AUTO SHOWS: First Look: Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept

Yes, Subaru says this slick wagon is the Advanced Tourer Concept, and that it will debut at next month's Tokyo Motor Show. But could the sleek, muscular wagon give a peek at what's to come for the next-generation Legacy and Outback? Perhaps.

The Advanced Tourer Concept continues Subaru's latest design language, which aims to inspire confidence by means of muscular haunches, crisp character lines, and the brand's signature six-sided grille. Oversized, split-spoke wheels, along with LED head- and taillights lend to the futuristic look of the Tourer. It's a sleek and muscular look for a midsize station wagon; we expect that a toned-down version of this car will make its way to become the next-generation Legacy. After all, Subaru has a history of previewing forthcoming production models with tarted-up show cars.

There is a full-length glass roof to brighten the cabin, and passengers will each have their own floating captain's chair. Subaru has integrated a screen into the steering wheel to display maps, internet, and other telematics. The concept is also equipped with Subaru's EyeSight Version 2 driver assistance system that includes things like active cruise control, emergency braking, and lane departure warning.

The Advanced Tourer Concept also makes use of a new hybrid powertrain. A direct-injection, turbocharged 1.6-liter boxer-four-cylinder is paired with a single electric motor through a continuously variable transmission. Details are fleeting, but Subaru says the system is used in combination with its Symmetrical All-wheel-Drive system, leading us to believe a through-the-road hybrid is out of the question.

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/tokyo/2011/1111_subaru_advanced_tourer_concept/index.html#ixzz1eYzq9GQJ

Subaru Advanced Tourer Hybrid Concept: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show Preview

Subaru might be better known for its world-rally-inspired gas-guzzling Impreza WRX and STI, but the Japanese automaker is just about to jump on the green bandwagon with an all-new hybrid wagon concept due to be unveiled later this month at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.

At the moment, we’ve only got some teaser images to go by, along with the information that the mid-size wagon concept is designed to be a meeting point between Subaru’s legendary performance, environmental awareness and the practicality of a wagon.

Sticking with what it does best, Subaru has married a 1.6 liter direct-injected horizontally-opposed boxer engine with its own hybrid drivetrain system and all-wheel drive system.

Rather than use multiple motors in its hybrid as is the case with cars like the 2012 Toyota Prius, Subaru engineers have chosen a single motor which operates to provide zero-tailpipe emission low-speed driving. When braking, the motor turns into a generator, recapturing excess energy and storing it in the car’s battery pack.

Subaru hasn’t said if its new concept car will plug-in, but we think its unlikely given its past hybrid concepts, not to mention its unceremonious axing of its only all-electric car -- the Stella mini-car -- earlier this year.

That said, the latest from Subaru suggests that its Advanced Tourer Hybrid Concept will be  at least capable of all-electric travel at low speed, meaning its drivetrain would be a series-parallel hybrid similar to the hybrid drivetrain found in Toyota and Lexus cars rather than the mild hybrid drivetrain we previously thought it would be adopting.

Subaru’s hints at going hybrid come hot on the heels of the news that the closest rival to the Subaru Impreza -- the mighty Mitsubishi Lancer Evo -- would adopt a turbocharged diesel plug-in hybrid drivetrain capable of accelerating it from rest to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.

Subaru's concept may well be a wagon -- but we don't think it takes much imagination to make the link between the Advanced Tourer Hybrid Concept and a new, hybrid drivetrain for the new WRX and STI platforms Subaru is planning for 2013.

Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1068301_subaru-advanced-tourer-hybrid-concept-2011-tokyo-motor-show-preview

Subaru Reveals More About Production BRZ Sports Car With Teaser Pic and PDF

Leaked brochures of the Toyota version be damned, Subaru continues to prepare us for the Tokyo auto show reveal of its rear-drive sports car with information hors d’oeuvres.

On the latest silver tray, Subaru serves up a glimpse at the car’s front end—you can see that the grille is different than the one on the Toyota FT-86/Scion FR-S—plus some additional specifications. As we learned during our drive of a BRZ prototype, the boxer engine architecture is Subaru’s, but Toyota has contributed its dual port/direct-injection heads. (Engineering geeks take note: Subaru’s working on its own direct-injection tech, as previewed in the Advanced Tourer Concept, and it’s not licensed from ToMoCo.)

A PDF also rocketed in from the Pleiades (you can check it out here) and reported the BRZ’s length, width, and height. The big deal here is less that the car is 166.9 inches long, 69.9 inches wide, and 51.2 inches high, but that the numbers corroborate those in a spec sheet allegedly leaked from Japan. That sheet also reports weight estimates of 2668 to 2712 pounds, numbers given further credibility by the dimensional accuracy. Overall, the BRZ and its Toyota sib will be longer and wider than the Mazda MX-5, though a bit taller and between that car and the RX-8 in weight.

Online leaks, teasers, a decoy set for the L.A. auto show—it sounds like J.J. Abrams is writing the launch plan for the BRZ and Toyota FT-86. At least it will all be over a month from now, when the pair of heavily hyped cars are properly and fully presented to the public in Tokyo.

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/subaru-reveals-more-about-production-brz-sports-car-with-teaser-pic-and-pdf/

2011 LA Auto Show Preview: Subaru BRZ Concept-STI

Subaru has released a sneak peak and some details of their new BRZ concept sports car, which will be shown in two weeks at the 2011 LA Auto Show.

Officially called the Subaru BRZ Concept-STI, the lightweight coupe will have rear-wheel drive, breaking from the brand’s all-wheel-drive tradition. The BRZ will likely use a more powerful version of the new naturally aspirated, direct-injection, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine first offered in the redesigned Impreza. The flat-four engine is mounted low and behind the front wheels to lower the car’s center of gravity, and thereby aid handling and weight distribution.

The concept car will have a suspension tuned by the STI performance/motorsports division; it will also come with Brembo brakes and 18-inch wheels and tires. The body shown in this picture has a carbon-fiber roof, aero-tuned lower front spoiler, and vented rear bumper. We’ll learn more about the production plans when we attend the upcoming LA Auto Show in two weeks, where the concept will make its public debut.

Meanwhile, we heard that the high-performance turbocharged WRX and STi versions of the Impreza will not move to the new Impreza design. Instead they will soldier on in their current form until the BRZ debuts in spring 2012. But there’s no word on whether the hot-rod sedans will be redesigned or even continue after that.

Read More: http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/11/2011-la-auto-show-preview-subaru-brz-concept-sti.html

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