One of the least-loved Subarus is about to find out what happens when you lose a popularity contest in the auto industry.

Set to be axed at year’s end according to insider sources, even Subaru wouldn’t confirm the crossover’s existence beyond the 2013 model year.

While easily criticized for its unusual styling back when it first launched in 2005, that was just one of a long list of flaws. Other reasons not to love the Tribeca include the fact that its engine was too small and not powerful enough, fuel economy wasn’t great and size-wise it was always a bit of a stretch to call it a three row.

Sales never lived up to expectations and Subaru’s lack of interest in its future is obvious in the fact that apart from minor updates, little development has been done to plan for the crossover’s future. In fact, even the 2012 model continues to use an outdated 5-speed automatic transmission.

Past rumors have suggested a next-generation Tribeca could be in the works, sharing the same platform as the Toyota Highlander.

[Source: MotorTrend]

Remember Subaru’s Advanced Tourer concept from the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show? If not that’s probably because it was widely thought to be a window on the upcoming Legacy. Instead, it seems we were looking at the new WRX.

Subaru’s well-respected rally car split with its Impreza baby brother to sit on a new platform this year after complaints that the latest generation was too soft. Information on the latest-edition boy racer car has been difficult to find, but it seems likely that either an FA series 1.6- or 2.0-liter direct injected turbo boxer engine will make it under the hood. The 2.0 version seems like a strong candidate for the WRX variant, but nothing is confirmed yet.

Confirmation on go-fast parts aside, the WRX’s styling has always been something of hot debate. The love-it-or-leave-it beastly back wing of previous generations and the toned-down version that came after it both had styling that was anything but conservative. Now, according to sources connected to Motor Trend, we know quite a bit more about the new generation’s styling.

Heavy front-end styling influence from the Advanced Tourer will probably mean the chunkier front brake ducts and new headlights. A wider-mouth, more open grille like the one seen above will probably also work it way in. Overall, the car will likely adopt a more angular style than what we’ve seen with the current generation, with sharper hips and a more aggressive look.

GALLERY: 2011 Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept

[Source: Motor Trend]

One of the most wonderful sensations come when you command a whole handful of power just with the flexing of your right foot. Horsepower is an intoxicating element when it comes to driving, but that doesn’t mean that it’s saved for the most expensive vehicles out there.

Check out the list of the top ten most affordable vehicles with 300 (or more) horsepower. You might be surprised at the deals here, with our leader having a price-to-pony ratio of $73-per-horsepower.  Most of the vehicles here are coupes, but a trio of sedans squeezed in, proving fun can come in four-doors.

First on our list is the rally-tested Subaru WRX STI. The performance-oriented vehicle is the first of three sedans that made the top 10, and features Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 2.5-liter Boxer engine, which pumps out 305-hp. The cheapest WRX STI is the four-door model, which also has the STI’s instantly recognizable rear spoiler. With a top speed of 160 mph,  the four-door also has a slightly higher top-speed than its five-door counterpart. The WRX STI can get to 60 mph from a standing start in under 5 seconds, and it’s all-wheel drive helps it gobble up the road as fast as anything else on this list. It starts at $34,095.

Thanks to data from automotive research firm Polk, we were able to compile a list of the top 10 most popular automakers for buyers aged 18 to 34 – roughly the Gen Y set.

There are quite a few surprises on the list, most notably that Scion is missing. The Toyota spin-off brand was designed to target specifically that age group but weren’t even on the top 10 that were most successful at targeting young buyers last year. Also, you may be surprised by the differences between the top cars for teens and the automakers that made it onto this list.

Starting off the top 10 is MINI, the British automaker known to make fun and compact, yet functional cars. The Cooper models has a near cult following in the automotive community and with just over 10 percent of its buyers between 18 and 34 years old, it’s obvious that the younger Gen Y embrace what MINI is all about.

That update will occur in Japan, we might add, but these days with increasing pressure on automakers to reduce fuel consumption and emissions output, plus an increasing need to standardize powertrains and features around the globe, there’s probably a chance we’ll see similar changes to our Legacy and Outback down the road.

Externally, the biggest changes to the 2013 Legacy concern the grille and headlights, which now bear a stronger resemblance to the Impreza. The Outback, meanwhile, gets larger front fog lights. Inside, there’s a new black metal finish on the instrument cluster, while a 3.5 inch LCD screen now sits in the center of the speedometer, with an “EyeSight” feature that indicates economy-minded and safe driving.

However, it’s under the skin where the biggest changes to the 2013 Legacy can be found. For starters, nestled between the shock towers as the standard engine, is the new generation 2.5-liter Boxer four. It also employs stop/start technology and is teamed with the Lineartronic CVT transmission (first introduced on the Impreza) to help maximize fuel economy. Power is rated at 170 hp and 173 lb-ft of torque.

Offered on the B4 sedan 2.0 GT DIT and Touring Wagon models in Japan, however, is a 2.0-liter direct injected turbocharged four making 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Like the normally aspirated 2.5, it’s teamed with Lineartronic CVT on the 2013 Legacy, which gets a modified torque converter and revisions to the chain mechanism to cope with the greater power. Although Subaru isn’t quoting official outputs, it says the new combination gets around 20 percent better fuel economy than the old 2.5-liter self-shifting transmission combination. This also marks the first time that the CVT has been teamed with Subaru‘s Variable Torque Distribution all-wheel drive system.

Furthermore, thanks to the adoption of Impreza’s auto start stop system, the 2.0 GT DIT is 20 percent more fuel efficient than the 281-hp 2.5-liter unit with a similar reduction in CO2 emissions.

Other changes on all 2013 Legacy models include reinforced suspension mounts and re-tuned dampers, designed to improve handling and stability, while 2.0 GT DIT models also feature a SI-Drive system that allows the driver to control shifting in sport mode, in an effort to make the driving experience a little more exciting. There’s also standard brake override (which reduces power to the engine, when the throttle and brake pedals are applied at the same time) and adaptive cruise control.

Subaru says that the 2.5i models now qualify for Japan’s eco tax reduction and eco car subsidy and like the 2.0 GT DIT models, will be available in Japanese showrooms starting May 8. As for other markets, including the U.S., no word yet, though we won’t be surprised to see these new engines, or versions of them being offered here in the future, though perhaps not as soon as when the 2013 Legacy arrives.

GALLERY: Subaru JDM updated cars

The Subaru rallycross team is gearing up for a new season of racing, and is drumming up excitement by releasing this video of the three WRX STI entry cars having some some fun out on the track. 

The video features two-wheel corners, high intensity racing, helicopter action shots and slow-motion shoes. The shoes come courtesy of Puma sports apparel, who is the chief sponsor of the team for 2012.

Tire burning action and tough looking race cars always make for an exciting video, and the Subaru rallycross team knows how to entertain.

Watch the video below.

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The next generation Subaru WRX may bring about a new, ground-breaking electric turbo when it finally sees production at the end of 2013.

Back in 2007, the Japanese automaker filed for a patent on an electrically-operated turbo and it’s believed that Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s parent company, has been developing a method to trap the heat energy from exhaust gases in order to generate electricity to power up the turbo. The result would be a revolutionary forced induction setup, creating plenty of power with less turbo lag normally associated with turbochargers as we know them today.

Rumors have been circulating on what will become of the WRX and STi models, from separating the models from Subaru’s Impreza line to sporting a new 1.6-liter engine. The future WRX might also be sporting a continuously variable transmission (CVT) which has already found its way onto the rest of the Impreza models. Don’t worry though, STi and WRX enthusiasts will still have a choice of a six-speed manual, a transmission that Subaru is well aware is popular amongst its target market.

Would the success of an electric turbocharger in the next generation WRX give good reason for Subaru to apply the same technology to the BRZ?

[Source: Drive Australia]

In the wake of yesterday’s industry-standard sales number inundation, there is a story that seems to have been overlooked in the hubbub: Subaru‘s 2012 Impreza saving the company’s sales numbers.

Redesigned for 2012, the automaker’s entry-level compact car was traditionally built on the same platform as its more performance-oriented WRX sibling. For this year, Subaru decided to sever that tie in favor of building a more mellow and economically-minded vehicle to better address the segment it was meant to fill.

While it’s easy to speculate about how a car will sell, or the merits of a redesign, the truth doesn’t really surface until its manufacturer releases sales numbers. With first-quarter figures available as of yesterday, it seems the somewhat bland Impreza, which lost horsepower this year thanks to it’s 2.0-liter boxer engine, was actually a hit with consumers.

In fact, if it weren’t for the astounding 158 percent sales increase over a year ago in April, Subaru would have likely posted a loss. Instead the brand issued a release heralding the “best April sales in company history.”

While we weren’t particularly in love with the Impreza’s underwhelming performance, it does its job very well, achieving 27/36 mpg city/highway with all-wheel drive.

The Outback still outsold the Impreza with about 35,600 units since April, 2011, but that represented a marginal increase. The Impreza, on the other hand, sold roughly 27,891 units for a massive 158 percent increase. While the company wouldn’t have posted an overall loss, there wouldn’t have been any rosy “best ever” statements either.

If you’ve been holding your breath for a Scion FR-S turbo announcement, it’s best to exhale now. The Japanese automaker has confirmed that the FR-S won’t see a turbocharged variant from the factory, at least for the time being.

This really isn’t a huge surprise, but we all kept our fingers crossed hoping that Scion would eventually come out with a turbocharged model to pump even more performance into an already great sports car. Currently the FR-S is powered by a 2.0-liter with 200 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque, and with a price tag of $24,930 with a manual transmission, it’s a great bang for the buck.

But the price tag is what is limiting Scion from developing a turbocharged variant. By offering a turbocharged model, pricing could near the $30,000 mark at which point consumers have a variety of options to choose from. Besides, Scion models were never meant to be that expensive. We still hope that TRD will release a supercharger option for the FR-S, similar to what it gives current Scion tC owners.

There’s still hope for the Japanese Toyota GT 86. As part of the Toyota moniker, the Japanese automaker could possibly offer a turbocharged variant of its sports car, but again, we wouldn’t hold our breath on that.

Subaru, on the other hand, has enjoyed success with its turbocharged WRX STi, so it’s possible that it would offer a turbocharged BRZ. Pricing isn’t as big of an issue for Subaru customers, with the STi well over the $30,000 mark.

In an interview with Auto Express UK however, Subaru global marketing manager Atoshi Atake said the BRZ will not be turbocharged due to the lack of room at the front of the engine bay for an intercooler. More importantly, he said that Subaru would “want to keep turbocharging separate. It is for models like the WRX STi.”

While that sounds like Subaru is throwing out a turbocharged model out the window as well, we have strong beliefs that market demand will ultimately bring a BRZ Turbo to consumers. Subaru rejected the idea of a supercharger in the same interview, saying it would make fuel efficiency an issue.

Regardless, it seems that both automakers are content with how the BRZ, FR-S, and GT 86 are performing from the factory. But who wouldn’t want to see a turbocharged version of any of them?

Discuss this story at SubaruBRZForum.com

[Source: Car & Driver and Auto Express UK]

Subaru BRZ sales have already skyrocketed in Japan, and in America we can expect the same result, but the sales beg the question: is the BRZ really that good?

Well Subaru thinks so, and to back up its new RWD sports car the company has released a two part mini-movie detailing all of the design and engineer work that was brought together during development. Everything from chassis design to engine placement and even steering wheel shape is explained in the movie, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Even more interesting is how the Subaru BRZ almost never happened, which would have been a shame considering the success that the vehicle has already achieved.

The BRZ looks to capture a simple tagline, ‘pure handling delight’ with its lightweight design and rigid chassis, and will sell at a base MSRP of $25,495.

Watch the video below to see how Subaru built the BRZ from the ground up.

Click here to read AutoGuide’s Scion FR-S Review.

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Discuss this story at SubaruBrzForum.com

News is surfacing that extremely high demand is somehow causing Japanese domestic deliveries of the Subaru BRZ to be delayed until January, 2013. 

It isn’t totally clear how something being well received and in-demand would make it harder to deliver, if anything the opposite would make sense, but according to FT86Club that’s exactly what’s going on.

You’re probably wondering what that means for the U.S. market, which is probably just as eager as Japan is to snap up the rear-wheel drive “affordable” sports car that’s caused such a stir since it’s unveiling. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any word on how the reported delay will affect American shipments. We can only guess that a delay in Japan for a domestically-assembled vehicle would translate into some consequence for export markets.

There also isn’t any word on the Toyota GT 86 or Scion FR-S and whether or not either vehicle will be delayed as well, but it doesn’t seem like it at the moment. That boils down to the somewhat better-equipped and more expensive version of a car meant to be stripped down and modified being less available — probably not something too many fans are crying over. Then again, any delay for this car is sure to cause some disquiet.

GALLERY: 2013 Subaru BRZ

[Source: FT86Club]

Discuss this story at SubaruBRZForum.com

We know you’re itching to get your hands on a new Subaru BRZ. Subaru does too, and today you can get your fill of BRZ-heaven by configuring your sports-coupe online.

Thanks to the configuration tool you can option out the rear-wheel-drive Subaru until you’re satisfied. You’ve got seven exterior colors to choose from, but for a real checklist frenzy take a look at the options list.

Between the decklid spoiler, and chrome bits are little details like custom colored battery holders and oil caps that true Subaru fans will surely appreciate.

The online configuration tool also has a section to figure out payments so you can start to budget in your perfect sports-coupe as soon as possible.

To talk about this with other BRZ-fans check out SubaruBRZForum.com