If you watched the first episode of Top Gear's season 11, you likely smirked at the lackluster Vauxhalls that the British bobbies have to drive in pursuit of "the baddies". But once in a while the constables in the UK gets something special in their motor-pools, like the Caparo T1, Lotus Exige, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. While few officers have actually had the chance to drive any of these epic exotics since they're used purely for demonstration purposes, the latest addition is here to stay: Prodrive has prepared a fleet of Subaru Impreza GB270s especially for the Automatic Number Plate Recognition Team at the Essex Police department.
Not only did Prodrive set up the vehicle for the team, commonly known as "The Intereptors", but the 21 officers that make up their ranks received a day of special instruction on how to get the most out of their new 270hp all-wheel-drive speed machines. As you can see in the press release after the jump, however, "The day was not about driving these cars fast, but understanding how and when to use their capability in a safe way." Way to make something exciting very boring, guv'na.
Back in April, Toyota announced that it would be gobbling up a larger percentage of Fuji Heavy Industries, makers of the Subaru brand of vehicles. Today, that deal has been made official as Fuji announced the sale that increases Toyota's voting rights in the automaker to 16.16 percent from 9.50 percent. This deal had been made possible by a newly revised Japanese law that went into effect last year. Toyota had initially purchased about nine-percent share of the company from General Motors, which no longer owns any part of Fuji Heavy.
According to reports, Toyota paid about a ten-percent premium for the increased share, as well. Its total outlay of cash for the new shares is 31.11 billion yen ($291.1 million), for which it receives 61 million additional treasury stocks. Here's hoping that this new deal ushers in the upcoming new AE86 all the more quickly.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Subaru Exiga.
When we showed you Subaru's new MPV last week your response was pretty much unanimous: man that is fugly. The car's reception on the other side of the Pacific has been a lot warmer though, particularly for the headlights' signature blue flash; the only criticism is that it's taken Subaru way too long to get this car to market.
Make the jump to read our initial impressions of the Subaru Exiga.
For the last eight years, Subaru and L.L. Bean have partnered on high-end versions of Subaru's line of all-wheel-drive vehicles. No longer. According to Subaru spokesman Dominick Infante, the duo have decided that it's in the best interests of both brands to call it quits. Infante notes that the Subaru brand has done rather well for itself in areas where snow and winter outdoor activities are common but has lacked appeal in more sun-rich states where the L.L. Bean brand isn't very common. It shouldn't be too difficult for Subaru to shed its rugged but staid image. With awesome models like the STi, Subaru seems entirely capable of making vehicles with which to scorch asphalt as opposed to the ski slopes.
In lieu of using the L.L. Bean nomenclature, Subaru will instead endow its higher-end models with the 'Limited' badge. With the last of the L.L. Bean models currently sitting on dealer lots, those outdoorsy individuals aching for one had better act fast.
AutoExpress may have provided us with a rendering of what the new RWD Subaru coupe might look like, but Winding Road's hired spies have provided the real deal. Shot outside a test center in the UK (amidst white-out conditions), the camo-clad mule is sporting some body panels pilfered from the current Legacy, but with a Toyota emblem in front, a pair of Recaro buckets inside and a shrunken trunk, there's little doubt that this prototype is more than just your standard sedan.
There's still no confirmation about what kind of output the 2.0-liter flat-four will be producing, as estimates have ranged from 180- to 220-hp, but grunt is expected to be shoveled to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and pricing should start a few pennies shy of $20,000.
As previously reported, both versions will be sporting separate sheet metal to differentiate the two coupes from one another. We'd suspect that the Toyota version will be fitted with a traditional trunk, while the Subaru version will get a hatch similar to that found on the WRX/STI. The image above takes all the right cues from the current Impreza, particularly the aggressive roofline and hunkered stance, and ratchets it up a notch with a new front bumper, swept back headlamps and bulging fender flares.
As we're already aware, both the Toyota version (which supposedly won't make it to U.S. shores) and the Subaru variant will be powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter boxer, sending around 180 hp to the rear wheels. AutoExpress claims that a 300-hp version equipped with the turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four is also destined for production, along with an all-wheel-drive version further down the road. For those of us that have been dreaming of an STI-powered GC8 coupe, this could spare us the considerable headache and expense when it goes on sale in 2012.
Sebastian Loeb and Citroen had a comfortable win at the Acropolis Rally in Greece this past weekend, but much of the attention was paid to the race debut of the Subaru WRC2008. With Petter Solberg behind the wheel, the new Subie took ten top-five stage times the first two days and captured second place overall. The result was Solberg's first points since February and his first podium finish since last year's Acropolis Rally. The problem-free weekend and the fast pace were encouraging for the Subaru team, who see the new race car as a turning point. "This is it, we're coming back!" Solberg declared after the race. The next rally in Turkey will determine whether the initial success of the car was a fluke or for real. For now, check out the gallery below of the WRC2008 sliding its way to a second place finish.
When another batch of spy photos of the upcoming Subaru Exiga surfaced yesterday, we didn't give it much thought. We pretty much know the styling direction and dimensions of Subaru's new people mover, but one portion of AutoExpress' article caught our attention. In addition to the Exiga joining a new Legacy sedan and Outback wagon in 2009, Subaru's future drivetrain plans include dropping the 3.0-liter boxer and reworking the 2.0- and 2.5-liter engines to increase efficiency and power. The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter will supposedly produce 200 hp, while the current turbocharged 2.5-liter will exceed 300 hp. While neither of which is huge news, AE also mentions that a Legacy STI is on the way with a turbo'd 3.7-liter producing close to 450 hp. Whether or not such a beast will actually come about is open to debate, but when it does, we hope that Subaru has the foresight to make it available in the U.S.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Subaru Impreza WRC 2008.
WRC teams are gearing up in Greece ahead of this week's Acropolis rally, and just before its world racing debut, Subaru has released the details on its all-new Impreza rally car. You can pore over the specs after the jump, but the highlights of the Impreza WRC2008 include a 1994cc turbocharged flat four, running an IHI turbo equipped with the WRC-mandated 34mm restrictor plate and Subaru's own anti-lag system to produce 300 hp at 5,500 rpm and... wait for it... 479 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm.
Power is sent to a six-speed electro-hydraulic transmission, through an electronically controlled center diff and down to the wheels through mechanical differentials, fore and aft. Bos shocks are being used in conjunction with the front and rear MacPherson setup, while AP Racing, 310mm discs are clamped by six-piston calipers both in front and in the rear. BBS wheels are fitted at all four corners, with 15-inchers used for gravel stages and 18-inch rollers for tarmac attacks. The rally racer's weight is set at the WRC minimum of 2,712 pounds. As always, you can follow the progress of the Impreza and the rest of the teams at the WRC website.
UPDATE: We've added a video of the WRC2008 Impreza during a shake-down run after the jump, courtesy of Carscoop.
Inside Line is reporting that the new, RWD coupe being developed by Subaru and Toyota will only be sold as a Subaru in markets outside of Japan, while the Toyota version will remain exclusive to the Land of the Rising Sun. The report goes on to say that the coupe will be based off the Subaru Impreza (despite Toyota/Subaru's own press release saying that it's an "all-new" platform) and that power will be provided by a naturally aspirated, 2.0-liter boxer engine producing 220 hp at 6,500 rpm.
Toyota and Subaru are using the Integra Type-R as the performance benchmark for the new coupe, with a 103-inch wheelbase, a 2+2 seating layout and a curb weight of 2,866 pounds. As reported before, the coupe will debut in 2011 and pricing is expected to begin just south of $20,000.
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In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Lincoln MKS
Track Test: 2008 Roush 427R Trak Pak Mustang
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Porsche Cayman S
First Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata Retractable Hard Top
