03 Subaru Legacy 1 Owner Drives Great 142k Moonroof All Wheel Drive No Reserve!! on 2040-cars

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Subaru brings sportier XV, Legacy and Levorg concepts to Tokyo Auto Salon

'Tis the season of the auto shows, boys and girls. We just came down from the techno-fest that was CES, we're set for the start of the Detroit Auto Show, in the UK they're holding the Autosport International racecar show, and in Japan they just opened the Tokyo Auto Salon. And true to form, Subaru was on hand with a wide assortment of tuned machinery. Aside from the competition-spec WRX and BRZ we brought you a few days ago, Subaru also spruced up some of its production models for the street. One of the most intriguing was the Levorg S that gives us an idea of what the conceptual Legacy wagon would look like in STI spec, complete with the requisite blue paint, red trim and STI badges, but also a full aero kit, 19-inch BBS wheels and carbon-fiber trim, plus an interior with bucket seats, flat-bottom rim and all the fixins. The Japanese automaker also showcased a version of the Legacy sedan dubbed Blitzen, decked out in bright red with a similarly upgraded aero kit, 19-inch alloys and a two-tone interior. The XV Crosstrek that was recently launched on this side of the Pacific as a special edition in bright yellow rolled in to the Tokyo salon in the same shade, but with upgrades similar to those on the aforementioned Levorg and Legacy show cars. The XV Sport concept wears upgraded aero, 17-inch wheels and a complementing yellow-trimmed back interior. Also on display was an even less subtle WRX S4 customized by Prova, done up in white but with an outlandish body kit, 20-inch Enkei alloys and a dropped suspension, as well as the new Forester tS.

How new car shortages may impact your buying experience

If you want further proof that the auto industry is bouncing back, look no further than the empty lots and forecourts of your local dealership. According to a story by The Wall Street Journal, continued high demand for mainstream cars is overtaxing automakers' ability to produce enough models. Several dealers interviewed for the story are reporting two-week supplies as opposed to the typical two-month allocations.
With sales expected to hit 1.4 million units when August numbers arrive shortly and incentive spending down to its lowest amount since January, these limited supplies are pushing prices even higher. For example, according to the WSJ, the average price of a Ford Fusion is up past $26,000. Unfortunately, it's difficult for manufacturers to increase production quickly. If it invests in its facilities, as many manufacturers have done, it risks wasting cash if growth suddenly slows. At the same time, the momentum gained over the past several years could be short lived if vehicle supplies continue to dwindle. "Manufacturers are in a precarious situation," notes Karl Brauer, a senior director at Kelley Blue Book.
Low interest rates and a wealth of desirable features are also allowing customers to purchase more expensive vehicles while justifying their higher overall price tags, a situation that is compounding supply shortages. Even now, during the annual end-of-summer clearance season, deals on new vehicles are remarkably difficult to come by. According to the report, the Toyota Corolla is in a self-inflicted state of shortage, as Toyota clears out inventory in anticipation of the new 2014 generation arriving in dealers. Ford's supplies should rebound as Fusion production comes on line at its Flat Rock, Michigan factory. The Chevrolet Impala, Honda Odyssey, Civic, and Accord and Subaru Forester are also facing shortages.

This Subaru BRZ has a snowmobile engine and gets 104 mpg

A hybrid powertrain didn't win the Honda CR-Z numerous fans, but it might be the magic ingredient in making the Subaru BRZ more potent. This is the "Car of the Future" as envisioned by Mississippi State University's Center of Advanced Vehicular Systems – the result of a two-year project, which married a front-mounted 850 cc snowmobile engine with two electric motors powering the rear wheels. The battery pack accounts for 12.7 kWh, which enables the car to go 50 miles on just electric juice. The two-liter boxer engine is no more, but what the car loses in cubic inches it gains in MPG. According to MSU engineers, the re-engineered car gets 104 mpg equivalent, and it only weighs 2,904 lbs: about 60 lbs more than an unmodified Sportshift BRZ. It clocks a 0-60 mph run at around 5.7 seconds, too, which beats a stock automatic BRZ by a second. The electric brain of the car improves the range by calculating optimizing algorithms, based on earlier driving. The guys from MSU's Bagley College of Engineering call this Predictive Engine Control. The most likable thing about this project might be that it's still clothed in a sports car body. Future-proof car designs are often focused on mobility instead of the driver, and choosing a BRZ as the basis shows how there's still room for petrolheads in the future.