Subaru: Forester Xt Wagon 4-door on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Next-gen Subaru WRX STI spotted at the N"urburgring

Subaru has been busy testing the next-generation WRX STI. Well, it may be the STI. The big wing out back lends some credence to that theory, but it could be that the basic WRX is getting new action in the back section. Time will tell.
In either case, spy photographers nabbed a few shots of the heavily camouflaged sedan running around the Nürburgring. Unfortunately, it looks as if Subaru has taken some of the sexy out of the WRX Concept we saw at the New York Auto Show, leaving this car looking more derivative of the current model than a revolution in design. The bold power bulge has disappeared from the vehicle's hood and the lower fascia looks far more demure than the the wild concept. Likewise, the muscular rear fenders have been toned down substantially.
The result is a car that looks more like a mildly warmed over version of the current model than a production version of the WRX Concept. Still, engineers and designers may have a long way to go before the finished product hits the market, so we'll reserve final judgement for now. After all, the early BRZ mules were nothing short of a travesty to look at, and we know how that turned out. Hope springs eternal.

Subaru beefs up new Exiga Crossover 7 in Japan

While we wait for Subaru to roll out a replacement for the troubled Tribeca crossover here in North America, in other markets the Japanese automaker continues to introduce other wagons of varying heights and capacities. Like the Levorg wagon offered in Japan and soon to be introduced in Europe, or the new Exiga Crossover 7 announced for the company's domestic market. We first caught a glimpse of the Exiga in concept form way back at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, and the seven-seat wagon entered production the following year. What sets this version apart is its higher stance, transforming it into a pseudo-crossover in similar fashion to how the Outback transformed the Legacy or the XV Crosstrek builds upon the Impreza. It's based on the same platform as well, and retains the existing Exiga's seven-seat cabin, with three rows of seating that fold down to make the interior volume adaptable to whatever needs might arise. The crossover version also rides higher on 17-inch wheels, with reinforced lower bodywork, a larger front grille and roof rails to give it a more rugged look. Power comes in the form of a 2.5-liter boxer four, mated to a continuously variable transmission and driving 171 horsepower to all four wheels in typical Subaru style. Fuji Heavy figures it will sell around 600 of these every month in Japan, but it looks unlikely to export it to other markets - least of all our own. Jacked up and ruggedized though it may be, our sources at Subaru tell us this vehicle is too small to have anything to do with the Tribeca replacement we've been waiting for and which promises to be a fair bit larger to suit American tastes. (Google-translated) Subaru new "CROSSOVER 7 (crossover Seven)" released April 16, 2015 Fuji Heavy Industries, the crossover model "CROSSOVER 7" of the new genre of "urban SUV x multiplayer car" (official name: "EXIGA CROSSOVER 7") the will be released today. CROSSOVER 7, the interior and exterior that incorporates elements of fashion and authentic SUV, all-weather AWD performance of Subaru unique, combines the 7-seater of packaging full of airy, is the new crossover model. You can also use in a variety of applications, and new proposal as "7-seater SUV" to achieve an active lifestyle.

Toyota GT86 engineers explored shooting brake and sedan variants, are they still in the cards?

According to the Toyota UK blog, engineers for the automaker were so excited developing the GT86 coupe that they investigated producing a whole family of models based on the rear-wheel drive sports car. And at least one engineer - product chief Tetsuya Tada - still hopes it can happen, even if not everyone at Toyota is onboard. Tada: "Actually we tried to do this secretly but the executives found us out. They said: 'What are you doing? Will you please focus on the coupe.'"
Those mooted variants included both a four-door sedan and a shooting brake. Why? Aside from the pure excellence of a lightweight, brilliantly handling hatchback, Toyota was keenly aware of the fact that it may need to spread the cost of development out across several models. Tada says that's part of the reason why it was so easy to create the convertible. The company knew from the outset that a softtop version was in the cards, and built the machine's structure to accommodate having the roof sliced off.
Tada also made mention of the already-announced collaboration between Toyota and BMW. The engineer said that the GT86 was particularly helpful because it demonstrated just how successful a product conceived and designed by two different companies can be. While he didn't say exactly what Toyota and BMW are up to, it's clear the two are looking into a number of possibilities. It's an interesting read with a lot of