2002 Subaru Impreza Wrx Sedan 4-door 2.5l Hybrid Swap on 2040-cars

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Toyota GT86, Scion FR-S sales disappointing worldwide?

Okay, folks - it appears we've got a problem. The Toyota GT86, Europe's counterpart to our own beloved Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S coupes, is apparently not selling too well. This, according to Toyota's European Vice President of Research and Development, Gerald Killman, is what's limiting plans for additional variants of the rear-drive coupe.
"A faster version of that car would be at the top of most people's wish lists, but like the cabriolet, it is hard to justify a business case to push either model into production based on the current sales," Killman told AutoExpress. "Personally, I think that engine could use a little bit more," he added.
More troubling is that slow sales aren't limited to the Euro-spec car, with Killman claiming that the GT86 have been missing sales targets in major markets around the globe. It may not be that the US is one of those major markets, though. Scion's Vice President, Doug Murtha, tells Autoblog that his brand is happy with the sales of its version of the GT86, the FR-S. 18,000 units were sold last year, which Murtha says is "generally in line with original expectations for the car."

Comedic Hasselhoff car ad leads to a dream job in Sweden

Last month a guy in Florida posted a homemade ad for his 1996 Nissan Maxima online and Nissan bought it from him. This month a guy in Sweden posted a homemade ad for his 1985 Subaru Justy J10 Trendy online and got a job with Swedish car magazine Auto Motor und Sport. When Nils Jangan relocated to a new city and couldn't get a job, the financial drain eventually demanded he get rid of his car. Looking for a way to convince anyone to purchase a 29-year-old hatchback, he enlisted the help of Mordor, Saruman and, naturally, David Hasselhoff giving the thumbs up.
The picture was accompanied by text describing the "Japanese mountain goat" that was "hand-forged" by "the Saruman of carmakers," and its "54 frighteningly well-hung horses." One of its other advertised features was "I.D.N.R.I.S" seat belts, the "Instant Death No Retardation Impact System" meaning the occupants would never have to worry about long-term care if they were "in any collision at speeds higher than 12 km/hour." He asked 10,000 kroner (about $1,500 US) for the beauty, but he was also willing to trade for a job.
After posting the ad on Blocket, a Swedish craigslist, and having it shared throughout the community, Jangan got a ton of interest in the car and a job offer from Auto Motor und Sport, which he accepted. As for the Subie, it ended up going to a local repair shop for just a few hundred kroner, but we imagine Jangan's gets a decent work-related loaner or two to make up for it.

2016 Subaru WRX makes IIHS TSP+ fun

We write about boring, utilitarian compacts being named to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick+ list pretty regularly. Today, we've got yet another fun car to add to the tally – the Subaru WRX. Thanks to the inclusion of the company's impressive EyeSight active safety system, the WRX was able to score a "Superior" rating on IIHS' frontal crash prevention test, which is the highest score possible. Vehicles are required to score at least an "Advanced" rating to earn the TSP+ mark. In addition to the active safety system, TSP+ vehicles must also record "Good" ratings across the four basic crash tests – front, side, rear, and rollover – and a "Good" or "Acceptable" rating the small-overlap crash test. Of course, Subaru is no stranger to IIHS' biggest honor – the Legacy and Outback were named Top Safety Pick + vehicles in April 2014. We're still scouring the Internet for the actual crash test video from IIHS. Once we uncover it, we'll update this post. Until then, scroll down for the official press release from Subaru. 2016 Subaru WRX Awarded IIHS' Highest Standard of Safety "2015 TOP SAFETY PICK (TSP) +" ? "EyeSight" achieved the highest possible rating of "Superior" for front crash prevention. ? Seven models have earned 2015 safety awards from IIHS. Tokyo, September 14, 2015 - Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today announced that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS; a nonprofit organization supported by auto insurers in the US) has awarded the highest standard of safety, 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK+ (TSP+) along with the highest possible rating of "Superior" for front crash prevention to the 2016 Subaru WRX (US specs.), equipped with Subaru's EyeSight* driver assist technology. By adopting the EyeSight for 2016 model, WRX earned 6 of 6 points for front crash prevention. Including 2016 Subaru WRX, Subaru has seven models that have earned 2015 safety awards from IIHS - six with TOP SAFETY PICK+ and one with TOP SAFETY PICK. The EyeSight was the first system ever to use only stereo camera technology to detect the objects such as vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Since its Japanese debut in May 2008, features available on this system have been highly praised; they included pre-collision braking control and all-speed range adaptive cruise control tracking function.