LeftLane

Motocross phenom Travis Pastrana has now officially made his mark in professional rally racing by winning the Subaru Rim of the World Rally, held April 28-29, 2006. The Subaru Rally Team USA driver won in convincing fashion, leading from the very first stage and driving faultlessly on nearly 100 treacherous miles of mountain roads within [...]

Not every car is created equal, and neither is every “best cars” list. However, this one from Esquire magazine seems quite reasonable. Vehicles under $50,000: Lotus Elise ($42,990) Chevrolet Corvette ($44,490) Mazda 6 ($19,670) Infiniti G35 coupe ($33,200) Ford F-150 ($19,640 to $37,005) Audi A3 3.2 DSG ($34,700) Subaru Legacy GT ($28,795) BMW 3-Series ($30,900 [...]

Yesterday, we told you about a report in the latest issue of Britain’s AutoExpress magazine that suggested the next Subaru Impreza would be designed after the Subaru B5-TPH Concept. This came as a disappointment to many Subaru fans who weren’t too keen on the look. Well, it turns out the next Impreza won’t borrow from [...]

Subaru has used a new full-page ad to take a shot at rival Volkswagen and its “Fast” advertising campaign. The television commercials and print ads show a single shot of the Subaru WRX Sti with the caption, “When you go 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, you don’t need a made-up character called Fast. It’s what makes [...]

The 2008 Subaru Impreza will target the Volkswagen Golf GTI, according to a report by AutoExpress magazine. The article indicates that a sedan model will no longer be offered, and selection will be limited to three- and five-door hatchbacks. Entry-level models will get a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated boxer engine with 170 horsepower. A more powerful [...]

Subaru today unveiled the decidedly unpimped 2007 Impreza WRX STI Limited model at the New York Auto Show. The new edition of the Impreza WRX STI packages creates greater comfort and refinement with subtler exterior styling, but does not sacrifice the performance of this street legend. The WRX STI Limited will be available in the [...]

Subaru today unveiled the 2007 Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B performance sedan at the New York Auto Show. The introduction spotlights Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive), a key new technology that enhances driving engagement by allowing the driver to select the level of engine performance. First offered for 2006 in a limited edition production run of 500 [...]

Japanese automakers Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and Nissan won all ten spots in Consumer Reports‘ list of Top Picks for 2006. The top pics are: Honda Civic (sub-$20k sedan), Honda Accord ($20k-$30k), Acura TL ($30k-$40k), Infiniti M45 (Lux sedan), Subaru Impreza WRX (Fun sedan), Subaru Forester (sub-$30k SUV), Toyota Highlander Hybrid ($30k+ SUV), Honda Odyssey (van), [...]

Subaru dealers feel they need more inexpensive models to remain competitive, according to Automotive News. “We don’t have much in the way of base models in our product line,” said one dealer. “If we could have a Legacy under $20,000 or an Outback under $20,000, that would help.” Should Subaru add economy cars to its [...]

Subaru revealed the enhanced 2007 B9 Tribeca today at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show. Boasting new safety technology, refined styling and an improved suspension, the B9 Tribeca is the first-ever Subaru SUV with available seating for seven passengers. The B9 Tribeca features a 245-hp 6-cylinder Boxer engine and a Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system as its [...]

The Subaru Impreza STI S204, which was first reported on by Leftlane in December, is not coming to the United States, according to a new report by AutoWeek. Rather, the company will only build 600 of the 320-horsepower cars for the Japanese market.

Users of Apple’s iTunes Music Store are 2.2 times more likely to own a Volkswagen than the typical internet user, according to a recent study by Nielsen. Audi and Subaru follow the VW brand closely, with rates of 1.8 times the norm. Nielsen also said technology magazine Wired, as well as FHM and Rolling Stone [...]

In December, we reported that the Honda Ridgeline and Mercedes R-Class were honored as “Urban” car and truck of the year by On Wheels. Yesterday, the winners of all of the 2006 Urban Wheel Awards were announced at a ceremony during the Detroit auto show. Ford was named “Company of the Year” for its diverse [...]

The U.K.’s AutoCar magazine has published the first photos of the Prodrive P2 concept, which is scheduled to make its first public appearance at this weekend’s Autosport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham. In December, Leftlane published the first official drawings of the P2, released by Prodrive. At its core, the P2 uses a 345 [...]

Subaru has launched its new Impreza S204 (STi) sports sedan in Japan. The interior remains true to the STi’s strict performance philosophy, while the exterior takes on a slightly more sophisticated look. The car gets a revised exterior with Subaru’s new trademark grille design, as well as improved headlights and a new rear wing. A [...]

Toyota and Fuji Heavy, the parent company of Subaru, are currently negotiating to have Fuji produce about 100,000 Toyota vehicles annually in the United States in 2007 or later, negotiation sources said Friday, according to Kyodo News. The two companies, which formed a partnership in October, are expected to reach an agreement on the first [...]

Road and Track has published five great head-to-head comparisons of popular rival cars known to every automotive enthusiast. The comparisons include: Mitsubishi Evo IX MR vs. Subaru Impreza WRX STI Chevrolet Corvette Z06 vs. Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe Mazda MX-5 Miata vs. Pontiac Solstice Ferrari F430 vs. Ford GT Dodge Charger SRT8 vs. Pontiac GTO

Even to North Americans — who are subjected to strict speed limits when compared to much of Europe — it may be hard to believe a car advertisment could be banned for advocating rapid acceleration. But that’s exactly what happened in Britain, where an ad for Subaru’s Forester SUV, which boasts an acceration of 0-62 [...]

Toyota plans to outsource the full redesign of a “sporty subcompact” to Subaru. The move comes as the world’s second-largest auto maker faces severe personnel shortages amid rapid expansion of its business, the Nihon Keizai business daily reported. The deal would also allow Subaru’s parent company Fuji Heavy, now owned 8.7 percent by Toyota, to [...]

The Audi A3, Volkswagen Passat, and Subaru Legacy earned “double best pick” designations for very good overall performance in both front and side tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “The structural performances of the A3 and Passat in the side impact were good — impressive because most vehicles we’ve tested so far [...]

Subaru will showcase two of its newest high-performance models this week at the 2005 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show. The 2006 Impreza WRX TR and the limited edition Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B (shown right) will make their North American debut at the tradeshow. For 2006, Subaru has restyled the Impreza WRX line featuring a [...]

Subaru at the Tokyo Motor Show unveiled the B5-TPH concept — a two-door sport wagon and sport utility vehicle. The vehicle was designed as a car for “long-weeked getaways,” according to the company. The Turbo Parallel Hybrid (TPH) power train, a new hybrid system, has been applied to 2.0liter Horizontally-Opposed turbo charged engine in the [...]

Steamboat Ski & Resort today announced a new, two-year partnership with Subaru of America, making Subaru the official vehicle for the ski area. “We are delighted to partner with one of the world’s premier all-wheel drive vehicle companies,” said Andy Wirth, vice president of sales & marketing for Steamboat. “It is readily apparent that Subaru [...]

Just days after Toyota announced it would buy a controlling stake in Subaru and parent Fuji Heavy from General Motors, the two companies have announced their first collaboration. Subaru/Fuji already intends to sell a gas-electric hybrid version of its Legacy passenger car in fiscal 2007, but it now wants to buy major components, such as [...]

Yesterday it was reported that General Motors was ending its relationship with Subaru and selling its stake in the company’s parent, Fuji Heavy. Inside Line has now confirmed that GM has cancelled the Saab 9-6X, which relied on a collaboration with Subaru. The crossover vehicle, known internally as the 9-6X, was to have shared a [...]