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]

There are few words in the English language which can conjure up as much meaning, and likely so many memories, as these: road trip. We've all been on them before; some are the highlights of your life and some... well, not so much. But having the right vehicle can make all the difference in the world. Thule, maker of "transportation accessories", has added its name to the ever-growing list of companies that have invented an "__ of the year" award. For this particular honor, Thule has broken the automotive landscape in half, dividing its choices for the best vehicle to take a road trip in at the $30 grand mark. Without further ado, the winners are:

• Best road trip vehicle under $30,000: Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
• Best road trip vehicle over $30,000: Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited

If you really want to read all of the reasons that Thule offers for choosing these vehicles, there's a whole press release pasted after the break. We're not going to argue with their choices, as both the Outback and the Highlander are fine vehicles, which would be suitable for a group of four people and their assorted belongings. Sure beats the old funny-smelling air-cooled VW van that had trouble keeping up with the slow-moving traffic that some of us can remember from our childhood.



[Source: Thule]

After seeing a midnight showing of Ghostbusters in early October of 2005, a couple of friends hatched a plan. The self-described "nerdy near-adults with interests in "science fiction, computers, technology, and filmmaking" decided that with Halloween just around the corner, they might as well dress as Ghostbusters. Kevin and his friend Will wanted to build homemade backpacks and uniforms, then go into a local hotel on Halloween to prank them. "Essentially we would run out with smoking ghost traps, handing the hotel manager a bill for $5000, and then run away. Then it hit me. 'Will... I'll make you a deal. You build the packs, and I'll build the car.' A few months later Will moved to New York and the plans were shelved."

The following spring, Kevin and his roommate, Austin, got the project started. They started with Kevin's white 1998 Subaru Outback and went to town, adding lightbars, tubes, packs, decals and a lot of hours to make the car into the Ecto-1K. But just days before Halloween, the Ecto was rear-ended by a semi and written off. A replacement 2003 Outback was located, and with insurance money and donations in hand, they rebuilt the Ecto-1K in just a few weeks. The car has made quite a splash in and around Fort Collins. Car shows, comic conventions, parades, and the like. You can read the whole story and see lots of pics by following the Read link. Funny anecdotes abound. We especially liked the idea of just driving it through town at random on weeknights, making those who caught a glimpse of it wonder if they had perhaps been seeing things. Or using it to help snow-stranded motorists get unstuck. Always nice to see someone with an appreciation for fine art, a great sense of humor, and a Subaru putting it all together for the betterment of mankind.

[Source: NASIOC via DieselStation]

Like any proud parent, Subaru is pretty proud of its offspring's safety records. And with the NHTSA awarding five star crash ratings across the board to both Legacy and Outback, they've got plenty of reasons to be proud. Both models also received four out of five stars for rollover safety.

This is thefirst time the Legacy's gotten five stars across the board (in 2005, it got five for front passenger and driver, but was not rated for side crashes), but the Outback has consistently scored tops since at least 2002.

That now makes two safety agencies smiling upon the Legacy, with the IIHS naming it a Top Safety Pick for 2007.

[Source: Safercar.gov]