Autoblog

JL sent us over an email from Subaru of America that's instructed dealers to immediate cease sales of all Subaru models equipped with the turbocharged, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The directive effects some 2008 and 2009 models built in January and February, including the Forester, Legacy 2.5GT, LTD, 2.5GTB and Impreza sedan and wagon.

The issue involves reports of an "engine knocking noise" that's been affecting vehicles outside the U.S. market, and an initial investigation has found that there is some kind of internal wear that may be causing the noise.

Currently, no U.S. vehicles have been affected, and a Subaru spokesperson told us that the stop sale has been issued as a temporary measure to nip it in the proverbial bud and that once the issue is addressed sales will begin again. You can read the full directive and see the exact production dates of the affected models after the jump.

click above to view a high-res gallery of the Subaru Impreza STi

Subaru has gained itself quite a cult following with performance Imprezas. Based on its victories in the World Rally Championship, the WRX and STi versions of the Impreza have been a big hit with the gonzo street-racer crowd. With the introduction of the latest STi, Subaru left a gaping hole between the mighty fast 224-hp WRX ($24,350) and the super-fast 305-hp WRX STi ($34,995). Since more customers will want to upgrade from the WRX than can afford the $10k+ leap to the STi, Subaru is reportedly considering slotting a new model in between the two, which could come in a little under $30k and offer about 265 horses under hood.

The report comes from our friends down under at Drive.co.au, who were speaking with Nick Senior of Subaru Australia. According to Senior, parent company Fuji Heavy Industries "has a fair bit on its plate" at the moment, alluding to the reported upcoming Celica which Subaru is developing with partner Toyota, so we shouldn't expect a mid-level WRX anytime soon, but it is on Subaru's radar screen for the future. Senior also said we can expect Subaru to churn out some special-editions, like a stripped-out STi track car, so stay tuned.

[Source: Drive.co.au]

click image above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Impreza Outback Sport

The standard new generation evolution usually goes like this: bigger, roomier, longer, wider. For some models, it's not such a big deal to go fiddling with the specs, on certain cars it's even a welcome improvement. Subaru, however, has a conundrum on their hands when they go messing with the Impreza formulation. There's a loveable quirkiness to the recipe; start tinkering too much, though, and you'll end up with New Coke.

Thus, it's with trepidation that we sampled the 2008 Impreza. It certainly looks different than those which came before. New duds don't mean an expanded waistline here, the 2008 model actually twirls out considerably less measuring tape in several dimensions than its forebear, while gaining inches and tenths where they make the most difference. Better doesn't have enough depth to fully convey the marked improvements Subaru has made in their entry-level model for 2008. Even stretching to "a lot better" leaves more to be said



All photos ©2007 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.

Click the image above for a high-res shot.

Subaru is taking the grip-and-go driving dynamics of its new Impreza to the extreme with an ad campaign that'll be making its way around UK roads this October. The "Subaglue" transporter features three new Imprezas sitting atop the trailer, with another three hatches mounted upside-down and likely to cause plenty of spit-takes as commuters make their way to work. While we're still trying to figure out how they managed to mount the vehicles (flip the trailer over, drive the wagons on board and go at with some extra large bolts?) we're even more surprised that the British health and safety crew actually let this campaign get off the ground (rim shot).

[Source: Subaru]

Click image for photo gallery

Subaru's not officially revealing the new Impreza WRX STI until October 24 (place your bets on who'll blow that embargo to smithereens before then), but it has released a teaser shot of the car's rear end. (We showed you the official teaser of the front end last week.) With the number of high-quality spy photos being churned out now, there's little mystery left anyway, but we'll take what we can get from Subaru. The new shot, as posted on the Subaru website, is very dark. We lightened it up a bit so you can better see the fender bulges, dual twin-tipped exhaust outlets, and the roof wing. Between this and the spy shots flying around, it's looking as if the STI will boast an appropriately muscled-up appearance compared to the far more reserved-looking WRX. It'll be shown to the public for the first time at next month's Tokyo Motor Show, and we'll be on hand for the festivities.

Thanks for the heads-up, Dustin!

[Source: Subaru]

Click images for photo gallery

If Japan's Best Car isn't BSing everyone, the car you see in the magazine scans above is the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. And while it's still a mortal lock to polarize people as much as the Impreza it's based on, we'll go out and say that this looks pretty killer. Sporting the expected high-mount wing, bulging fenders, quad exhaust tips, a substantial front spoiler, and a great-looking set of wheels, this is worlds better-looking than the regular WRX. From the looks of things, the car is also equipped with vented Brembos all around, which is not surprising. Where the WRX looks almost friendly, this thing's menacing, particularly in that dark gray finish.

According to the little chart shown on one of the scans, here's some of the key info you''ll want to know. All numbers pertain to the JDM model, obviously.

• Engine/Transmission: EJ20 / 6MT
• 300PS (295 hp) @ 6500 RPM
• 45 kgm (325 lb-ft) @ 4400 RPM
• 10.5 km/l (24.7 US MPG) in the Japanese 10-15 mode test cycle

Unfortunately, we don't read Japanese, and that's about all we can glean at this time. If you can read Japanese and are able to add more, feel free to do so in the comments. Now we want to see how this bad boy stacks up against the new Evo. Fun times are coming, kids. Check out the gallery for large versions of the scans.

UPDATE: Drat. We have now spoken to our Japan-based contributor, Justin Gardiner. Justin tells us that these are renderings (sigh) done by Best Car that show what the mag believes the new STI will look like. We can only hope it looks this good.

[Source: AVOturboworld via Carscoop]

We've been a little disappointed by the looks of Subaru's latest Impreza and WRX, but wanted to reserve judgment until the STi showed up. Could that homely hatch design really support the extra muscle that transforms the STi into a rally star? We really wanted to know. There have been tons of renderings and spy shots, but here we have what is possibly the first clear photo of the real deal.

Captured by CARTOP, it was just posted by Nihon Car. It still looks touched up to us, if not completely cgi, but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. Not a lot of changes from WRX to STi are apparent, but the banana-colored Scubie snack looks even more like a Mazdaspeed3 to our eyes. OK, enough harping on the looks. It's not like it's terribly offensive, just a little bland. We're sure driving this 320-hp rocket will change our opinions pretty drastically.

Thanks for the tip, MB!

[Source: Nihon Car]

NASIOC forum member Lone Wolf 75 was at Raven's Stadium recently and spotted a pack of new Imprezas apparently getting ready for some type of focus group ride-and-drive. Besides the base Impreza and WRX sedan, he saw a hatch with a roof rack and revised front end. It is most likely the new Outback Sport. As other members had pointed out, it has a different grille with a chrome strip at the top, thinner chrome sides and an elongated drop in the bottom section of the grille. Much like the STi, but with a different mesh-patterned insert. It also sports the new front fascia, over-fenders and restyled rockers of previous Outbacks in a contrasting silver color. The two-tone look is a bit debatable, making the car look like a mismatched mule rather than a production model, but the overall package is tasteful. We had seen the back and side before, but this is our first look at the Outback-ed front end.

[Source: NASIOC]

Wow, that didn't take very long. Those new WRX ads we just told you about are already on YouTube. You know, the ones that use "traditional" Japanese cultural references like "Fast and Furious," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and "Blade Runner". Several of you picked up on the fact that the American ad agency responsible for this new campaign might have their Chinese and Japanese mixed up a bit, but the point remains that as elements of popular culture, these all appeal to the target market for the new WRX, the 20- and 30-year-old guys who are into manga and anime. Follow the jump to see the "Legend Reborn" clip where a WRX slices through the jungle and heeds the call of the wild, flexing its trail muscles along the way. And we find out that apparently the call of the wild is loud enough for people in the city hear, as well. Check it out.

[Source: Subaru via YouTube]

click above image to view high-res gallery of the 2008 JDM Subaru Impreza

Subaru began selling the 2008 Impreza in Japan today, and the news from Fuji Heavy on its little rally car continues to surprise. Yesterday, Car Magazine in the UK reported that Subaru would discontinue selling the WRX model in Europe in favor of a stripper version of the STi. Today we learn from Subaru's official JDM specs that the Impreza S-GT model, which we know as the WRX, will not come with the same 224-horsepower, 2.5L flat-four turbo engine that we'll be getting in the U.S. Instead, the S-GT in Japan will come with a 2.0L flat-four turbo that produces 250 horsepower.

Subaru doesn't offer any explanation as to why each market gets its own engine, though we'd certainly like an explanation as to why we we're still being offered the current WRX's older, less powerful 2.5L motor. Odds are it has something to do with emissions and the added cost of making the 2.0L engine meet U.S. standards, so perhaps it's still possible the WRX will be sold with the new engine in the U.S. and our patience will pay off one day. We still expect a Ralliart version of Mitsubishi's new Lancer to arrive soon making somewhere in the neighborhood of 225 to 250 horsepower, so Subaru would be rise to have the WRX ready for it.

Check out the official press release from Subaru after the jump, which also includes info about the Impreza 15S and 20S base models, as well as 37 high-res images in our gallery by clicking below.

[Source: Subaru via Carscoop]