2011 Subaru Forester gets web debut

Subaru has released official details on what we will be seeing in the 2011 Forester. The company hadpreviously announced that the new 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine will find its way under the CUV’s hood, as will the same turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder found in the current XT. Speaking of the XT, Subaru will now offer the range-topping Forester in XT Premium and XT Touring guises, with Touring trim replacing Limited as the top of the line. That brings along goodies like self-adjusting HID headlights, dual-zone climate control and a backup camera.

Meanwhile, Subaru has packed in a few more goodies on nearly every trim level. Bluetooth hands-free calling and a one-touch up/down driver’s window comes standard on every Forester with the exception of the very base model. In addition, it looks like both the 2.5X Premium and 2.5XT Premium will boast a new audio system complete with six speakers, USB and AUX inputs, as well as iPod and Satellite radio capability. Hit the jump for the full list of changes.

Subaru bringing handful of WRXs to SEMA

At this year’s SEMA show, Subaru will be showing off its latest crop of Genuine and Performance Tuning parts, as well as the newly refreshed 2011 Impreza WRX and WRX STI. Six show cars will be on display, including Tommi Makinen’s record-breaking WRX STI that lapped the Nürburgring in just 7:55:00 (pictured).

In addition to Makinen’s STI, Travis Pastrana’s New Year’s Eve jump car will be showcased, as well as some Imprezas tuned by the folks at Get More Gs, Kicker Audio and K&N Performance. Subaru’s national accessory manager, Charlie Fishman, says that the automaker “is having a record year for Subaru Genuine Parts and SPT accessory sales,” thanks in part to the introduction of the new WRX and WRX STI. For the full details, follow the jump for Subaru’s press blast.

Subaru Impreza Design Concept has us hating on current model

We’ve often found ourselves in the apologist camp when it came to the latest design of the current Subaru Impreza. The company has a long and storied history of producing vehicles with faces only a mother could love, so we just assumed that the squinty visage of the latest model was just an homage to homely rides of the past. Well, you can go ahead and forget all that. Subaru just dropped details on its new Impreza Design Concept, and the car is the kind of beautiful worth writing home about.

The design retains the mammoth wheel arches of the current Impreza, but blends in more subdued Legacystyling for a much more mature, handsome face. The fascia is dominated by two aggressive air intakes that are large enough to swallow small livestock. Those holes are framed by the new trapezoidal grille and furrowed headlamps. Interestingly enough, the fins that spread across the air inlets are actually functional fog lights.

Under the hood, the design study makes use of the company’s new 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine bolted to a CVT gearbox. Subaru, if you’re listening, build this sucker. Hit the jump to check out the full press release, and stay tuned for more as the details unfold live at the LA Auto Show.

Subaru Impreza Concept caught in living color

One of the biggest surprises (so far…) of the 2010 LA Auto Show has to be the Subaru Impreza Design Concept that snuck up on us just a few hours ago. Some thought it might be the long-awaited Subota coupe(a close cousin of the Toyobaru, of course), but in reality what we have here is a conceptual sedan that the Japanese automaker claims will heavily influence future models… namely the Impreza, we’d wager.

Yes, there’s a working 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine bolted to a CVT gearbox behind that shapely new front grille and its massive side vents, but it’s the styling we’re really intrigued by. To that end, be sure to take a good, hard look at the live shots in our high-res gallery below. If you need all the details,follow the jump for the press release.

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX

One point three inches. How much difference can it make? That depends on what you’re measuring. If you’re comparing the 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX to the 2011, that small measurement makes all the difference in the world.

If you’re a Subie fan, you’ve already read our First Drive. The headline news for the 2010-to-2011 changeover is that the WRX gained the STI model’s widebody fenders and 1.3-inch wider track. Wanting to know whether the growth in girth made any difference to the affable and relatively affordable WRX, we decided to spend some quality time in the example you see here.

We learned plenty. Many things work well for the practical enthusiast. Others, not so much.