Subaru BRZ STI - Coming Soon

Subaru tuned arm, STI has teased the STI-labelled BRZ on its website. No details whatsoever are released, apart from STI badged front grille and fender garnish. It was a well-known fact that the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 twins are deeply lacking in power, and instead rely solely on handling prowess as its unique selling point. Instead of selling performance, it is the driving experience and interaction that dominate. There has been numerous rumours about the turbocharged FA20 lump, so this could be it unless this is another "STI-trimmed" car which lacks the engine modification for extra punch. After all, there's already a range to "non-engine" upgrades for BRZ courtesy of STI, comprises of various handling and aesthetic package. 

Subaru XV previewed - early bird price RM139,800

Motor Image has opened up the chance for the public to see the forthcoming crossover, Subaru XV up closer at their showroom in PJ. There is also a special early bird price for the locally-assembled crossover at RM139,800 although how much it varies from the final price is yet to be known.

For the uninformed, Tan Chong Motor has announced in March that it will assembled a series of Subaru cars, starting with the crossover XV. Subaru XV is the jacked-up Subaru Impreza hatchback with 220mm ground clearance and chunky body cladding slapped on. This is a true crossover between a hatchback and an SUV as despite the higher ground clearance, Subaru XV has  a slim and raked screens more akin to a hatchback. This will set it in a unique class, unlike the mainstream SUV like Honda CRV and Mazda CX-5. 

For Malaysian market, Subaru XV will be powered by the 2.0L flat-four engine cranking out 150bhp@6,200rpm and 196Nm@4,200rpm. The gasoline engine is paired with Linertronic CVT, channelling the drive to all four wheel via Subaru trademarked Symmetrical AWD.

Subaru XV measures 4,450mm long, 1,780mm wide, 1,570mm tall and rides on 2,635mm wheelbase. With the seating capacity of 5, the crossover also housed a 380L boot. Subaru XV rides on McPherson struts at the front and double wishbone suspension at the back. Braking is provided by disc setup all around.

Some photos of Subaru XV can be found after the jump.

Subaru Forester revealed ahead of Los Angeles Show

Subaru has revealed the first official photo of the new 4th generation Forester ahead of its official unveiling at Los Angeles Motor Show scheduled this month. The new Forester combines a bolder profile than before while offering a roomier interior with virtually the same footprint as the previous model. The all-new Forester preserves the optimal blend of SUV capability and car-like ride and handling that have made the Forester unique in its class.

There are two sets of engine line-up for now for the domestic Japanese and North American market. The Japanese market engine gets the new 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged BOXER engine producing 250hp@5,800rpm and 350Nm from 2,000-4,800rpm paired to Lineartronic CVT. The other engine available for Japan is the 2.0L BOXER naturally-aspirated punching out 148hp@6,200rpm. This engine can be paired with either 6 speed manual or CVT. North American customer gets another option of a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter BOXER engine debuted in the outgoing Forester model, punching out 170hp@5,800rpm and 236Nm@4,100rpm again available with either 6 speed manual or CVT. While the naturally-aspirated 2.0L is not available for North American market, the turbocharged 2.0L does. Fuel economy will be higher across the line with the debut of a new six-speed manual transmission and available Lineartronic® continuously variable transmissions (CVT).

The 2014 Forester will offer an exceptionally roomy interior, featuring increased rear seat legroom and an enlarged cargo area. In-demand infotainment features will be offered, including smartphone integration, navigation, rear view camera and Harman/Kardon® premium audio amplifier and speakers.

The two versions are differentiated by different front bumper treatment. The front bumper of the turbocharged version sports more aggressive design with enlarged intake and additional side vertical intake. The non-turbo version gets more natural version of the bumper, aligned with the design of the new Impreza and XV.

Subaru Forester measures 4,595mm long, 1,796mm wide and 1,737mm tall (with rails) and rides on 2,640mm wheelbase. Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard for all models. The 2.5L version rides on 17 x 7" aluminum alloy with 225/60 R17 while the 2.0L turbo rides on 18 x 7" aluminum alloy with 225/55 R18.

More details are to come nearer to the Los Angeles Motor Show.

Subaru XV Crossover Scores Highest Safety Rating

Subaru’s new compact crossover, the XV, has received the highest possible safety rating in crash safety tests in the USA. Subjecting the Subaru XV to moderate overlap frontal, side rollover and impact tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the car a ‘good’ rating, which is the top rank across all tests.

Earlier in 2012, the XV was also awarded five stars in the rigorous Euro NCAP safety tests, receiving the highest score ever recorded for child occupant protection at 90 per cent.

Subaru remains the only manufacturer with IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’ awards for its entire model range currently on sale across North America – an accolade that the manufacturer has held for three consecutive years.  Top Safety Pick is conferred on those vehicles that receive ‘good’ ratings in each crash safety test conducted by the IIHS.

As well as an all-steel unitary structure and a large number of standard-fit airbags (dual front and side, driver’s knee, curtain and torso airbags) for excellent passive crash safety performance, Subaru’s Vehicle Dynamics Control system and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive also contribute to world class road-holding in all conditions.  Ultra high-tensile steel is also used for key sections of the bodyshell to improve rigidity while keeping the XV’s kerb weight down.

For our market, Subaru XV is one the Subaru model to be assembled locally. Malaysian launch is stipulated to happen right at the end of the year.

In June - Toyota 86, yours for RM133.34 (T&C applies)

Interested yet? Want to know the Terms and Condition (T&C)? Well, you can have it, as long as you have to assemble it yourselves, and you'll need to persuade Doraemon to lend you the  "terowong mengecil" to 1/24th of your original height. Yes guys, it is a Tamiya newly launched product in Japan, priced at 3,360yen. For your information, 3,360 yen is no big deal as it is equivalent to a few magazines price only, refer HERE.

Tamiya has launched both of the Japanese drifting twin, the 86 and Subaru BRZ. While the Toyota version will be on the shelf in June, the Subaru equivalent will be available a month later. Measuring 177mm in length, both car differs only slightly. Just like their real world car.

For those unfamiliar with Tamiya cars, you'll need to cut the component yourselves, glue them together, paint it and finish them to perfection. I once got the Nissan Fairlady Nismo, bought by my wife during her Japan's business trip, I took six intermittent month to complete it!

Small gallery after the jump, courtesy of Carwatch. Now when is my next trip to Japan?

Subaru updated the Legacy range - new engine for JDM

Subaru has rolled out the updated Legacy model for the US and China market at their respective motorshow, but only now they are introducing the updated Legacy for their homeland Japan. While the exterior updates are common across the globe, namely the revised front bumper design that comes together with the new hexagon grille, the interesting bit of JDM car is the new drivetrain, namely a new 2.0L DIT which is essentially a FA20 engine as in the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 but with the Toyota-sourced D4S dual injection (port and direct) ditched and replaced with Subaru-owned direct injection system with a turbocharger. Output is phenomenal at 296hp@5600rpm and 200Nm of torque between 2000-4800rpm. Is this a prelude to the faster version of the highly-acclaimed BRZ? Even if the answer is yes, it is the powertrain that we are interested in, as this turbocharged FA20 in Legacy application is hooked to the CVT gearbox.

Other engine available in the range is the FB25 2.5L boxer-four engine kicking out 173PS@5600rpm and 235Nm@4100rpm, turbocharged EJ25 2.5L producing 285PS@6000rpm and 350Nm@2000-5600rpm. The one remaining drivetrain is a horizontally-opposed 3.6L flat six engine punching 260PS@6000rpm and 335Nm@4400rpm but this engine option is only available for the Outback  . All engine are paired with CVT, bar the flat-six engine which is hooked to a conventional 5 speed automatic gearbox. All model are four wheel driven.

More photos after the jump.

Subaru BRZ close-up - the Hachiroku twin

The car that we thought to be a close sibling of the Toyota 86 turn out to be, well, a twin instead of a cousin. The difference apart from different bumpers, is negligible. Even the squared-off rear lights from the LA motorshow concept also did not make it to the final production.

The front end of the Subaru BRZ is differentiated from Toyota 86 by the shape of the front bumper. Where the 86 bumper was characterized by large air intake with scorpion-inspired outlines, the BRZ front bumper is more boxier in appearance, consistent with current Subaru design language on the new Impreza et al. The triangulated fog lamp housing of the 86 is replaced with a squared-off housing. The fender garnish is different from the Toyota 86 with more visible black element with centre bar.

The rear end appeared similar too. The squared off tail lamp of the concept car has been replaced by the Toyota 86 exact item. Even the trunk lind/license plate garnish is carried over too. While this car is far from looking dowdy, but some Subaru-ism would be much welcome. More after the jump.

Toyota 86 revealed ahead of Tokyo Motorshow

The eagerly waited Toyota 'Hachiroku' has been revealed ahead of the Tokyo Motorshow next week. The front-engined, rear drive sportscar is named differently between the Japan and European market. In Japan, it will simply be called Toyota 86, while in the Europe it will be named Toyota GT 86. The GT moniker denotes the inspiration in developing the 'Hachiroku', starting from the Toyota S800, a boxer two-cylinder with FR layout from 1962.  The line continues with the 2000GT in 1965 which features svelte looking body styles and powered by 2.0l  straight-6 developed in collaboration with Yamaha. The Celica generation arrived in 1971 and then Toyota Supra is also the main actor in Toyota sports car play house where all its four generation is FR-layout and powered by straight-6 engine. The real descendant to the 'Hachiroku'  however, is the Toyota Levin or Corolla GT AE86. The new Toyota 86 lives in the same principle of front-engine, rear-wheel drive package, compact dimensions, light weight, impeccable balance and superior power-to-weight ratio to deliver a superior sheer excitement and capturing the fundamental joy of driving.

Toyota 86 measures 4,240mm long, 1,285mm high and 2,570mm wide,  and rides on 2,570mm wheelbase.Both the powertrain and the driving position have been set as low and as far back as possible to achieve the best balance: the car has a near-perfect 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution. The flat-four engine format and the driver's hip point – the lowest of any current Toyota production model – together give the 86 an ultra-low centre of gravity, at just 475mm height.

The GT 86 makes the most of a light kerb weight, making it easy for drivers to exploit its nimble handling and cornering poise. The suspension features MacPherson struts at the front and double wishbones at the rear. The car rides on 18" wheels (17" on European model)  and is fitted with ventilated disc brakes all around.

The car is powered by Subaru-sourced 2.0l flat-4 engine whereby Toyota has added their own D-4S system where the cylinder head are designed to feature both direct injection and port injection for the in cylinder combustion. The combustion cylinder is perfect square 86 by 86mm. It has a high 12.5:1 compression ratio, increasing power and torque across a wide range of engine speeds without sacrificing fuel efficiency and environmental performance. The headline figure is 197bhp@6000 rpm and 205Nm@6600rpm. Drive is channeled to the rear wheel via either short-throw 6 speed manual or 6 speed automatic transmission with paddle shift.

The exterior styling of the Toyota 86 was previewed by the Toyota FT86 iteration 2, where it has eschewed the original concept car svelte futuristic lines. The changes were outlined as the results of driving development where the car body configuration does play a big role in driving experience. It features an evocative and expressive lines, especially in expressing the lower part of the car with huge grille.  The lower grille's "scorpion" look gives the 86 a more powerful appearance.

Inside the cabin, every control surface has been arranged to make the driving experience natural, instinctive and rewarding. The 365mm steering wheel diameter is the smallest steering ever fitted to the any car bearing Toyota nameplate. The meter binnacle is 3-item type with large rev-counter dominating the centre item. Elsewhere in the cabin, the 2+2 gets an all-black headlining, aviation-style rocker switches and lightweight, aluminium pedals. The JDM car features red interior detailing too. More detail and galleries after the jump.

Subaru BRZ Concept STi showcased in LA

Subaru showcased its BRZ sports coupe in the LA motorshow. The car is essentially a thinly disguised production version of Subaru new sports car. The BRZ is co-developed with Toyota FT86 and both cars are expected to bow in at Tokyo Motorshow in mass-production form. 

The main difference with the Toyota FT86 is limited to different bumper design for both front and rear. The headlamp is shared, however, the rear light is different from FT86 as it is more boxy in appearance. The LA showcar also gets a massive rear wing. Both FT86 and BRZ has been tested by several journalist and all are single-voiced in praising the accessible fun handling of both. 

Subaru BRZ Concept STi broke cover ahead of LA Motorshow

Subaru BRZ STi broke the cover ahead of its unveiling at LA Motorshow on November 16. This is the thinly disguised production car that will be revealed alongside its cousin Toyota FT86 in Tokyo Motorshow in December. We finally gets to see the bodied car after a series of wireframe concept shown many months back.

The car basic shape is identifiable as FT86-derived, but the detailing is more edgy. At the front, apart from similar headlamp, the bumper detailing is more angular compared to triangular-themed FT86. LED strips are featured too on the outer edge air intake. 

At the back, similar hard-edge theme continues. Where the FT86 gets a tear-drop sideways rear light, the BRZ rear light is more angular. It appears wider as the lights are narrower and does not extend to the trunklid panel as they are on FT86. By altering the bumper design (especially upper part that intersect with rear light, essentially form rear light housing), the rear end has been re-created to be more mascular. The diffuser-style lower garnish complete the rear makeover. 

More after the jump.

Toyota FT86 - specs, photo & driving impression

In a series of controlled leak, the information about the forthcoming Toyota FT86 is gradually increasing. From the latest spec, we know that the FT86 will come in two guises, the standard and high-spec. In addition to that, a "Customized" grade will be made available too, essentially a stripped-out version of FT86.

All versions are set to have 2.0l flat-4 producing 197bhp@7000rpm and 205Nm@6600rpm of power and torque. The front-engined rear drive layout vehicle will channelled the drive via 6MT or 6AT gearbox. No performance data is available yet. However, in light of 'green' era, the absence of performance figure is replaced with fuel consumption figure, 13km/l for the base model and 12.4km/l for the top model, drawn from 50l fuel tank capacity.

The Toyota FT86 is 4,240mm long, 1,775mm wide and just 1,285mm tall. The squat appearance is further enhanced with 2,570mm giving it a short overhang, particularly at the rear. The weight for low-spec manual is respectable 1,210 kg while the stripped Customized spec weights in at 1,190kg. The fully equipped high-spec is heavier at 1,250kg for 6AT version. The manual version is 20kg lighter. The manual version gets LSD for both version while for the automatic geared, only the high-spec is equipped with such device. Both version however gets the VSC.

Suspension system comes with strut at the front and double wishbone for the rear suspension. Front brake is ventilated disc at the front and rear, except the low-spec variant make do with solid disc at the back. Tyres is 215/45 R17 for the high-spec while the cheaper version is equipped with 205/55 R16. Lightweight version gets  steel rim of 16".

The High-Spec FT86 cabin

In terms of equipment level, all version gets a standard dual front airbags and curtain airbags. The high-spec model gets additional features such as HID headlight, LED DRL,  leather-wrapped steering, paddle shift for 6AT, auto air-con, 6 speakers audio system, metallic and carbon fibre insert for the cabin and the option of alcantra upholstery on the top of higher-grade fabric seats. More photos and details after the jump.

Subaru XV production model unveiled

Subaru has shown the concept version of its crossover-cum-SUV earlier this year. That basically is a production car with a very loud exterior paint, and a virtually production interior minus the touch screen centre console and glassy surface. Now , the mass production version bowed in at Frankfurt. Looks familiar? Yep you guess it right, the XV is actually a jacked-up Impreza 5DR, with greater ground clearance and Subaru trademark AWD drivetrain.

The crossover has an "Urban Adventure" design concept, with consists of tough SUV-like exterior with features such as high ground clearance (220mm) and cladding around the wheel arches. The interior is re-configurable to maximise space utilization and features 4.3" color LCD. Overall impact is meant to create an enjoyment in urban lifestyle that combined greater fuel efficiency, driving pleasure and strong styling presence. More after the jump.