Archive

For January, 2009

Detroit 2009: Subaru Legacy Concept shows its face

No Comments

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Subaru Legacy Concept

The official unveiling doesn’t take place until later this afternoon, but Subaru has already released the details on the Legacy Concept it’s introducing this year at Detroit. We only have the head-on shot at the moment, but what you’re seeing here is likely the new face of the Legacy, complete with funky-shaped headlamp lenses and a trapezoidal theme to the prow. According to Subaru’s, that paint color is called “Ultimate Silver” and the overall design theme is “High Definition,” for what that’s worth. Power comes from the automaker’s 3.6L six-cylinder boxer mated, of course, to an AWD system. 

Inside, you’ll find a technology carnival, with a multitude of displays available to the four occupants, including the driver. The instrument panel gets a multifunction touchscreen display instead of a traditional center control stack — no mechanical controls are present — and those teensy side mirrors house cameras that display the view aft on the widescreen rearview “mirror” in the cabin. Rear passengers get their headrest-mounted LCD screens and their own touchscreen control interface. Outside of the obvious show-car tech, the shapes you see inside are likely what to expect when the production car makes its eventual debut.

Gallery: Subaru Legacy Concept

[Source: Subaru, Autoblog]

Head to the Forums for the Press Release.

Q & A with Petter Solberg

No Comments

Subaru’s sudden departure from the World Rally Championship has left 2003 title-winner Petter Solberg on the sidelines.

During a visit to the Autosport International Show, he spoke about last month’s shock news, his search for a new drive, and the current state of the WRC.

Head to the forums for the interview.

Petter Solberg

Preview: Subaru Legacy Concept Headed for Detroit

No Comments

Legacy Concept

We had heard some rumors that Subaru would be showing some sort of concept at the upcoming North American International Auto Show, and we’ll be the first ones to admit that we were hoping for some sort of rear-wheel-drive coupe concept. However, this teaser shot of Subaru’s Legacy Concept is indeed a surprise, and we’re pleased to see the direction in which Subaru is taking their design language. The mean fender flares and lower fascia look great, though we may need a moment to warm up to those stacked headlamps.

This concept marks the Legacy’s twentieth anniversary and will likely be a preview of what we can expect when the current model bows out in a few years. We’ll be sure to give you the full details when this concept makes its official debut in Detroit next month.

Source: Next Autos

Subaru getting into bicycle business

No Comments

Subaru has decided to issue a 99-edition run of mountain bikes under its own corporate banner called the Subaru XB steel hardtail. If there’s any automaker for which such a move fits, it is Subaru (has anyone even seen a Porsche or Mercedes mountain bike in the wild?). And it’s not the first time a Japanese car concern has jumped into the bicycle biz: Bridgestone had a seriously good range of road and mountain bikes in the ’80s and ’90s. However, Subaru’s effort will be outsourced, built-to-order, and expensive. The hardtail chromoly steel steeds will run you $3,880 US. For that price – even for a limited edition with decent kit – we aren’t sure why anyone would opt for it over a fully-suspended Ellsworth or Ventana for the same money.

VIDEO: Petter Solberg rides a subaru…forgets to steer

No Comments

We all have our embarrassing moments. Most, however, aren’t quite as public as Petter Solberg’s mishap last month at the Bettega Memorial Rallysprint in Bologna, Italy. The 2003 WRC champion was taking some parade laps and waving to the crowd when he decided it was a good idea to get on the roof of his car. He managed the task with relative ease, but quickly found that getting back into the car posed much more of a problem. With Subaru pulling out of WRC in 2009, let’s hope this isn’t our last memory of Solberg piloting a rally car.

Blue Taste Theme created by Jabox