Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Rumormill: Subaru version of Toyota FT-86 to be bigger, get substantially more power, AWD]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Toyota FT-86 Concept - click above for high-res image gallery

While most sports car fans everywhere are waiting with bated breath for the new Toyota FT-86 to arrive from the Land of the Rising Sun, some of us are a little bit more excited about the car's Subaru cousin. Why is that, especially considering that the FT-86 appears to be kinda just what the doctor ordered (rear-wheel drive, 200 horsepower, light, cheap)? Well, for one thing, Subarus are all-wheel drive. And while rear-wheel driven sports cars definitely have their charms (earlier rumors even suggested that Fuji Heavy (i.e. Subaru) was even caving and going rear-drive with its version of the Toyobaru), there's really little in life as fun as blasting down a gravel road at a seemingly unsafe clip while kicking up mountainous clouds of dust. Plus, you know, rain and all that.

Then there's the engine. Our pals at Inside Line are reporting that the Subaru iteration of the FT-86 will have more power - 250 hp according to them. Using Jeremy Clarkson-style logic, 250 hp is better than 200 hp. Because it's more. IL claims that the Toyobaru will use a version of the just-developed-for-the-FT-86 flat-four 2.0-liter engine - supposedly naturally aspirated like in the FT-86.

But here's the thing - the smallest engine Subaru offers American consumers these days is a 2.5-liter boxer. And that motor, turbo-tuned for WRX duty, makes 265 hp (though we've driven it and we'd wager it kicks out a bit more than that). Why would Subaru put a smaller, weaker engine into a $30,000 coupe ($30,000 according to the IL article) than the motor they stick in the $25,000 WRX? Exactly -we don't think they would.

Inside Line also says the Subaru version will be larger than the Toyota car because of a "stretched platform." We're not sure if that means longer or wider - or both - but we'd err on the side of longer, as in more backseat room. What we're looking at then, is a big-ish, AWD coupe with a lot of power. Can you say 2011 SVX? We knew you could.


Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Toyota FT-86 Concept


[Source: Inside Line]

Rumormill: Subaru version of Toyota FT-86 to be bigger, get substantially more power, AWD originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>FT-86SubaruSubaru CoupeSubaru SVXSubaru WRXSubaruCoupeSubaruSvxSubaruWrxsubiyotaSVXToyobaruToyotaToyota FT-86ToyotaFt-86WRXWed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19243971/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/11/18/rumormill-subaru-version-of-toyota-ft-86-to-be-bigger-get-subs/19243971/article-detail.xml 19243971 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/toyobaru-1258530107_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/toyobaru-1258530107.jpg <![CDATA[Rumormill: Subaru planning to revive SVX with coupe version of Sports Tourer]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/rumormill-subaru-planning-to-revive-svx-with-coupe-version-of-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/rumormill-subaru-planning-to-revive-svx-with-coupe-version-of-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/rumormill-subaru-planning-to-revive-svx-with-coupe-version-of-s/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept - click above for high-res image gallery

Might Subaru's Hybrid Tourer concept point the way forward to a revival of the iconoclastic SVX from the Nineties? According to AutoExpress, that's a definite maybe. The British motoring mag suggests that the conceptual Hybrid Tourer that's just about to get its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show is a harbinger for a range-topping luxury performance coupe from the Japanese automaker.

If true (and we're not exactly holding our breath), the new coupe would slot well above the expected rear-wheel drive coupe that will share its underpinnings with the upcoming Toyota FT-86, possibly selling for twice the price of its lesser sibling. A turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine would provide motivation, though a hybrid model may also be possible.


Gallery: Subaru Hybrid Tourer concept


[Source: AutoExpress]

Rumormill: Subaru planning to revive SVX with coupe version of Sports Tourer originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hybrid tourerhybrid tourer conceptHybridTourerHybridTourerConceptSubarusubaru hybridsubaru hybrid tourersubaru hybrid tourer conceptsubaru svxSubaruHybridSubaruHybridTourerSubaruHybridTourerConceptSubaruSvxsvxTue, 13 Oct 2009 15:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19194313/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/10/13/rumormill-subaru-planning-to-revive-svx-with-coupe-version-of-s/19194313/article-detail.xml 19194313 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/subaru-hybrid-tourer-render_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/subaru-hybrid-tourer-render.jpg <![CDATA[Beat some ugly Italian designs with an ugly stick]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/27/beat-some-ugly-italian-designs-with-an-ugly-stick/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/27/beat-some-ugly-italian-designs-with-an-ugly-stick/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/27/beat-some-ugly-italian-designs-with-an-ugly-stick/#commentsFiled under: ,



Got some time to burn? Of course you do! iMotor Mag has created a game to punish the wayward children of esteemed Italian design houses. Where designers such as Pininfarina and Bertone have penned gems like the Ferrari F599 and the Lamborghini Miura, they have also thrust the Peugeot 1007 and Skoda Favorit on unwary car shoppers (hey, even designers have to eat...).

iMotor (the same blokes who gave us the Bail Out Chrysler game) gives you the chance to beat them, and a couple of Bertone designs to boot. You may not agree with all of them (Subaru SVX?) but the better you wield the ugly stick, the more unfortunate designs you get to eradicate from the (virtual) world. However, as with many ugly-yet-enduring designs, the cars put up a good fight, so good luck getting to Level Two.

[Source: iMotor Mag]

Beat some ugly Italian designs with an ugly stick originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bertoneCitroenDaewoodesignersgameguigiaroHyundaiimotorPeugeotpininfarinasubaru SVXSubaruSvxuglyFri, 27 Mar 2009 14:26:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1500370/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/03/27/beat-some-ugly-italian-designs-with-an-ugly-stick/1500370/article-detail.xml 1500370 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/imotor_ugly_stick_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/imotor_ugly_stick.jpg <![CDATA[Toyota/Subaru RWD sports car confirmed for 2011 with boxer engine]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At a press conference in Japan today, Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe finally confirmed that his company is jointly developing a pair of rear-wheel-drive sports cars with Subaru. Each brand will get its own version of the car, which will be powered by one of Subaru's boxer engines, though the engine's displacement, power output and even number of cylinders is not yet known. We're also not sure if the Subaru version will feature the brand's trademark all-wheel-drive system either as an option or standard equipment, or whether Toyota might offer AWD as well in an homage to the Celica GT4 (we hope so!). The styling will most likely resemble the sketch that was published by Autocar yesterday, though we don't expect one car to be a rebadged version of the other. Mark your calendars for 2011, which is when the new sports cars are scheduled to arrive. They'll be riding on a brand new platform and be built in Japan at a new plant by Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. Toyota also confirmed rumors this morning that it will be buying up more of Fuji, raising its stake in the company from 8.7% to 16.5%.

These RWD sports cars will mean a lot for both companies, as Subaru hasn't offered a performance coupe since the slightly odd SVX, and Toyota all but abandoned performance models after the Supra, Celica and MR2 were cancelled.

[Source: Automotive News, Autocar]

Toyota/Subaru RWD sports car confirmed for 2011 with boxer engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingsubaru rear wheel drive sports carsubaru svxsubaru toyotaSubaruRearWheelDriveSportsCarSubaruSvxSubaruToyotatoyota celicatoyota coupetoyota MR2toyota rear wheel drive sports cartoyota rwdtoyota subarutoyota supraToyotaCelicaToyotaCoupeToyotaMr2ToyotaRearWheelDriveSportsCarToyotaRwdToyotaSubaruToyotaSupraThu, 10 Apr 2008 11:35:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1163820/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/1163820/article-detail.xml 1163820 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/948895225_250-op_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/948895225_250-op.jpg -1 2