This video is a quick look at a new car and new tracks for Gran Turismo 5, featuring the Toyota FT-86 Concept car. The rear-wheel drive coupe that will be badged as a Toyota was co-developed with Subaru (who provides the engine) and will make its world debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. The name FT-86 is a nod to the popular RWD Corolla AE86 of the mid-1980s. The production version of the 2+2 FT-86 sports coupe, is due to go on sale towards the end of 2011. The engine is from Subaru and is a front-mounted, 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, a naturally aspirated version of Subaru’s 2.0-liter flat flour normally found in the Impreza that Toyota will massage to boost output closer to 200 horsepower. This is the same engine that, when turbocharged, cranks out 250HP and is found in Subaru’s much loved WRX.

View the video and photo gallery after the jump

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By Bill Clark

Pros:

• New styling looks great
• It’s big
• Very well-appointed - even in base trim
• All things Subaru - affordable, practical, all-wheel drive
• Very comfortable road car

Cons

• Lethargic engine - especially at freeway speeds
• Leans like a wet noodle when pushed hard around corners

Don’t tell the Editors, but let’s just say I was less than enthusiastic when I was told I would be testing the new 2010 Subaru Legacy sedan. While I reluctantly waited outside the house for the demo vehicle to be delivered, a number of cars drove by, including a very sharp, muscular, modern-looking sedan. The sedan slows in front of me while I am taking a long look at it - ‘nice’, I think to myself. Then I notice the Subaru emblem on the front grille. Wait… What? Is that it? That’s a Subaru? Well, things are looking up! Let’s just say the word ‘new’ does not do the car justice - I’d say transformed!

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The on again/off again/on again for real Toyota/Subaru sports coupe is certainly on for real now. Official pics and specs of the upcoming two-company joint venture are out, and it looks to be a pretty impressive car on a number of fronts.

The rear-wheel drive coupe that will be badged as a Toyota was co-developed with Subaru (who provides the engine) and will make its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The name FT-86 is a nod to the popular RWD Corolla AE86 of the mid-1980s. The production version of the 2+2 FT-86 sports coupe, is due to go on sale towards the end of 2011.

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It’s still car show season, and although Frankfurt is in the past, The Tokyo Motor Show is looming on the horizon. Of interest is a limited run WRX from Subaru called the Subaru Impreza WRX STI Carbon. Clearly, a car slathered with this much of the wonder material is not aimed at moms toting around the kids or the junior level business exec who wants to tell people he’s “made it”. No, that’s not who the WRX is for to begin with, let alone the WRX STI, let alone a show car special like the WRX STI Carbon.

No, the WRX STI Carbon is aimed at the boy racers out there. The Fast-n-Furious set, if that’s not too dated of a reference. Unlike a lot of older car guys, I’ve never had that much of a problem with the import tuner crowd. ‘Hey, at least they’re into cars’, was what I normally thought. I was a little puzzled by someone who’d drop that much money into an Evo or a Civic to go drag racing with it (V8s are a LOT more cost effective). But cars like the WRX STI Carbon I can sort of understand.

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According to reports in the green blogosphere, Subaru, maker of fine, boxer powered all wheel drive cars, will soon be adding diesels engines to its range of engine choices, at least in the home market. Odd really, because Japan was never that into diesel cars. Sure, delivery trucks, but very few private individuals buy diesels.

Subaru introduced its first diesel engine in Europe in 2008, naturally, a boxer, and has sold over 30,000 examples, but that makes sense since oil burners are very, very popular there. So popular in fact that 54.1 percent of Legacy sales in Europe have been diesels.

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By Holly R.

Pros:

• Really decent acceleration in “sport” and “sport sharp” mode
• Lots of room in the seats and back of the car
• Drives great in off-road type conditions (grass, gravel, dirt), and handled a terribly stormy day (wind and sideways rain) with aplomb
• Tinted windows were a nice touch both for security and curb appeal

Cons:

• No built-in Bluetooth®
• Tinted windows limit outward vision

Introduction:

I’d rented an Outback on an out of town trip before, but that was before I started writing car reviews! I was curious about how it would stand up to a real test, and knew that if the weather sucked, the car would certainly not let me down. It was like the weather knew too… So I was able to test this car in some pretty crappy conditions. Excellent!

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By Alex Kramer

Pros:

• Boxer engine provides plenty of torque
• All-wheel drive traction
• Lots of interior room
• Huge panoramic sunroof

Cons:

• Dated 4 speed transmission
• Suspension is a bit soft
• Bland interior/exterior design
• Too many rattles and buzzes

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When it comes to the auto industry you got to look for the smallest speck of sunshine–no matter how miniscule it might be. Subaru of America has just announced a 0.3% sales increase for full-year 2008 sales over 2007. That’s right, you heard me, A 0.3% INCREASE, making Subaru the one and only full-line brand with positive sales through November 2008. The firm-Subaru-pat-on-the-back goes to the Impreza, Legacy and Forester lines who have brought home the record results. Thank god for Japanese cars for keeping the American auto industry somewhat afloat. On the other hand, this year most automakers posted “sizable” decreases. Former industry leader General Motors sales fell 23 percent from last year, while previous second in the U.S., Toyota saw a 15 percent drop. (No need to mention other precedent decreases as Ford Motor 21 percent; Chrysler 30 percent; and Honda 8 percent.) If this were the Olympics, Subaru would be standing alone at the medal platform without the benefit of any other medalists. So hats off to you Subaru, and remember, it’s lonely at the top!

The march of the aftermarket carries on, it would seem. What we have pictured here is another offering from the Japanese home market tuning house Ings. Essentially it’s a body kit constructed to N-Spec rules. N-Spec being a Japanese endurance race series titled the Super Taikyu racing series (yeah little overblown, but that’s par for the course for Japanese names, isn’t it?)..

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By Peter N.

Pros:

• Great acceleration
• Fun to drive
• Affordable

Cons:

• Road noise
• Stereo system

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By Mary-Ellen

Yay:

• Turbo engine (wow!)
• Great vehicle for the $30,000 suggested retail price
• Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive for superb handling
• Plenty of interior space
• Nice interior features
• Fold-down rear seats for added trunk space
• Watch DVDs while sitting in the driver’s seat

Nay:

• Only a 5-Speed manual
• 1-disc CD changer only
• Small metal foot pedals slippery when wet

Overall: The Impreza WRX is a rally car at heart disguised as a sedan. It’s extremely fun to drive and easy on the wallet.

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By Kurt Gensheimer

I stepped up to the rental desk at Norfolk International and asked for a Jeep. Any Jeep, so long as it had four wheel drive. The cheerful rental company representative, who looked like Edie McClurg in Planes, Trains and Automobiles presented me with a choice of three Jeeps: a Compass, a Grand Cherokee or a Wrangler. Now since the business, tax-writeoff justification end of my vacation was to pit a Jeep against my brother’s new Subaru Outback and run them ragged along the endless driveable beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, I needed the most capable Jeep available to really put the Outback through its paces. I slapped my finger down on the miniature picture of the Wrangler.

The representative smiled, handed me the keys and the paperwork. I signed a few documents and was just about on my way when she pulled out a huge red stamp and slammed it down on the rental agreement.

“Oh, you’ll need to sign this too, honey.” I looked at the stamp and all I could think about at that moment was Edie’s famous two word response to Steve Martin’s F-bomb tirade, “You’re f**ked.”

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By Twain Mein

Pros:

• Well integrated electronics
• Quiet and luxurious
• Good handling

Cons:

• Noisy under full throttle
• Hard for shorter drivers to see out
• Limited rear seat room

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SANTA ANA, CA - September 18, 2007 - SRS Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SRSL), a leading provider of surround sound, audio and voice technologies announced today that Subaru has included SRS CS Auto (Circle Surround Auto(tm)) as an optional feature now available on the new 2008 Subaru Impreza.

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TOKYO — Subaru’s Exiga concept for the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show is a new seven-passenger “proposal” that appears to combine design elements from the company’s midsize station wagon and Forester crossover vehicle — and it looks virtually showroom-ready.

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