Autoblog

Thanks to Subaru's newest marketing campaign, we finally know what really makes a Subaru a Subaru. Love. Really? Allow Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer for Subaru of America, to explain, "Love is the most powerful emotion and 'I love my Subaru' is the most used phrase I hear about our brand. We wanted to show the bond between Subaru owners and their cars through this work."

While it seems that current owners may love their cars, Subaru's research into the subject shows that the majority of the population have no strong feelings toward the brand at all. Past Subaru ads have communicated the rational reasons for purchasing a Subaru, but the marketing team now intends to key in on three specific subjects: the heart, the brain and the wallet, highlighting all of the considerations of a consumer looking for a new car. Will the new advertisements resonate with consumers? Dunno, but we do know that while we love ourselves some STI, there isn't much else that Subaru has to offer which make our hearts race.

[Source: Subaru]

Click above to check out more images at Exhaustnote.com.

We wouldn't quite call ourselves fans of the Fast and Furious franchise, but we're getting more and more impressed with this newest iteration of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. We'll admit that it's hardly the most attractive hatch on the road, but its blend of planted purposefulness and flared fenders have slowly made converts out of some of us.

Could it be made uglier? Most certainly. But the crew at Veilside are supplying a kit for the new STI that will make its debut in the new Fast and Furious sequel. The Rally Blue 'Rex is getting a full work-over at a shop in Southern California before Paul Walker (aka Brian O'Connner) takes the helm and our friends at ExhaustNote.com were able to supply some pics in the midst of modifications. While the new front bumper and precariously placed spoiler might not suit everyone's taste, the full roll cage could mean that better (non-CG, please) stunts are on the way.

[Source: ExhaustNote.com]

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]

UPDATE: Video of the STI unveiling has been added after the jump.

Click the image above for more live shots of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

The Subaru Impreza STI just made its North American debut, and for those of us here in the States, life is good. Just like the JDM version, the STI benefits from a wider track and a longer wheelbase, but power is provided by Subaru's 2.5-liter boxer four making 305 hp and 290 lb.-ft. of torque. The sprint to sixty will be dispatched in 4.9 seconds, and Subie execs are touting the engine's new torque characteristics as more tractable and effortlessly exciting. Aluminum suspension components partner with inverted struts to keep all four wheels planted and providing motivation, while a redesigned DCCD allows drivers to select six different differential settings.

Pricing has been set at $34,995 and Subaru began taking orders today. Check out Subaru's official press release after the jump and our gallery of high-res live shots below.

Click above image for more live pics of the Subaru WRX STI

We've gone from being disappointed by the new Impreza, to pleasantly surprised by the WRX, to smitten by the STI. It looked OK in silver as the dust sheet came off, but stunning in metallic black on the Subaru stand's floor. The new STI's exterior details that set it apart from lesser siblings do not appear to be afterthoughts tacked on to a standard family car, but rather the way the family car was supposed to look in the first place.

The interior, too, is better put together and uses better materials than previous offerings from Subaru Tecnica International, but the dash will look pleasingly familiar to fans of the brand. Click below for a gallery taken at the live launch and view Subaru's official press release with all the specs after the jump.



All live photos ©2007 Justin Gardiner / Weblogs, Inc.

Click image for more brochure photos

NASIOC has long been a bonanza of leaked photos and info relatingng to all things Subaru, and today, user "fyinpig" keeps that tradition going with brochure shots of the JDM Subaru Impreza WRX STI ahead of the car's official debut later this month. As you can see, the muscled-up hatch will be available in 7 colors in Japan ("obshidian" black pearl,, anyone?), with three different wheel styles. Inside, there's no shortage of STI logos, so your passengers won't confuse your machine with the standard WRX. Key numbers you'll undoubtedly be interested in include:

• 304 hp @ 6400 rpm
• 311lb-ft @ 4400rpm (41:59 torque split)
  
• Weight: 3263 lb (subtract an additional 22 lbs. if fitted with optional BBS wheels)

Head over to the NASIOC thread for all the info and an ongoing discussion.

[Source: NASIOC]

When the dust settles at the Los Angeles auto show next month, at least 14 world debuts will have taken place, along with 30 North America unveilings. Amidst the premiers, expect to see a concept version of Hyundai's new RWD sports car (also to be shown in London), along with Nissan's restyled Murano CUV.

Those of you that can pry yourselves away from the Turkey table and shrug off your tryptophanic haze will be able to check out the Jaguar XF, BMW 1-series coupe, the new Mitsubishi Evolution X, Subaru WRX STI, Lamborghini Reventon, Porsche GT2 and Ferrari's F430 Scuderia the week after the press festivities end.

[Source: Just-Auto – Sub. Req.]

Car magazine has caught a brand new WRX STi doing its flat four, turbocharged boxer thing at the 'Ring. The only disguise it's wearing is black masking along its sides. That doesn't stop you from seeing what it can do, or from hearing how it will sound doing it when the thing gets into buyers' grubby hands. The 300 BHP (and then some) Scooby takes its first bow in about a week. Until then, enjoy the movie. And this car is looks fantastic in Rally livery...

[Source: Car magazine]

The Scooper of Cars was kind enough to scan the latest cover of Autocar, which shows the new face of Subaru (maybe) and reveals a few other nuggets of knowledge about our favorite road-going rally cars.

The new nose of the Subaru is a welcomed photochop for those of us who never particularly warmed-up the current model's snout. Autocar is confirming what we've already know -- that the new Impreza will likely come in a five-door hatch model, with styling that is more 'Europeanized.' Motivation will come from the tried-and-true 2.5-liter boxer-four that is currently under the hood of both the WRX models and their STI upgraded counterparts. We're sure a few extra ponies will find their way under the hood, along with some new all-wheel-drive wizardry.

On the Mitsubishi Evolution side of things, the article confirms that a production-ready version will make its debut at the North American International Auto Show (or the Detroit Auto Show to the rest of us) this January, with the full production model being unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October of 2007.

[Source: Carscoop]