2012 is starting to look like the year of the new hachi roku as both Toyota and Subaru ready for an onslaught of marketing events for their joint sports car. For the upcoming Tokyo Auto Solon, held from Juanuary 13 to 15th, two special Subaru BRZ’s will be on display.

First the BRZ Concept STI will feature suspension upgrades, Brembo brakes tower bar, front and rear spoilers, sport muffler, 18-inch rims, as well as prototype carbon-fiber components including carbon front hood and a carbon roof.

Next, Subaru has collaborated with aftermarket tuner Prova for a BRZ Black Edition. Despite carrying over a name meant for elite AMG cars, Prova and the fellow tuning community will no doubt continue to create exciting new products for the new sports car.

As for factory Subaru, a new Impreza G4 STI will join the exhibition floor with all manners of performance upgrades. A GT300 BRZ and the outgoing GT300 Legacy will join the floor as well. What’s more, Subaru has announced its motorsport resurgence with the entry of an Impreza STI in the Nurburgring 24 as well as the return to rally competition with its participation in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Discuss this story at SubaruBRZForum.com

Subaru announced today that they’re stopping sales and issuing out a recall on 2012 models of the Impreza, Legacy and Outback due to complaints about increased brake pedal travel. Around 3,000 cars will be recalled with notices being sent to vehicle owners within the next couple of days. A stop-sale was also put into affect on November 25th with Subaru making it a priority to fix the 3,000 recalled vehicles and those still in inventory.

Those that own the vehicles have no serious reason to be concerned, as the brakes do work but the pedal travels farther than it should due to a faulty master cylinder. There has been no failure issues or accidents as a result, and the fix will take about an hour at a local dealership.

Subaru also believes that the production line in both Indiana and Japan’s plants have already been fitted with the new brake cylinders. Subaru expects the sales freeze to be lifted by early next week, once they’re assured all vehicles affected on the lot are fixed.

Since the inception of the Subaru WRX and STI models, they have thus far been linked to the ho-hum Impreza compact sedan/hatch. While that saved Subaru a lot of money in developing a new platform in the past, and they have done a phenomenal job transforming a boring family car into a supercar hunting sportscar, for some the Impreza link is this car’s only downfall.

Subaru too wants its WRX and STI models to now be taken more seriously and hence from 2013 are going to unveil new versions which will be based on a unique platform.

We first reported on this news back in July, when this was just in a speculation stage. But now it seems the WRX and STI will form their own models, separating them from the Impreza.

So while there is a brand new Impreza being launched for the 2012 model year, the old (or shall we say current) WRX and STI will soldier on for one more year.

As for the 2013 WRX and STI models, lots is still being speculated about what powertrain this car will have. One rumor circulating the web is that it’ll be powered by a 1.6-liter, boxer four-cylinder motor with a massive turbo-charger, and it will be capable of producing 270-hp. Could the next STi sport around 350-hp? Only time will tell.

GALLERY: 2011 Subaru WRX STI

[Source: Car and Driver]

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Subaru WRX STI Review

For 2012, the outgoing Subaru Impreza Outback Sport will merely consist of a limited set of trim options before it will make way for a completely redesigned model known as the Subaru XV.

While it features the requisite all wheel drive, a taller ride height of 8.6 inches, and body cladding, the XV’s appearance is a grand departure from its predecessors and really provides a splash of excitement for the Impreza range.

Available under the hood are a 1.6-liter or 2.0 liter boxer-4 engine with Subaru’s new start/stop technology. The XV will also have a CVT transmission to optimize its fuel economy.

While it is unclear whether the name “XV” will be kept, expect to see the Outback’s new replacement in showrooms by 2013.

GALLERY: Subaru XV

[Source: Autoblog]

The Subaru Impreza and Kia Sorrento are currently under the scrutiny of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as the government agency is investigating the cars for serious defects.

Approximately 50,000 Sorrentos from 2011 could lose power because of a transmission intermediate driveshaft that could fail, according to four complaints received by the feds. Five more complaints allege that a closely-related driveshaft failure could cause the transmission to break.

Approximately 84,000 2011 Subaru Imprezas are being examined for a control arm that could fail due to excessive corrosion. Seven complaints have noted that this has happened at speeds of 50mph or greater, and two complaints resulted in a loss of vehicle control. No recalls have been issued yet.

[Source: Detroit News]

While we’re thrilled to have the new 2011 WRX STI on sale here, as usual, Subaru Japan has one-upped the U.S. offering with the new 2011 WRX STI Spec C. The Spec C packs 304-hp and 317 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0L powerplant thanks to a revamped ECU and ball-bearing twin-scroll turbocharger.

In addition to the revised turbocharger and ECU, Subaru equips the Spec C with a mechanical rear limited-slip differential and the front chassis has been reinforced with a new cross member. To lighten up the load on the WRX, the hood has been swapped out for an aluminum version, there is a smaller battery and lightweight 18-inch wheels wrapped with Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires. Optional equipment includes the ever-popular Recaro seats.

GALLERY: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C

Read AutoGuide’s Review of the 2011 Subaru WRX STI by Clicking Here

Subaru just revealed what they had been hiding under that sheet the past little while at the LA Auto Show. It was the Subaru Impreza Concept.

A thinly veiled mockup of the future Impreza sedan, the car looks a bit like a bigger Mazda3. Actually it looks closer in size to the Mazda6. It has definitely bulked up. No matter, it looks just fine, sporting what we’d have to say is closer to WRX trim than a base Impreza has any right to wear.

GALLERY: Subaru Impreza Design Concept

See the official press release plus live video from the LA Auto Show after the jump:

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With seven years of roaming the streets (in Japan), the second generation Subaru Impreza body became a familiar sight to many. And now that the third generation Impreza STi is out, we’re expecting to see less and less of the second gen bodies. But leave it to the crazy tuners in Japan to come up with this idea: taking a second generation model and outfit it with a front end from the the current model.

Some of us here at AutoGuide think it’s just too weird. The second-gen STi is notorious for its boxy shape and large headlights while the new generation is more streamlined and bubbly. Pairing the two together doesn’t quite flow well. (Some other crazy folks here in the office are big fans and made me write this sentence).

Complementing the transformation is also a full body kit from Charge Speed, which definitely gives the car a much sportier and more aggressive profile. Thumbs up for being unique, but much like the R35 front end on an R34 Skyline, we think they should belong on their respective bodies.

GALLERY: Car Service Hiro Converted Subaru Impreza STi

[Source: Farm Of Minds]