Auto Blitz: Subaru Concepts

Showing posts with label Subaru Concepts. Show all posts

Sydney Show Subaru Forester S-Edition Study Hints at Sportier Production Model

At the 2010 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, Subaru unveiled the Forester S-Edition, a concept study that points to a new Forester variant for 2011. Built on the existing turbocharged Forester XT, the S-Edition produces an additional 32 hp and 20 lb ft (24 kw and 27 Nm) over the Australian market XT's 227 hp and 236 lb ft (169 kw and 320 Nm) lifting the 2.5-liter boxer engine's output to 259-horsepower.

Looking at Subaru's relatively boring lineup (barring the STI, and to a lesser extent, the WRX), it's refreshing to find people interested in bringing some new ideas to the brand. In the case of the Celeno, that person is budding car designer Xuacu Pérez Quesada.

Mr. Quesada interned for Italdesign and received an M.A. in Transportation Design from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; he is obviously not a person playing around on the computer with a bong and some photoshop skills (to those people out there: feel free to keep sending stuff in, we don't mind).

The Subaru Celeno is Quesada's interpretation of a small Subaru with some BMW Visions EfficientDynamics thrown in. It's a sleek four-door coupe seen down the hypothetical line created by Subaru's own Hybrid Tourer.

For as long as we can remember, Subaru fans have been hoping and praying for a sports coupe from the Japanese maker. And from what we know up until now, they will get their wish when Subaru unveils its own version of the Toyota FT-86. But until then, here's a different conceptual study for a hardcore Subaru coupe from Italian design firm, Beestudio.

The idea behind the Subaru Impreza Berlinetta was to create a high-performance two-seater sports car using the Impreza STI as base, but with a twist; the sedan's platform would be turned around, meaning that the turbocharged boxer engine on the Berlinetta would reside at the rear-end of the car.

In the digital world of photoshop, the only limit is the imagination and talent of the person using the graphics editing program. This piece of work was created by the chaps over at Digimods and it shows a proposal for a three-door version of the latest Subaru Impreza WRX fitted with a rear-mounted engine. A wide bodykit with bulging fenders, new alloy wheels and a bevy of air scoops including one on the roof that supplies air to the engine complete the mods.

Source: Digimods , Via: Zerothundred

Tokyo '09: Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept 2.0 Turbo in the Flesh

We won't take the rumors about the Hybrid Tourer Concept spawning a spiritual successor to the SVX for granted, but we will say that the gullwing-door prototype may hint at the design language of future Subaru models. Beneath the skin, the all-wheel-drive Hybrid Tourer concept uses a direct-injection 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine mated to a continuously variable transmission. This is combined with a pair of electric motors, one for each axle and a high-performance lithium battery.

Depending on the driving situation, the four-seater Hybrid Tourer can be moved by the 27HP electric motor at the rear, the boxer engine or a combination of the gasoline and electric motors.

Inside, the Subaru model gets four individual seats and flat floor along with the usual futuristic and far-from production dashboard design that is common on concept cars of this sort.

Rumor of the Day: Subaru's Hybrid Tourer Concept said to Preview SVX Successor

While some media outlets are questioning the viability of Subaru's own version of the FT-86 RWD Coupe that has been co-developed with Toyota due to the lack of cash, other magazines are claiming that, in addition to that car, the Japanese automaker is also planning to introduce a high-end coupe model. But hold on; doesn't that contradict the first report/s about the uncertainty of Subaru's FT-86 coupe? It sure does, so it's up to you to decide which of the two stories has more truth in it...

But anyhow. If you insist on learning the details, the second report comes courtesy of UK magazine Autoexpress which claims the range-topping Subaru coupe will be based on the Tokyo Show-bound Hybrid Tourer Concept (see photos and details here) and will serve as a spiritual successor to the long-gone, SVX.

The latter was a futuristic-looking four-seater GT designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign. The mid-size coupe, which was powered by a 3.3-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine, was introduced onto the market in 1991 and remained in production until 1997.

Via: Autoexpress

Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept with 2.0-liter DI Turbo Engine and Two Electric Motors [PHOTO UPDATE]

*Story Updated with 18 New Photos

Bypassing the Hybrid Tourer Concept's rear end that is remarkably similar in design to the Alfa Romeo Brera (...), Subaru's latest prototype model will be displayed to the public for the first time at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show in late October. The gullwing-door model features Subaru's first hybrid drivetrain that combines a 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed direct fuel-injection turbo gasoline engine and the firm's trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system with an electric motor at each axle and a high-performance lithium battery.

Power is primarily provided by the boxer engine that is linked to a new generation Lineatronic CVT (continuously variable transmission). According to Subaru, at start-up and extremely low speeds, the 20kW / 27HP rear electric motor can move the vehicle on its own while during acceleration, it kicks in to give an additional power boost to the gasoline engine.

As for the 10kW / 13HP electric motor located on the front axle, Subaru said that it is normally used as a power generator to recharge the lithium-ion battery while it also provides additional power for hill climbing.

Another special feature of the four-seater Hybrid Tourer Concept is the EyeSight + (yes, that stands for 'Plus'), a new driving assist system that utilizes "stereo camera technology" to detect any obstacles in the vehicle's path and advise the driver on appropriate driving maneuvers.

Specifications