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Comments
-juice
http://www.japanesecarfans.com/news.cfm/newsid/2050728.002
http://www.subaru.com.au/news/?newsid=12293
Bob
Add Nav and that would be a perfect car for my wife, cost no object. She's back into sedans, and wants an auto this time around.
-juice
Bob
http://www.subaru.ca/
Also shown are the 2.5 i and Outback Sport. The 2.5 i has some nice new wheels. The Outback Sport has chrome grille accents, which is the reason why the grille is constructed in several pieces (which juice didn't care for). It also looks like Subaru has finally removed that tacky looking large "Outback Sport" decal from the rear doors. Thanks you SOC/SOA, as I've hated that styling detail from the very beginning!
Also, in Canada there is no WRX Limited (most of the Limited equipment minus the leather is available, however), WRX TR, and the WRX wagon is not available with an automatic.
Bob
I think what you see here with the Outback Sport, with its chrome grille accents, is something very similar to what Subaru will do with the '08 Legacy and Outback, when they too get this new front end.
Bob
http://japanparts.com/shop/shop.cgi?mode=itemlist&maker=Subaru&type_car=Impreza+WRX+2006&t- - ype_second=Interior+and+Exterior&type_third=Exterior+%2d+others
Different grilles for the '06 Impreza:
European Mesh Grille (AKA OBS grille)
Sporty Mesh Grille
Colored Mesh Grille
Bob
Bob
I was in a store yesterday when someone pulled up in the parking lot in a new Pontiac Solstice. Delaware tags with "D" prefix (dealer?); dark blue metallic paint with black convertible top and interior. I asked the driver if it was a prototype and he replied no, that it was a production car and that they were due in dealerships beginning this week. He addded that the Saturn Sky version would begin to arrive a month later, with prices for both starting "under $20K." IIRC the driver was a GM employee, but I didn't grill him as to exactly what he did.
I got to sit in and run my hands over the Solstice and was impressed with the fit and finish, though I suspect this isn't the best color scheme for the car. He demonstrated lowering the manual top, which stows beneath the combo trunk/deck lid/headrest fairing. Easy enough, but with the top down not even enough cargo room for a carry-on bag. You'd need soft-sided duffles or canoe/kayak drybags that could be molded around the top.
All that said, without actually driving the car it left a favorable impression on me. For GM's sake, in particular the folks working in the Wilmington plant, I hope it's a hit.
Ed
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/impreza/impreza2006photos.html
Bob
4 days with a good NAV system with voice commands and I'm convinced of its usefullness, particularly for my wife, who visits clients and often follows faulty MapQuest directions. Plus it could be our trip car. She naps so she's not much of a co-pilot. I can't fuss with paper maps while I drive, so I try to memorize the trip, which is tough.
Brand-new Subies with NAV are pricey, a GT limited with Nav is close enough to a Tribeca that we would just get that, but neither is in our price range. We want to spend *zero*, i.e. trade even for 2002 Legacy.
We might trade used for used, 00-04 for the universal double-DIN space in the dash. Automatic tranny too, this time around, on this car.
-juice
Interesting in that the base Euro-Imprezas will be badged 2.0R (using an "R" like the 3.0 models), and not 2.0i, as here in the USA.
Bob
No mention of Spec B. That model is due out in October, so I guess closer to that release date we will see a PR on it.
Bob
Also, it makes more power (175 vs 173) and torque (169 vs 166) than the 2.5l in the Forester and Impreza.
Since the Baja is unique, that means they are making 3 different states of tune for the EJ255 engine! That seems silly.
-juice
-juice
~alpha
http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewp- - - ressreldetail.do?domain=502&docid=17195
This is sort of a surprise,as I didn't think the Aero (turbo) would return. The only real advantage that the Aero has over the WRX Limited is the availabilty of optional HIDs.
Bob
Ken
I heard prices are higher for the '06 but I'm not sure by how much.
alpha01: I'm not sure if Subaru is using the new SAE methodology, someone said there weren't (yet).
-juice
Have you seen GM's "I Promise" commercial. It's kinda entertaining.
WRX offers the rest of that stuff. OK, the 9-2x arguably looks better, I'll give you that.
What are the employee prices on the 06s? It went from $17.4k when it was the true employee-only price, to $19.4k, to what now? I'm curious.
-juice
Here's a translated version of the above Japanese site:
Fuji Heavy Industries has developed its next generation electric car utilizing high efficiency lithium-ion batteries. The cost to drive run one will be minizmized to one-eighth of that of a gasoline powered "K" car.
Within this year FHI will commence practical use tests on public roads, and aims at 2009 for commercialization of the electric car.
Though Fuji Heavy Industries lagged behind in the development of technologies using both engine and motor, such as hybrid and fuel cell cars, it plots a rally with its next generation electric car.
The electric car FHI has developed is a "K" car - the "Subaru R1" - combining it with a high efficiency lithium-ion battery and driving motor developed by a joint investment company held with NEC - NEC Lamilion Energy.
Since the electric car does not use gasoline, its CO2 emissions are less than half of a gasoline powered car. Set in nighttime electric power mode, it is said that running costs of the electric car will be one-eighth of a gasoline powered car and one-fifth of a hybrid car.
Up to now, electric vehicles have had a negative image associated with limited driving range on one charge, high maintenance costs, and the necessity to replace the battery once every two years. The new FHI electric car has a maximum driving range of 200 km on one charge, the battery does not need replacement for ten years, and maintenance costs are inexpensive.
Bob
Bob
Sounds like a promising design, however I believe you are correct that the US will probably not see this. The range has to be increased as well - approx 132 miles per charge won't get you very far. Although it does make it a good commuter car.
Mark
What if the gas engine was only used to recharge the battery, and the only power source for the vehicle was the electric motor? I would think if that were the case, that the gas engine could be much smaller. My guess is the gas engine could be the size of those used in electric generators, or maybe a bit larger; but I doubt you would need a 4 or 6 cylinder engine. I would think 500cc – 1000cc gas engine would be more than sufficient just to recharge the battery of an electric engine. That being the case, gas mileage would be a whole lot better than it is now with hybrids.
Bob
Mark
Also, wonder what they mean by "Set in nighttime electric power mode", is that with the A/C off and no radio in no traffic? It just doesn't mean much.
I mean, my gas engine gets 100 mpg going down hill with the A/C off. So what?
Tell me how it will do in rush-hour traffice with the A/C and radio cranked.
-juice
Electric drive overall efficiency = 91% motor x 75% pump = 68% overall
Diesel drive overall efficiency = 37% engine x 75% pump = 27.8% overall
Diesel generator x electric drive: 37% engine x 95% generator x 91% motor x 75% pump = 24% overall.
The reasons hybrids work better overall, is because the different power units engage at their most efficient contribution, and there is regenerative power on braking and shutdown while idling.
If you just only continually power a generator, you lose efficiency by putting in the generator and electric motor inefficiencies of about 86 percent of what the engine shaft horsepower has available.
It still might come close to the engine direct though, if there is regenerative power and engine shut down (which would tend to recover some of the wasted fuel incurred by an engine only unit).
Sense?
John
Those who commute more than 130 miles a day must be a VERY small minority. This type of car would work as a commuter for nearly everyone... you'd just need a trip car to go along with it (like a nice Tribeca!). Many people don't even take many long drives... renting a vehicle for the dozen or so times a year those people would drive farther would be even more economical than owning a trip car in addition to an electric commuter.
As a country, we need to wake up and realize that this type of vehicle would meet nearly all of our everyday driving needs. *stepping off soapbox now* Whether it would meet nearly all of our everyday driving wants is another story.
p.s. I still want one!
Bob
"I'm about as far away as you can possibly get from being an engineer."
Does that mean you're the caboose? Sorry, couldn't help myself.
Bob
John
We need designers like you Bob, we would get it all goofy if left to ourselves.
John
the combustion engine, or hybrid combustion and electric, is well suited to the way a car is actually used.
~Colin
I had forgotten how similar the R1 looks to Tribeca... the same, only smaller (and a little sportier)! Grill, tail lights, rear window shape, overall profile, all virtually the same.I still can't believe how sharp it looks (not so much with the R2, though). Rear wheels sticking out the back are hard to get used to, but everything else... WOW!
I wonder if these could be imported on an individual basis, and how much that would cost. I'll take a Tribeca & R1e in matching colors with license plates reading DREVIL & MINIME.
Bob
I would actually consider a tiny car like that if it were fun and especially if it had a folding top or at least a large moonroof of some sort.
-juice
I understand Colin's point about the savings being equal to the price of a good dinner out, but there's more to it than that. Besides the roughly $.20/gal gap between 87 & 91 octane, there's the overall rise in fuel cost over the past few years (not just the recent rapid rise in cost). When you take that into account, it's not just the price of a night out on the town, but for some (many?), it could the difference between cutting back on some weekly groceries. The fact is people's income has not risen in proportion to the steep rise in fuel costs.
So, are people who were considering a Legacy GT, which requires premium, now considering a Legacy 2.5i, or 2.5i SE which run on regular? I'm wondering if SOA has noticed a shift in buying patterns over this past year, as the cost of fuel rises?
Bob
Of course, some are options...
Official prices for the '06's haven't been out yet but you're around that price range for the new models.