Well, at least you’ll look good in this Subaru while wearing a neckerchief…

Some things just shouldn’t be “customized” on a Subaru… especially on aWRX / STi. While this car should be filed under “I was watching Jimmy Kimmel Live while heavily influenced by a controlled substance” I can’t say that it’s not ‘unique’. As I tore my eyeballs out of my socket and started a diatribe / inner monologue about how this is just wrong, it resembles a horrible train wreck with scattered body parts laid upon its surroundings.

I never drove around my own Subaru thinking “You know what my Subie needs? A drop top on this fly-ass whip.” Mind you, this is a BRAND NEW STi. Meaning that this car is already $35,000 out the door.

But, do not fret! If you ever find yourself on some drugs or have been severely beaten with a blunt object and the part of your brain that gives you common sense has been damaged, you can have this gem of a Subaru for $90,000.00. What a bargain!

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Subaru and Toyota Collab continues with the Subaru Trezia

We’re seeing more of these Toyoabarururu (I have no idea what to call these) more and more and the latest child of the collaboration is the Subaru Trezia.

This little compact is very similar to the Honda Fit and is based off of the current Toyota Verso (Or the Ractis) and won’t be powered by the traditional boxer format that the USDM side of Subarus are being powered. Here’s what Autoblog had to report on the power plants:

In Japan, the Trezia is powered by a choice of 1.3-liter and 1.5-liter inline-four cylinder gasoline engines mated to a CVT, but in Europe the 1.5 will be replaced with a 1.4-liter diesel. In Japan, the Trezia can be had with all-wheel-drive provided car buyers check off the box for the more powerful engine, which will likely be the turbodiesel in Europe.

So the question remains, will the North American market embrace this model coming stateside? In our humble opinion no since the formula that Subaru already has seems to be working in their favor. Only time will tell.

Rumor Mill: The Mystery 86 Boxer Logo Floating Around…

This may be one of two things, a leaked logo of the new Toyobaru “FT-86” or just a clever viral marketing by Toyota. Either way, this brings a lot into the light for the up coming Toyota / Subaru coupe.

Has a bit of the Super Hero look to it which I dig (BoxerMan? 86Boy? 86BoxerAvenger?). If we get more info on this, you’ll find it on Subie-life.com!

Breaking News: New Impreza Concept at LA Autoshow

LA Autoshow will debut the new Impreza concept car with the slogan “Confidence in Motion” featuring more of an aerodynamic look and less bulgy look of the previous  models. It will be powered by a 2.0 Boxer motor and with an optional 2.5 Boxer motor from the Forester. The WRX / STi versions are not yet available.

Read more about it on Autoweek!

Source: Autoweek

Meet the Chewbaru… *sigh*

Well here’s Rex Rosenberg. He’s the owner of this 1995 Subaru Legacy that is covered with over 70lbs. of dentures and partials. Now as much as we here at Subie-Life.com love our Subies, this is just weird.

First, where did he get all these dentures? The local authorities may want to check the local cemetery to see if there are any freshly uncovered graves. Well, if you want to read more about Rex’s “Chewbaru” (With a name like that, you’d expect Chewbacca to be driving it) then visit the link HERE.

Subaru powered flying car gets the okay from the FAA!

Well, I-Tek Maverick may be the first official vehicle to get the blessing of the FAA to become the first flying car! To top it off, it’s Subaru Powered!

The good guys from Jalopnik filled us in:

The I-Tec Maverick, a roadworthy dune buggy powered by a Subaru engine, has won the first certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for a flying car. Its first mission: Saving the Third World.

Steve Saint runs i-Tec, which stands for “indigenous people’s technology and education center.” A Christian missionary, Saint started the firm to solve technological problems for remote tribes of Central and South America, and spent six years working on the Maverick.

With a 170-hp, 2.4 liter Subaru four-cylinder built into a canvas-covered frame, the Maverick can run up to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. But its real trick comes when it deploys a cloth wing on a 22-foot mast and takes flight. After years of testing, the FAA in September certified the Maverick as a “powered parachute.” That’s different than the Terrafugia and similar vehicles which are classified as roadworthy planes.

Saint says since the Maverick needs just 100 yards to take off, it could help missionary pilots and jungle tribes become self-sufficient without having to abandon their way of life. His current estimated price for a production Maverick is $80,000, but hopes that sales to recreational pilots drive down the cost.

Not only is it Subaru powered, but it’s for a good cause! Way to go!

Source: Jalopnik

 

New photos of the FT-86 / Toyabaru Test Mule!

Seems like it’s Test Mule Friday today as we have new photos of the Toyabaru Test Mule!

As you can see in the pictures, seems like this Test Mule will retain the “Subaru Scoop” so we’re hoping that it retains the current 2.5 Turbo power plant for the Top Mount Intercooler.

The rest of the exterior is pretty much the same but it won’t tell us much about the final production vehicle due to the fact that it’s a test mule.

Here’s the part that got me giggling like a little girl, interior shots. Although the exterior look very familiar to the current Impreza, the interior looks nothing like a current Subaru. The chassis is based off the Legacy, the interior has odd cues like the top mounted air conditioner vents and the side panels. Also the gauge cluster is different from the Legacy or Impreza so this is pretty much a new interior.

So, are we excited for this? You’re darn right we are. We look forward to the progress of the Toyabaru as it becomes closer to production! A new coupe from Subaru and it’s taken them over 10 years!

When a Prius met a Subaru Baja… you get this…

So once in a while you’ll see cars that make you go “that’s cool” but I’m not too sure on this. This owner of a Toyota Prius decided to merge the not-s0-popular Subaru Baja.

The owner of this Pruck (I was going to use another word using the first 3 letters of PRIus and the other half of truck, but it wouldn’t be too appropriate)  basically customized his Prius with an assortment of electrical upgrades and such. It’s not all aesthetics. With the upgrades he gets roughly around 90mpg when he’s in all electronics mode.

Read on in this article from Autoblog:

Is that a Priamino up there? A Priuja? A prickup? Nope, it’s something dubbed the Pruck, a Prius truck, by its builder, Steve Woodruff. Naturally, the very first question one must ask in this situation is, “what kind of gas mileage does it get?” The answer, according to the website dedicated to showing off the Prius/SubaruBaja, um, hybrid, is, “40.8 mpg easily before a PHEV conversion.” We asked Woodruff what that meant, exactly, and he told AutoblogGreen that, when used in blended mode, the ICE will assist the electric powertrain to get close to 89 miles per gallon. Without the electric assist, and when using premium fuel, the Pruck gets 43 mpg, Woodruff said. Over the past 743 miles that Woodruff has been driving the Pruck, it’s gotten 39.4 mpg. So, it isn’t as efficient at the 2006 Prius that originally made up the front half, but it does gain a lot of utility from the Baja bed. Nothing wrong with that, right?

So, what’s in that powertrain? Woodruff said it uses a 10 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFeP04) pack fromPlug-in Supply that is being loaned to him, “until I install a pack of my own design.” Perhaps because he’s worried about faults with the forthcoming DIY pack, the plug-in hybrid electric system has an off switch. Right now, the pack will push the Pruck along for around 40 miles of electric-only driving at low speeds and, at 52 miles per hour, Woodruff said, it’ll go 15 miles.

Woodruff said when he’s cruising down the street in his unique PHEV, ” most teenagers really like it and say it is cool,” and that “the delivery people all want it to save money.” On weekly gas charges, maybe, but Woodruff spent $8,500 just on the Pruck’s electronics. Then there was the conversion work and Woodruff said, “I spent a few days carefully installing the Prius battery cooling fan and ductwork inside the extended quarter panel of the Pruck.” You can see pictures of the building/conversion process in the gallery below. Be careful, though, it ain’t pretty. Looking through said gallery, astute readers will notice two gas doors. One remains where the gasoline goes while the other hides a charging port. Woodruff said the battery takes around four to six hours to charge.

Finally, one last question, because maybe, just maybe, some of you are wondering why someone would build a vehicle like this. Woodruff’s answer is simple: He built the Pruck for himself after the Convertable Prius, which he enjoyed driving, was sold and because, “I needed extra room behind the seat for my 10kw/h battery pack.” As for the aesthetics of the thing, Woodruff couldn’t care less about what you think. As he toldJalopnik, “I built it for myself, and I’m the only one I have to please.”

Read more on Autoblog’s article with additional photos!!!!

Autoblog spots the Toyobaru 2 Dr. Test Mule in Death Valley

So, a couple of months ago, Toyota announced that they’ve pushed back the development on the “FT86” or the “Toyobaru”  2 Door Flat 4 sports car but seems like Subaru is moving right ahead with their test mule spotted in Death Valley. Test Mules are generally put together to test out engineering and don’t really follow the exterior design traits found in actual production cars.

Call it a bastard child between an STi and a Scion tC but it’s a good sign that Subaru is going back to making coupes again! Check out what Autoblog had to say about this Test Mule:

We’ve read many reports lately having to do with Toyota‘s FT-86 rear-wheel drive sports coupe, but we mustn’t forget that Subaru will be getting its own version of this new two-door – it is a joint venture, after all. Our spies have captured this obviously Subaru-bodied mule out testing in Death Valley, showing that things are still on track for the “Toyobaru” to come to market in the near future.

Details are still very slim on what Subaru’s version of the FT-86 will offer, and contrary to the brand’s image, the new coupe may not be available with all-wheel drive. If that’s the case, Subaru will have to offer a lot more in the way of styling (and perhaps power) to differentiate it from its Toyota sister. This latest prototype has sprouted a hood scoop not seen on earlier test cars, suggesting that a top-mount intercooler could be underhood, though it’s also possible that this is just the result of some WRX/STI parts being used for camouflage purposes.

Toyota is expected to launch its version of the FT-86 in November of 2011, so keep your fingers crossed for Subaru’s version to drop around the same time. For now, see a glimpse of what’s to come in our high-res gallery of spy shots below.

Check out more photos on the Autoblog post!

Video: Blowing up a Subaru Justy with a bang.

Subaru Justy… you don’t see them around that much but when this owner had his fun with one, he decided to send it out with some explosives. I really don’t see this as Subaru Love but it’s better than seeing it being pancaked at a junkyard. Also, I don’t suggest anyone do this to their car.