2004 Subaru Wrx Sti on 2040-cars

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Subaru WRX S4 gets big power bump in Japan

A month after originally teasing it, Subaru is finally unveiling its WRX S4 model for Japan. It's a bit more than just a plush take on the sport sedan, because Subaru is fitting a more powerful version of the 2.0-liter, turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine than we get on these shores.
The company says that S4 stands for "'Sports performance', 'Safety performance', 'Smart driving' and 'Sophisticated feel," and it certainly looks like this Rex ticks all of those boxes. The most surprising feature is the Japanese model's 2.0-liter turbo engine boasting 296 horsepower (221 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque in this application. That's quite a healthy upgrade over the 268 hp and 258 lb-ft that Americans get in the standard WRX, and it's even nipping at the heels of the 305 hp and 290 lb-ft from the STI with a 2.5-liter mill that we get over here.
While extra power is always welcome, enthusiasts might not be so thrilled that Subaru's Sport Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission is the sedan's only available gearbox. However, it offers a simulated eight-speed shifting mode when drivers notch the car into Sport# driving mode. Of course, the S4 also packs Subie's trademark all-wheel drive with Vehicle Dynamics Control and Active Torque Vectoring as standard.

Subaru gunning for 500,000 US sales by 2015

For the last four years in a row, Subaru has experienced incredible sales growth including record sales of 336,441 units in 2012. This trend is all but guaranteed to continue this year with 281,652 on the books so far, but Automotive News is reporting the automaker has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
The report says that Subaru is gunning for around 500,000 sales in the US by 2015, which doesn't seem like too far of a stretch considering 2013 sales totals are expected to top 400,000 units. Through August, Subaru's sales are up 29.3 percent compared to 2012, thanks to popular models like the Forester, Outback and, surprisingly, the WRX.
A new WRX is headed for an LA Auto Show reveal while an all-new Legacy is due out next year, and AN adds that Subaru is planning to significantly increase its media spending next year and start production of the Impreza sedan in the US in 2016.

Subaru SVX to be resurrected with hybrid power?

Salt. Get the salt. A new report out of Australia is claiming that Subaru is working on a new SVX. Yes, seriously.
Now, this is not feasible for a pair of huge reasons. First, the demand for a two-door Subaru, as we've seen with the BRZ, has not been tremendous. Second, the original SVX was a pretty horrible seller. Could the world be ready for a revival, though?
According to an unnamed source that spoke to Motoring.com.au, the reborn SVX will be based on the Viziv 2 Concept that was shown at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, but it will be a considerably more aggressive design, arriving as a low, wide shooting brake. According to the Aussies, the reborn SVX would ride on a new Subaru Global Platform, which will underpin the next-generation Tribeca, because of that platform's support for hybridization.