2006 Subaru Legacy Sedan on 2040-cars

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2015 Subaru Legacy is fresh-faced and more frugal

While Subaru posted its best sales year ever in the United States in 2013, over half of its sales came from the success of the new Forester and popularity of the Outback. Its midsize Legacy sedan, on the other hand, saw sales tumble 10.3 percent. The company known for its all-wheel drive models hopes to right that trajectory with the 2015 Legacy. The all-new sedan sees a slight bump in fuel economy and a commitment to giving buyers a better product to compete against segment stalwarts like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
The refreshed sedan wears Subaru's new design language, which was teased by the Legacy Concept at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. However, the production version takes the hard, crisp lines down several notches, and it is bordering on boring at first glance. The best detail of the new design is the new hexagonal shield grille at the front that lends a little upscale panache over the current car's simple, rectangular front end. The coupe-like roofline has also been toned down from the concept, but it does smooth out the rear better than the current gen.
The Legacy's engines are carried over almost identically from last year's car. However both flavors of manual transmission are finally bowing out; all models now come with Subaru's Lineartronic CVT. Output from the 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder sees a slight bump to 175 horsepower (2 hp more than last year's model) and 174 pound-feet of torque. The 3.6-liter boxer six-cylinder is unchanged at 256 hp and 247 lb-ft. Fuel economy benefits from the new platform with the 2.5-liter model rated at an estimated 26/36/30 miles per gallon city/highway/combined, a boost of 2/4/3 mpg, respectively, over the previous generation. The 3.6-liter also sees a modest rise to 20/28/23 mpg, 2/3/3 mpg better respectively. Fairly impressive figures for an all-wheel-drive, midsize sedan.

Subaru WRX STI S207 limited to 400 units in Japan only

Japanese Subaru fans are getting quite a treat in time for Halloween. The brand is unveiling the WRX STI S207 edition at the Tokyo Motor Show. Unfortunately for brand devotees elsewhere, the market-exclusive, high-performance model is limited to just 400 units there. For such a small run of cars, the folks at Subaru Tecnica International are adding quite a bit to take the STI's performance to new heights. Among the upgrades, the 2.0-liter, turbocharged boxer now makes 323 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque – a healthy jump compared to 305 hp and 290 lb-ft from the 2.5-liter engine in the US-market version. Beyond the extra power, the sedan also wears a load of parts to improve chassis stiffness and a DampMatic II adjustable front suspension from Bilstein. Styling sees some slight tweaks with a red-outlined mesh grille, chin spoiler, 19-inch BBS wheels, and a redesigned rear bumper. Inside, the front passengers are held tight in leather-trimmed Recaro seats. If the 400 units aren't exclusive enough, Subaru technically breaks the S207 into three special editions. A planned run of 200 units will feature the NBR Challenge Package that's inspired by the company's class victory in the 2015 Nurburgring 24 Hours. It adds a carbon fiber rear spoiler, black wheels, red seatbelts, and an Ultrasuede-covered steering wheel. A hundred of those are the NBR Challenge Package Yellow Edition that come exclusively in Sunrise Yellow with black-painted door mirrors and side sills. Depending on the version, prices before Japan's consumption tax would be between $46,050 and $48,950 at current exchange rates. Related Video: STI Releases "S207" Limited-Edition "WRX STI" in Japan October 28, 2015 Tokyo, October 28, 2015 – Subaru Tecnica International (STI),*1 the motorsports division of Fuji Heavy Industries, will launch a limited-edition model based on the "WRX STI" on December 1, 2015. Just 400 units of the model, dubbed the "S207", will be available. Taking the WRX STI as its base, this complete car from STI features exclusive engine and suspension tuning as well as distinctive interior and exterior design. Embracing the STI concept of offering the ultimate in road driving, the S207 stands at the pinnacle of the STI complete car lineup and aims to be the world's most enjoyable vehicle, providing a feel-good experience to all those who travel in it regardless of road conditions and enhancing driver skill. Special engine tuning boosts maximum power output to 328 PS.

Subaru readies BRZ RA Racing for Japanese trackdays

As if we needed any more reasons to take a Subaru BRZ to the track, Subaru has just announced that it will be producing a racing-spec version of the car straight from the assembly line. The only problem is that the BRZ RA Racing is being offered for the Japanese domestic market only, and won't be visiting any road courses in the US any time soon.
To get the BRZ ready for some serious track time, Subaru added brake ducts beneath the front fascia, removable tow hooks and an oil cooler behind the grille. Inside, the car gets a factory six-point roll cage (including custom-fit floor mats) and a four-point race harness for the driver. Now we get to pricing where US enthusiasts will get even more miffed. The entire suite of racing add-ons increases the BRZ's price by 31,500 yen, which converts to less than $350 US; the total price of the car converts to right around $31,500 US.
There is a brief press release posted below, which has been translated (somewhat poorly) by Google.