1997 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Subaru skips the Super Bowl, brings back the driving dogs

Subaru's research shows that 80 percent of owners have a pet. So the company plans to skip expensive advertising during the Super Bowl again this year in favor of being the official auto sponsor of the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. The canine-friendly company also has five new ads starring the Barkleys, a family of Labradors and Golden Retrievers. The commercial above titled Phone Navigation is our favorite of the group because it puts a funny spin on bad smartphone voice recognition. You can check out the other four adorable ads below. Doggie Bag has the pups dealing with an inept valet; Windshield Wiper forces them to cope with a bulldog in a car ahead; Bad Hair Day tactfully handles a rough trip to the doggy salon; and Puppy tries to help a little one get to sleep. With new spots like this practically every year, Subaru clearly has a paw on the pulse of what its customers like. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. THE RETURN OF THE BARKLEYS: SUBARU LAUNCHES NEW "DOG TESTED. DOG APPROVED." TV AD CAMPAIGN, STARRING AMERICA'S FAVORITE CANINE FAMILY Subaru's new advertising campaign brings back the Barkley family for new wave of television spots Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc. has launched its new "Dog Tested. Dog Approved." advertising campaign in celebration of the love of pets shared by the brand and its owners. The five spots showcase the Barkleys, the adorable family of dogs featured in the 2013 "Meet the Barkleys" campaign. In Subaru's newest spots, the Barkleys will take on everything from driving their Subaru around town, trying to get their kids to sleep and even dealing with other doggie drivers. The national television spots, created by Carmichael Lynch on behalf of Subaru of America, will air in the coming weeks, and all five ads will be featured on February 7 during PUPPY BOWL XII on Animal Planet, where Subaru of America will mark its sixth year as the event's Official Auto Sponsor. During the event, fans at home will be encouraged to share photos of their own pets using #PuppyBowlSubaru. The "Dog Tested.

Subaru STI display celebrates the division's high-performance history in New York

Subaru Tecnica International is really getting to celebrate itself at the 2015 New York Auto Show. Not only is the Japanese brand's performance division showing off a turbocharged take on the BRZ in the Big Apple, it also set up a small exhibit commemorating four past achievements. The oldest car of the group is a 1996 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type RA wearing full rally garb. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder kicks out 270 horsepower, but this specific one isn't a competitor. Instead, Subaru used the vehicle to promote the launch of the 1998 Impreza 2.5RS. STI also has one of the most coveted Subarus ever on display, a 1999 Impreza 22B STI. These limited two-door models were made to celebrate the company's World Rally Championship victories. Each one was plucked off the assembly line and fitted with a curvaceous, wider body and adjustable rear wing. Power was provided by a 2.2-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder with 280 horsepower. The final two members of this mini museum are a bit more modern. The 2004 WRX STI should be familiar to performance fans in the US with its 300-horsepower boosted 2.5-liter four-cylinder and six-speed manual. There's also the 2015 WRX STI that blitzed the Isle of Man last year to set a new lap record of 19 minutes and 26 seconds around the island course. With STI planning a US expansion over the coming years, this is a fantastic reminder of the division's past. Hopefully, it can keep living up to these high standards. Related Video:

Toyota FT-86 Open Concept leaves us feeling flushed

When last we checked in on our topless would-be hero, the Toyota FT-86 convertible had been reportedly placed on "indefinite hold." That was back in early October, not long after Toyota had trotted out the rear-wheel-drive canvasback to Scion dealers as a possible future product carrot if they decided not to turn in their franchises. And yet, we're here at the Tokyo Motor Show, where Toyota has taken the time to at least repaint the FT-86 Open Concept in "Flash Red," if not build a whole other car (the original Geneva showcar was white). It's enough to make our heads spin like a teenager on the verge of a breakup. Will they? Won't they?
At this point, we still don't know any more than you do - the last word we heard out of Toyota was not encouraging, although the story was that the program could still be fast-tracked if management had a change of heart. As the car has never been seen before in Japan, perhaps Toyota is merely extending its domestic audience a courtesy view before it lines this showcar in mothballs, or maybe they're still trying to make a decision on its fate and gauging public reaction on the homefront.
Interestingly, in a new story published today, Automotive News quotes Subaru brand boss Yasuyuki Yoshinaga downplaying the likelihood of a production model, saying flatly "We make the car, so if we don't make it, it can't happen." The executive went on to note, "Our engineering department told me that losing the entire roof requires a complete redesign of the structure. It would need a big change." Given that such a car would probably trade in rather small volumes, that sounds like a significant hurtle.