Archive

For September, 2008

Sep 14

Subaru debuts boxer diesel Forester and Impreza

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Subaru debuted its new 2.0L diesel boxer engine earlier this year in the Legacy and Outback, and soon it will also be offered in the Forester and Impreza, though only in Europe. These two latest models to feature the unique horizontally opposed oil-burning engines will debut at the Paris Motor Show next month. The Forester 2.0D will offer 147 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque while returning 44.8 combined mpg in the European cycle, which is class-leading for a small CUV over there, while the Impreza 2.0D offers 148 hp and 258 lb-ft (fuel economy for the Impreza 2.0D was not released for some reason). The diesel Forester will hit showrooms later this month while Euro shoppers will have to wait until January for the diesel Impreza. While we certainly hope Subaru is tweaking its 2.0L diesel boxer engine to meet emissions standards in all 50 U.S. states, we haven’t heard one word about it.

Sep 13

Japan’s Subarus get Stereoscopic Vision

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Both Honda and Toyota have been toying with laser-based Active Cruise Control systems for over a decade now, while the German luxury car makers have offered more expensive radar-based gizmos for almost as long. The premise of both is that an electronic copilot keeps an eye on the road ahead maintaining a safe distance from the car in front, even slamming the brakes at the last moment in an emergency should the driver fail to react.

Now, Subaru has come up with a third system, which while not quite as advanced as KITT, is as close as we’ve ever seen. For a premium of $3,000 a new JDM Legacy or Outback can be fitted with twin cameras, one on each side of the rear view mirror, that use human like stereoscopic vision to judge distances and generally keep tabs on the driver. Not only does “EyeSight”, as the system is called, can help you keep your distance on the highway (which would have been handy for the McRae convoy on Sunday) and in stop start traffic, but also incorporates a lane departure warning system, a wake up call should everyone pull away from the lights but you (put your iPhone down), and even keeps an eye out for pedestrians while you look for that illusive break in traffic at a T-junction. Best of all, EyeSight will stop you driving through your own garage door because you selected Drive instead of Reverse – a shockingly common occurrence according to Subaru.

Click through to Subaru’s Japanese website to see a cool Flash presentation and video of the system in action. First click “Pick Up – EyeSight” then the engine start button, then (once the Intro finishes) EyeSight TECHNOLOGY Movie.

Three thousand bucks may sound like a lot of money, but how much do garages charge to repair even a minor fender bender these days?

Sep 12

Colin McRae tribute convoy reaches 30-miles long

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Oh, those Brits. When they’re not faking making corn circles they’re writing a rally legend’s name using 1,086 Subaru Imprezas as pixels. This, of course, was the finale to the weekend long celebration of Colin McRae’s life, which saw over 1,100 Scoobys converge on Prodrive’s test track in Warwickshire. Precisely how many cars took part in the ensuing 30-mile convoy is unknown, but if you don’t have anything better to do right now, you can have a go at counting them in the video after the jump (and look out for the near miss at 6:42). Even the local constabulary showed up in a WRX pursuit car.

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