchers are four- and five-door Impreza WRXs, all Impreza STIs, manual versions of the Forester 2.5 XTn and all 3.0-litre Legacy Spec B models.