2004 Subaru Impreza, No Reserve on 2040-cars

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Subaru nixes plans for US-built XV Crosstrek

Subaru is on a sales tear, with numbers up 21 percent through the end of November compared to last year. It's been investing in its Indiana factory, and having ended its contract to build the Toyota Camry there, the 400,000-unit capacity was once seen as more than Subaru needs. At some point Subaru had plans to build the XV Crosstrek here in the US, but Reuters reports that the company has changed its mind and will build the little crossover Scooby in Japan, in the same Gunma Prefecture factory where the Impreza, BRZ and Levorg are built. The report cites "the relatively high sales price," the weakening yen versus the dollar and capacity constraints at the Indiana facility. For a planned production run of 65,000 Crosstrek units annually, the new math – especially the yen valuation, which has declined against the dollar to a rate not seen since 2007 – makes Japanese production a viable option. Subaru isn't the only manufacturer taking its toys back home, either: the Reuters report says Toyota is considering shifting some Camry production back to Nippon, while Nissan plans to do the same with the Rogue. Our guess is that if Subaru sales continue the trend they've been on for years, the assembly decision will give them more local flexibility here for addressing it. Featured Gallery 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid: First Drive View 53 Photos News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Copyright 2014 AOL Plants/Manufacturing Subaru Crossover subaru xv crosstrek

2015 Subaru WRX caught testing in US on Mulholland

In April, we got our first glimpse at the 2015 2015 Subaru WRX - the car was caught in STI form in photos and in motion running around Germany's infamous Nürburgring. That's all well and good, but obviously Subaru will sell a good number of the hotter Impreza models here in the United States, and thus, it's nice to now see a video of the next WRX testing out in California, albeit in what looks to be non-STI form.
Originally posted on the Subaru Owners Club website, this video comes from YouTube user 31200MulhollandHwy. And that's quite appropriate, since the video clearly shows the now de-winged WRX prototype testing on the well-known - you guessed it - Mulholland Highway. Just like before, we're disappointed that the prototypes spotted testing don't appear to be as bold and beautiful as the WRX Concept that Subaru brought to this year's New York Auto Show. Nevertheless, we'll hold our final judgments until the camouflage is peeled away.
Have a look below to see (and hear!) the 2015 WRX running up Mulholland.

Subaru testing a BRZ with STI badging and a big wing

Pretty much since the introduction of the Subaru BRZ and its identical Toyota- (or Scion-) badged twin, enthusiasts have been pining for a more powerful version, preferably with an STI badge and all the performance tweaks that come with it. So far though, Subaru has only shown a turbocharged concept that's now a couple of years old, as well as a Japan-only BRZ tS by STI, which only had suspension and handling upgrades. But now, spy photos show Subaru is working on another STI-badged BRZ, and it's testing in the US. Our spy photographer caught this prototype near Subaru's office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it's wearing Michigan manufacturer plates. And, although Subaru taped over it, we can still clearly make out the STI badges on front and back. Despite the STI badges, we don't see any evidence that this BRZ has any kind of power adder like a turbocharger or supercharger. The front vents appear to be the same size as the current model, and there's no hood scoop to feed a possible top-mounted intercooler. The exhaust also looks roughly the same as the naturally aspirated BRZ. There are some other upgrades, though. Most noticeable is the huge rear wing, which has similar stanchions to the BRZ tS. In addition to the wing, the body is accented with the STI lip spoiler, side skirts, and rear bumper extensions available on the current BRZ. Behind the multi-spoke wheels are Brembo brakes at each corner. Based on these photos, we'd say this STI-badged BRZ is probably a track package/trim that improves the car's already excellent handling. We of course hope that there may be some horsepower upgrades under the hood. But a lack of visual changes for forced induction, and Subaru's history of reluctance regarding more powerful BRZs, has us erring on the slow side. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.