Autoblog

Click on the image to see high-res shots of the "see-through" Subaru

While automakers spend huge amounts of money paying marketing firms to come up with memorable advertising campaigns, sometimes something relatively simple does the job just as well. Take this Subaru Outback. Dreamed up by Stan Palmer Sales of Carlisle, a Subaru dealership in the U.K., this particular Outback appears to be see-through and was developed to promote the marque's new diesel boxer engine, the first such engine in the world. An image in a Subaru brochure was snapped with an eight megapixel camera, blown up and plastered onto the full-sized car.

Though the whole project took just one day, the effort has drummed up plenty of interest. According to Dealer Principal Ian Armstrong, "The reaction has been fantastic, with people almost tripping up as they walk past." Considering that the Outback isn't exactly a fresh model, the added interest has caught the attention of Lawrence Good, Managing Director of Subaru Limited in the U.K, who said: "This car has become quite a talking point back here in head office and is a fantastic and cost-effective advertising initiative. It should inspire other dealers to either copy the idea or come up with their own innovative campaigns." Sounds like they love it.


[Source: Subaru]

Press Release:

SUBARU DEALER'S SEE-THROUGH CAR

An inventive Subaru dealer has devised a see-through car to promote the benefits of the new Boxer Diesel engine.

And not only is the Subaru Outback turning heads but has drastically boosted showroom footfall. The car appears to have a bonnet made of glass, with every engine detail meticulously replicated on a vinyl wrap. Equally startling is the side of the car which shows the engine plus Subaru's famous symmetrical all-wheel drive system and even the exhaust silencer. "Being the world's first boxer diesel engine, we though we should come up with something equally revolutionary to get the car noticed," said Ian Armstrong, Dealer Principal of 'Stan Palmer Sales' of Carlisle. He added: "We saw a cutaway picture of the engine in the brochure and that got us thinking about taking it one step further. The reaction has been fantastic, with people almost tripping up as they walk past. "Customer footfall has gone up dramatically and while it may not mean a sale today, some will come back when it's time for them to change their car." The car was imaged up in one day after a photograph was taken of the engine using a high-resolution eight mega-pixel camera.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Good, Managing Director of Subaru (UK) Limited said: "This car has become quite a talking point back here in head office and is a fantastic and cost-effective advertising initiative. "It should inspire other dealers to either copy the idea or come up with their own innovative campaigns."

Subaru (UK) Limited itself is no stranger to eye-catching stunts. Only last year it hit the headlines with a car transporter which toured the UK carrying three new cars upside down on its lower deck and three the correct way up above them. The promotion was part of the 'Subaglue' campaign to launch the new Impreza and carried the line: "Sticks To The Road Like Glue". The new Boxer Diesel Legacy and Outback range is priced from £20,995 on-the-road for the Legacy 2.0D Sports Tourer. All models have been highly-praised for their supreme refinement, throttle-response and agile handling thanks to the Boxer Diesel engine's light weight and low centre-of-gravity. The engine also provides class-leading fuel economy and low exhaust emissions with, for example almost 50 mpg on the Combined Cycle and 151 g/km for the Sports Tourer.