2003 Subaru Impreza Outback Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Toyota GT86 engineer Tada recounts how sports car came to be

Because the Toyota GT86, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ coupes are now a reality, it's almost hard to imagine the struggle that had to happen within the large, conservative corporate structures at both automakers for the joint project to even get off of the ground.
Speaking to those struggles on Toyota UK's Toyota Blog, GT86 Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada enlightens us with a recap of the sports car's earliest origins. For Tada, the first stages of the project must have seemed almost as dreamlike as the final product is to drive.
Said the Chief, "I had been working in the minivan department engineering new product, but a month after the meeting I was summoned. 'Forget about minivans,' they said, 'you are now working on the sports-car project.'"

Will more efficient tech mean higher prices for Subaru?

If the latest ruling by the California Air Resources Board holds, then Subaru at least must build a plug-in hybrid in the coming years to comply with the Golden State's regulations. Fuel economy looks to improve across the board for the brand, though, thanks to $780 million going into the development of cleaner powertrains for this fiscal year alone. However, buyers might have to pay more for a Subie in the future after this boost in green spending. "Related costs are going up more than expected, bringing the profit margin downward," Fuji Heavy Industries President Yasuyuki Yoshinaga said to the Nihon Keizai newspaper in Japan, according to Automotive News. "We are a small company. We do not benefit as much from economy of scale as bigger companies, so we will have to make up for the increased costs by raising our brand value." At the moment, Subaru's electrified lineup in the US comprises just the XV Crosstrek Hybrid, but the company is reportedly planning to add more. Plus, Subie also wants to make its internal combustion engines more efficient. According to Automotive News, all of the brand's mills are getting direct injection by 2016, and cylinder deactivation and lean combustion cycles are on track for 2020. Earlier rumors also suggested that the automaker might bring the turbocharged four-cylinder boxer to more products, as well. While these more efficient models might cost more, Subaru must carefully maintain the balancing act of introducing the technology and keeping sales growing. As of May 2015, the brand had 42 straight months of year-over-year growth in the US and had record sales in the country last year. The company has already decided to significantly boost production capacity at its Indiana factory in hopes of keeping the good times rolling.

2016 Subaru BRZ and STI get Hyper Blue for new limited special editions

Blue fits as well on a fast Subaru as red does on a Ferrari or silver on a Mercedes-Benz. The color just clicks somehow with the Japanese automaker's performance models, and apparently the company knows it. This fall for the 2016 model year, the BRZ and WRX STI are getting new Series HyperBlue limited editions with an exclusive cerulean shade as the major selling point. Pricing is being held until closer to launch. Limited to 500 units, the 2016 Series HyperBlue BRZ is a follow-up to 2015's Series Blue edition. Hyper Blue looks to be a much lighter shade than Subaru's famous WR Blue, but the new color is still fairly attractive. The tone covers the entire exterior but is contrasted with black for the 17-inch wheels, badges, and mirror covers. The exclusive hue is carried inside too for the seat bolsters, headrests, stitching, door trim, and a mix of blue and black leather on the steering wheel. So if you're in, you're all-in. All BRZs get some other tiny tweaks for the new model year, too. A rearview camera is now standard, and Subaru's upgraded 6.2-inch Starlink infotainment system is available. More power is rumored as part of a more thorough refresh for the 2017 update. With production limited to 700 units, a few more Series HyperBlue editions of the 2016 STI are going to be on the street. Although, there aren't as many tweaks for them. Of course, the new color covers the outside, and it's also offset with black on the 18-inch BBS wheels, badges and mirror caps. Blue stitching brings the color into the interior, and Subaru's seven-inch navigation system with a nine-speaker stereo is standard for this version. Related Video: SUBARU TO OFFER LIMITED EDITION SERIES.HYPERBLUE BRZ AND WRX STI MODELS Limited to 700 WRX STI & 500 BRZ BRZ receives upgraded SUBARU STARLINK® Multimedia Rear Vision Camera now standard on BRZ Exclusive Hyper Blue exterior paint and interior trims Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc. has announced the 2016 Series.HyperBlue limited edition available exclusively on BRZ and WRX STI models. As a follow up to the 2015 Series.Blue BRZ, the 2016 Series.HyperBlue cars feature exterior paint in Subaru's exclusive Hyper Blue with matching interior trim. Production will be limited to 700 WRX STI and 500 BRZ cars for the United States. Vehicles will go on sale this Fall.