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]

Hot on the heels of news that Subaru will be showing off a 147-hp diesel boxer in the Legacy and Outback next month in Geneva, the Japanese automaker is rumored to be considering an oil-burner for its tuner favorite WRX. It appears Subaru may have a winner with its 2.0L turbo-diesel powerplant, too. During a test drive of the diesel Legacy, the UK's Autocar gushed that the sedan may sport the best diesel they've ever driven. Since Subaru is looking to improve its fleet-wide fuel economy, it makes sense that the engine would quickly make its rounds through the Subie lineup. The Forester seems like a logical target, and with 258 lb-ft and a compact footprint, the fuel-efficient powerplant would definitely work in the WRX.

Australia's Drive asked Subaru about a possible diesel WRX, and the company responded with the expected "we're looking into it". Of course they are. As fun and interesting as a diesel WRX sounds, the combo is likely the stuff of pixie dust and fairies of the dental kind for those of us living in the States. We almost never get the really interesting stuff here. That all could change, however, when the EU adopts emissions standards as strict as those in the US, making the transfer of diesel technology between the two as easy as pie.

[Source: Drive]

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]

It's been generally accepted that the sales success of the first generation Subaru Impreza WRX caused Mitsubishi to rethink its policy of keeping the Evo off U.S.-bound boats. The Evolution's introduction in the States was quickly followed by the STI's, and all was right in the AWD performance segment. Not quite. Mitsubishi needs a direct competitor to the base WRX and as we've seen already, the Ralliart moniker is coming back, and it won't be limited to a couple of stickers and 15-inch O.Z. wheels.

Some European journalists were assembled by Mitsubishi this week (likely an Evo X ride and drive) and it was revealed that a five-door version of the Lancer would be made available abroad sporting a 260 hp engine and the Evolution IX's all-wheel-drive system. If this is the same setup as the Ralliart Lancer we'll be getting in the U.S., that pegs the 2008 Subaru WRX with a 36 hp deficiency, not to mention the wizardry of the last generation Evo AWD system.

Also noted in the article were three different versions of the Evolution X that our friends across the pond will get in the coming years, with models creating 295 hp, 330 hp and 360 hp. No surprise, since they've been blessed with a number of FQ-models over the course of the Evo's lifespan.

[Source: 4Car]

Ken Block is quickly becoming our favorite subsect celeb through which we can live our wildest fantasies. The founder of DC Shoes has made a name for himself in the rally scene, and has even gone so far as to appear on Discovery's Stunk Junkies to jump his rally-prepped WRX 171 feet in the air – a new world record.

The man loves driving and he loves the snow, so when the opportunity to close off a section of New Zealand's Snow Park Resort and hoon his way around the mountain presented itself, he jumped at the chance. The result was an awesome photoshoot that landed him and pro-snowboarder Torstein Hargmo on the cover of Snowboarder magazine. The two athletes launched off a specially made 55-foot ramp, with Block landing some 70 feet in the distance. While the photo on the right is cool enough, we can only imagine how much fun Block had prior to the shoot on the empty slopes.

[Source: Rally Sport Magazine via Winding Road]

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]

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]

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]

Subaru is hoping to give us all a little culture via its new Impreza ads. To show off the new 2008 Impreza and WRX, the company is using an ad campaign that portrays "the history, heritage and popular culture of its home country, Japan." Think everything from Japanese pop culture, from anime films and manga comics, to "The Fast and the Furious," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and even "Blade Runner." The commercials will be debuting online today.

Visitors to the Subaru site will find three commercials that show a man from the future visiting "a land of forbidden secrets." While navigating this jungle, he discovers that "the legend is reborn," and eventually takes control of a "powerful jungle creature," the new WRX. The print ad at right shows the look and feel of the campaign, complete with hilltop dragon. Other print ads will follow the theme and present comic-book panel stories complete with dialogue balloons. Seems like a great fit for the 20 to 34-year-old men that the car is aimed at.

[Source: NY Times]

Hate it, or merely intensely dislike it, the new Subaru Impreza (and its WRX derivative) is here to stay. The specs show a car that should be fun and capable, but the photos are what have killed it in the sphere of public opinion. We've already shown you photos and video of the cars' unveiling in New York, but we have more to share. In what appears to be footage for an upcoming ad campaign, we see the two Scubies being piloted around Griffith Park, high above the Los Angeles basin.

The full YouTube clip is after the jump. Click it and you'll see some glamour shots of the duo, as well as a low-speed assault on the hill. No Pike's Peak action just yet.

[Source: YouTube]