Subaru has a very loyal, but somewhat small following in the US. Subaru's are constantly known for their great engineering (all-wheel-drive, boxer engines), but styling has always been something simply described as "quirky." In the past few years Subaru has been one of the few brands to actually remain strong and to actually gain more market share in the harsh economic climate. But now Subaru has decided that it wants to broaden its appeal.

Osamu Namba, the newly hired manager from a small independent styling studio, stated, "We want to broaden the appeal to make it accessible to more than a small, loyal crowd. We need to add a more contemporary element."

Although Subaru styling as always been behind Subaru's engineering, sales have actually increased with sales up 35 percent through June this year. This will most likely be Subaru's second straight year of record sales. But Subaru hopes to do even better with models that are more eye-catching.

Namba's goals are to keep Subaru's utilitarian spirit, but to add a stronger overall presence with a more pronounced front fascia, more defined bumpers and a stronger side accent line.

"We have to show the function through design with simple, clean lines," says Namba, who counts the compact, no-frills Renault 5--remembered in the United States as American Motors' Le Car--among his all-time favorite rides. "I want a very simple design that exhibits strength."

Subaru has unveiled the 2011 Impreza WRX STI, which brings back the four-door version of the WRX STI after being gone for three years. Along with bringing back the sedan version, Subaru has also outfitted the WRX STI sedan with a huge rear wing, that is reminiscent of the wing on the last sedan.

"The continuous evolution and development of the WRX STI is driven by the strong, loyal and vocal support from thousands of enthusiastic owners of this exciting high-performance vehicle," said Tom Doll, executive vice president and COO of Subaru of America, Inc. "The 2011 4-door WRX STI will expand the appeal of this iconic performance model to a wider range of driving enthusiasts."

The WRX STI is still available in the five-door version as well. For 2011 The WRX STI gets a revised suspension with a lower ride height, higher spring rates and thicker front and rear stabilizer bars. The new standard 18-inch alloy wheels weigh 17.6 lbs less than the previous standard wheels. The power ratings of 305-hp and 290 lb-ft of torque remain unchanged.

It looks like the wing is back! Subaru has released a teaser photo of the 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI that is going to be unveiled at the New York Auto Show this week. Currently the WRX STI is only available in the five-door body style, but for 2011 the sedan version returns...

Stay tuned for more info this week.

Subaru has decided to give the popular Impreza WRX models a similar wide-body design like that of the WRX STI for the 2011 model year. The new wide-body design gives the WRX a 1.5-inch increase in front and rear track.

In addition to the new wider track, the 2011 WRX gets firmer rear subframe bushings and wider 17-inch wheels.

"The new wide-body designs mark another major step on the continuous evolution of the WRX to give driving enthusiasts an even more compelling all-wheel drive performance package," said Tom Doll, executive vice president and COO of Subaru of America, Inc.

The 2011 WRX models are powered by a 265-hp turbocharged 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that is mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

As we sit here and wait patiently for Subaru to unveil its version of the rear-wheel-drive coupe, that is a result of the collaboration with Toyota, more speculation continues to surface about what we might see. Toyota already unveiled a concept version of its coupe codenamed FT-86, the Subaru version has been codenamed 086A and will supposedly bigger and badder than its twin.

Well the latest reports are claiming that Subaru's coupe will be all-wheel-drive instead of the rear-wheel-drive setup of the Toyota version. The base engine will be a turbocharged 2.0L with 250 horsepower and the STI version will put out 308 horsepower. The Subaru coupe is also going to be bigger than its Toyota twin. Lastly more power, all-wheel-drive and bigger exterior dimensions also means that the Subaru version will be priced higher than the Toyota.

Motor Trend has announced the recipient of this year's 2010 Sport Utility of the Year Award and for the second year in a row it goes to a Subaru. The 2010 Subaru Outback has been named the SUV of the Year.

MOTOR TREND editor-in-chief, Angus MacKenzie, said, "The 2010 Subaru Outback offers a unique combination of comfort, efficiency, versatility and value. It boasts car-like refinement, drivability and gas mileage on the road, yet is as capable in the rough stuff as all but the most off-road focused sport utilities. Thoughtfully engineered, cleverly detailed and competitively priced, the Subaru Outback is a terrific all-rounder with broad appeal."

The Outback beat out the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Toyota 4Runner and others to take this year's award. Last year the Subaru Forester took home the award.

Motor Trend has announced the list of SUV contenders for its "SUV of the Year" award.

Of course this award is great to whomever wins, due to all of the bragging rights that come along with it. It's usually heavily used in every ad campaign. Last year the Subaru Forester took home the award.

Which SUV do you think should win this year's award?

Subaru has given the details of what we can expect to see in Tokyo next month, but unfortunately we will not see a concept version of its version of the FT-86 coupe that it is working on with Toyota. For now we have to make due with the numerous sketches and spy photos.

More details continue to surface about Subaru's version (086A) and now we have more details of what might be in store for the STI version. According Japanese publication Holiday Auto, the regular Subaru 086A will be very close to Toyota's version, although it will have subtle styling tweaks, but will be powered by the same 2.0L flat-four boxer engine. The STI version gets more exciting by using the 2.5L flat-four with between 240-250 horsepower. The STI version would also get more styling tweaks to make room for a wider track and wheels. The addition of STi only aero parts lke a unique front bumper and rear spoiler are also expected.

Who remembers the Subaru SVX from the 90's? The SVX was produced from 1991 to 1997 and was Subaru's first attempt at making GT Coupe. Although the SVX failed to meet expectations, Subaru is reportedly working on a successor.

According to the latest reports, Subaru is working on a new coupe that will be based on the same platform as the Hybrid Tourer Concept that is going to be unveiled next week in Tokyo. The car would be powered by a turbocharged 2.5L boxer engine, although a hybrid powerplant is also a possibility. The SVX successor would target high-end performance models.

The SVX is in addition to the FT-86 coupe that Subaru is working on with Toyota.

Subaru has released more photos of the Hybrid Tourer Concept that is set to debut in Tokyo.

The gullwing Hybrid Tourer Concept is a four-passenger concept that is Subaru's first attempt at a hybrid vehicle. The concept is powered by two electric motors that get their juice from a lithium-ion battery pack and a 2.0L boxer engine with direct-injection.

Toyota unveiled a concept version of its upcoming rear-wheel-drive sports coupe, the FT-86 concept a few days ago. The coupe is the result of a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru, so we've all been waiting to see what the Subaru version is going to look like.

Autocar has posted a few sketches of what Subaru's version of the coupe may look like. Although the final design is far from finalized. There are supposedly a few hurdles within Subaru that need to be addressed first. Such as the fact that Subaru has built its brand upon the existence of all-wheel-drive in all of its vehicles. Subaru has never built a small rear-wheel-drive coupe. Subaru may rework the car to feature all-wheel-drive, but it may add weight. Subaru is also having issues sharing its technology with Toyota.

Subaru is supplying the 2.0L boxer engine and the basic platform for both cars. Also both cars are set to be produced at Subaru's facility in Japan.

Toyota is set to unveil it's version of the coupe, but it's not known when Subaru will.

We've been hearing for a while that Toyota and Subaru have been working on a new rear-wheel-drive coupe together. Well here is our first look at the concept that is going to be unveiled this month in Tokyo.

The concept is inspired by the Corolla-based AE86 sports coupe of the 1980's and was designed in France. It is powered by a 2.0L boxer engine from Subaru that sends the power to the rear wheels.

The production version is expected to be unveiled sometime next year with sales starting at the end of 2011. The expected starting price is around $20,000.

Subaru is going to unveil the Impreza WRX STI Carbon at the Tokyo Motor Show next month, but some of the details of the car make you wonder...why? The WRX STI is supposed to be the halo performance car for the Impreza brand, so when Subaru decides to put a carbon fiber roof on this edition, we say..great! It will lower the total weight and center of gravity, which means better performance. But wait... Now for some reason Subaru has decided to add a 5-speed automatic to this version...why?? An automatic? Really?? That makes no sense at all! Also who really cares about suede seats?

Subaru will be showing off the Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show next month.

The gullwing Hybrid Tourer Concept is a four-passenger concept that Subaru describes as "a new proposal for the future of [the] grand touring car."

The Hybrid Tourer Concept is powered by a horizontally opposed 2.0L direct injection turbocharged four cylinder mated to a hybrid motor system with lithium-ion batteries. The hybrid system is a two-motor system with a motor in the front and rear of the car. During normal driving the front motor is primarily used, but at start up and extremely low speeds the rear motor is mainly used.

Subaru of course didn't give any details if this concept will ever see production.

There have been so many rumors about Toyota/ Subaru's upcoming RWD coupes. The latest reports are claiming that the 086A coupe is going to get a significant power drop to make it more economical with lower emissions and to be be branded as an "eco car" in Japan.

The 2.0L boxer four-cylinder is now expected to put out around 160 hp, which is 40 less than earlier reports. Even though the engine's power is being downgraded, Toyota and Subaru have managed to cut the vehicle's weight, boosting the power-to-weight ratio. Subaru no longer sells the 2.0L boxer engine in any of its US-spec models, so hopefully the US-spec 086A will also be powered by the 2.5L instead of the de-powered 2.0L.

The coupe is expected to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show this fall, but these latest reports now make it seem like the "green" movement has stepped in and the overall buyer demographic is now going to be older than originally planned. Toyota and Subaru have reportedly revised their marketing plans to target the 30-50 year old target market. Many people in this age range will probably remember the old AE86 Corolla.

The production version is expected to be released by the end of 2011.

Subaru has unveiled the Impreza WRX STI spec C, which is lighter and more powerful than the other Impreza models. Unfortunately it is only going to be sold in Japan.

Thanks to a reprogrammed ECU, 2.0L four-cyl now puts out 304 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. Subaru lightened the car by giving it an aluminum hood, smaller battery, and new lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels. Laminar glass is also used in the front and side windows. Engineers also retuned the suspension and reinforced the chassis. A mechanical type rear limited slip differential was also added.

Subaru is only going to produce 900 units, which will only be available in Japan.

Subaru has released the fuel economy figures for the all-new 2010 Outback and even with standard AWD the wagon manages to get 29 mpg on the highway.

The Outback 2.5i CVT with its 170-hp 2.5L engine that is mated to the new Lineartronic CVT gets a combined 24 mpg and 29 mpg on the highway, which is better than many of its competitors, including the Toyota Venza and VW Passat.

Subaru has announced the pricing for the 2010 Subaru Outback.

The 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i starts at $22,995, which is the same price as the outgoing model plus destination charges.

Just like the equally new Legacy, the new Outback is roomier with seven percent more interior volume. Rear legroom increases almost four inches and total cargo capacity is now 71.3 cubic feet, which is an increase of six cubic feet.

The Outback 2.5i is powered by a 170-hp 2.5L boxer engine that is mated to either a six-speed manual or a CVT. The Outback 2.5i equipped with the CVT starts at $23,995.

The 2010 Outback 3.6R replaces the Outback 3.0R model and features a 256-hp 3.6L boxer engine that is mated to either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. The Outback 3.6R starts at $27,995, which is $4,000 cheaper than the old 3.0R.

Subaru has announced the pricing for the all-new 2010 Subaru Legacy.

The 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5i equipped with the 6-speed manual starts at $19,995 plus a destination charge of $695, which according to Subaru is $800 less than the last year's model.

The new Legacy is larger than the outgoing model with a longer wheelbase that adds an extra four inches of rear seat legroom.

The Legacy 2.5GT that is powered by a 265-hp turbocharged engine starts at 28,690 (including dest.) For those that would rather have six-cylinders under the hood, the 265-hp Legacy 3.6R starts at $25,690, which is a $1,600 reduction over the 09' model.

Following the unveiling of the all-new 2010 Subaru Legacy, Subaru has also taken the wraps off the equally new 2010 Subaru Outback.

The all-new Outback gets pretty much the same changes as the Legacy, which means a larger exterior that is 2 inches wider with a 2.8 inch longer wheelbase. Interior volume is up 8 cubic feet and there is almost an extra 4 inches of rear legroom.

The new Outback is available with either a 170-hp 2.5L 4-cyl that can be mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or Subaru's Lineartronic CVT or a new 256-hp 3.6L 6-cyl that is mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Subaru has unveiled the all-new 2010 Legacy that will have its official unveiling at the New York Auto Show next week.

The all-new Legacy encompasses styling of the outgoing model combined with the concept that was shown in Detroit. The 2010 Legacy grows an inch longer, 3.5 inches wider and 3 inches taller to make it more competitive with other midsize sedans.

The 2010 Legacy has three engine choices: 170 hp, normally aspirated 2.5L 4-cyl; 265 hp, turbocharged 2.5L 4-cyl (up 22 hp); 256 hp, 3.6L 6-cyl. There are also three transmission options: a six-speed manual, five-speed automatic and a new CVT.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has launched a new roof strength rating system and has chosen to put 12 small SUVs up to the test.

More than 10,000 people are killed a year in rollovers and SUVs rank higher compared to cars and minivans.

In the Institute's roof strength test, a metal plate is pushed against 1 side of a roof at a constant speed. To earn a good rating, the roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle's weight before reaching 5 inches of crush. This is called a strength-to-weight ratio. For an acceptable rating, the minimum required strength-to-weight ratio is 3.25. A marginal rating value is 2.5. Anything lower than that is poor.

Only 4 of the small SUVs earned the top rating of good: VW Tiguan, Subaru Forester, Honda Element and Jeep Patriot. the VW Tiguan had the strongest roof out of all the SUVs tested. The Suzuki Grand Vitara, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, and Mitsubishi Outlander are rated acceptable. Roofs on the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are marginal, and the Kia Sportage received a poor rating.

The latest reports claim that Toyota and Subaru's on/off again jointly developed sports car is back on. According to L'Automobile Toyota is going to revive the Celica name for the Toyota version of the coupe.

L'Automobile claims that Thierry Dombreval, Toyota's VP of sales and marketing in France released the details on the name of the new coupe. No other source has released any details, so we'll have to wait and see if Toyota is actually going to revive the Celica.

Subaru and Toyota have reportedly been working on a pair of small RWD compact coupes that were going to be released by the end of 2011. Now it looks like the project has been put on indefinite hold due to the economy.

The 2+2 compact coupe was expected to use a version of the Subaru Impreza's platform, including the horizontally opposed boxer engine and transmission. The Subaru and Toyota versions would have had different exterior designs.

The sales numbers from last month have been released and they are not good. Nearly every major automaker was down in January compared to January 08'.

Chrysler lead the pact with a 55 percent drop last month. GM's sales were off by 49 percent and Ford declined 40 percent.

Japan's major automakers didn't escape the dismal auto sales with Toyota being down 32 percent, Nissan's sales were down 30 and Honda's were off by 28 percent.

The news wasn't bad for everyone though with Subaru posting an 8 percent increase, its second month in the row of sales increases. Hyundai also posted a 14 percent sales increase. Hyundai attributed its sales improvement to its new program which will take a owner's car back if they lose their job in the first 12 months of ownership.

"This program gets to the root cause of today's economic concerns — fear of job loss," Hyundai regional general manager Peter DiPersia said in a statement.

Although a few automakers have shelved plans to have any big releases at the Detroit Auto Show next month, a few such as Volvo, Subaru and Audi are still planning some big intros.

Subaru has released a single teaser photo of the Legacy Concept that the automaker will unveil next month. The concept is supposed to provide a glimpse of what the next generation Legacy will look like. The Legacy Concept also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Legacy.

Stay tuned...

It's already been confirmed that Toyota and Subaru are working on a new RWD coupe that will be sold both as a Subaru and Toyota. Well now reports are surfacing that Toyota's version of the RWD coupe will actually be sold under the Scion brand as the replacement for the current tC.

Scion definitely needs some new models to renew interest in the brand. A RWD coupe could be just the thing the brand needs.

Subaru has unveiled the very limited Impreza WRX STI 20th Anniversary Edition in Japan.

Although it would be easy to assume that this 20th Anniversary Edition has been built to celebrate 20 years of the STI, but the original STI was only released in 1994. Instead the 20th Anniversary Edition STI celebrates the 20th anniversary of the founding of Subaru Tecnica International, Subaru's performance division in Mitaka, Tokyo.

Motor Trend has awarded the 2009 Subaru Forester with its Sport/Utility of the Year award.

There were 13 finalists, which included the Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex, Infiniti Ex, Honda Pilot, Dodge Journey, Infiniti FX, Nissan Murano, Toyota Sequoia, Lexus LX570, Kia Borrego, BMW X6 and the Volkswagen Tiguan.

The Subaru Forester 2.5XT posted the best fuel-economy rating of any all-wheel-drive SUV in the tests, which definitely helped it receive the award. In addition to the best fuel-economy out of the contenders, the editors called out the Forester's humble powertrain:

St. Antoine said, "I'm amazed at how well the powertrain works with only a four-speed. The turbo four is torquey enough not to feel like it needs more ratios, and at cruising speed it's not revving overly hard."

In addition to its powertrain that is borrowed from the Impreza, the Forester also stood out due to its best-in-class interior and cargo volume.

Must be the sign of the times that this year's award SUV of the year winner is only powered by a 4-cylinder engine and shares most of its mechanicals with a compact sedan.

Subaru is going to officially unveil its new Boxer Diesel engine at the Paris Motor Show next month.

Subaru has officially released the details about the 2009 Impreza line.

It looks like Subaru is going to tweak its popular WRX right before its closest competitor, the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is launched.

Toyota has announced today that the automaker has increased its shares in Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the parent company of Subaru.

Subaru today unveiled the all-new 2009 Exiga seven-seater touring.

Toyota and Subaru have already announced that the two automakers are collaborating on a new rear-wheel-drive coupe that will be sold under both brand names. Now it looks like the two are also working on a new Impreza Coupe that will be released for 2010.

It's already been revealed that Toyota and Subaru are collaborating on a new rear wheel drive coupe, which will be sold as both a Subaru and Toyota. Now, Inside Line claims to have even more info on the new coupes that are slated for a late 2011 release.

Subaru has officially unveiled the Impreza WRC2008 ahead of its launch at the Acropolis Rally of Greece.

Subaru has officially released a teaser image of its upcoming Exiga seven-passenger wagon. The concept version was unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show last fall as the Exiga Touring Concept.

Kelley Blue Book has released its list of the top ten coolest vehicles under $18,000 for 2008. Most of us can think of a list of cars that we would "label" as cool, but most of these cars probably don't list for under $18,000.

Toyota and Subaru announced today in a joint press conference that Toyota is going to double its stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, the company that produces Subaru cars.

Subaru has announced the pricing for its all-new 2009 Forester, which starts at $19,995.

There have been rumors that Toyota is working on a replacement for the discontinued Celica, but now there are more rumors that the next-gen Celica could be built by Subaru.

It seems a little late now that Subaru is finally "officially" unveiling the all-new 2009 Forester since so many photos of the SUV have been leaked on the internet. But here it is...

More scanned photos of the 2009 Subaru Forester have shown up on the internet. This time these photos showed up on a Russian site.

We've seen a few spy photos and shots of Subaru's all-new Forester, which is not supposed to be unveiled until late next month. Now we have the Forester on the cover of a Japanese magazine.

Subaru released a teaser image of the upcoming 2009 Forester two days ago and now we have two new spy photos of it without any camouflage.

Subaru has released a single teaser image of the upcoming Forester, which is very similar to the teaser images that the automaker released the last few weeks before the STI was unveiled.

Subaru is known for its all-wheel-drive systems that are standard on everyone one of its vehicles. In addition Subaru is also known for its boxer engines. Well that all may change in the near future.

Today Subaru unveiled the all-new Impreza WRX STI (US Spec) to the American public at the LA Auto Show.

Subaru has officially taken the wraps off the all-new Subaru Impreza WRX STI at the Tokyo Auto Show.

Wanna see more photos of the upcoming Subaru Impreza WRX STi? Here you go....

After teasing us for weeks with dark teaser photos Subaru has finally released a few official photos of the upcoming 2008 Impreza WRX STi.

In addition to the eagerly awaited new Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Subaru is also going to unveil the Exiga Concept at the Tokyo Auto Show later this month.

Why?! Just release the actual photos already. Yesterday Subaru released yet another dark teaser image of the upcoming WRX STi. The car is set to be officially unveiled this month at the Tokyo Auto Show.

Last week Subaru released the first official teaser image of the upcoming WRX STi and today the automaker has released a second photo of the back of the car.

This is the first official teaser image of the new Subaru WRX STi that is going to be officially unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show.

The 2008 Subaru WRX STi is set to be unveiled shortly at the Tokyo Auto Show so for now we have to make due with the many spy photos that have surfaced.

The all-new Subaru WRX STi has been spotted testing at the Nurburgring ahead of its official unveiling this coming April.

According to Automotive News, Toyota and Subaru are hard at work on plans to co-develop a sports car under the Toyota brand. The new car will be priced under $16,900 and have an engine smaller than 2 liters.

Next month Subaru is going to unveil their new WRC car in the form of the Subaru WRC Concept. Petter Solberg will also be on hand for the unveiling.

The pricing for the 2008 Subaru Impreza has been leaked on the web courtesy of a dealer. The base 2008 Impreza with the 2.5L boxer-four will retail for $16,995, which is $1,000 less expensive than the 2007 model. The WRX model will start at $24,350 which is $645 less than the old model.

For the next model year Subaru has decided to simplify its lineup, which means the end of the line for the slow selling Legacy Wagon and Outback Sedan. Going forward there will only be Legacy sedans and Outback wagons.

One of the most anticipated showdowns is soon going to be a reality. Spy photographers caught both the upcoming Mitsubishi EVO X and the Subaru WRX STi running laps on the Nurburgring in Germany.

Spy photos of a camouflaged Tribeca-like vehicle with a Scion badge have been published by Japan's New Model Magazine X. Could Toyota be working on a SUV for its "youth-oriented" brand?

The upcoming Outback version of the all-new Subaru Impreza has been spotted. The new 08' WRX and standard Impreza have already been revealed this past April. The new Outback version shown here is mainly differentiated by the two-tone body colors.

Forbes has gathered what they believe to be the safest new cars on the market. They searched through Consumer Reports, Department of Transportation, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) to compile the list of the top 20 safest cars of 2007.

Edmunds.com has posted a list of the most wanted cars in 2007 based on reader feedback. Out of the 32 categories you may be surprised which automaker took home the most awards....

April's auto sales numbers have just been posted and almost every major automaker had a sales decrease last month. Even the Asian automakers that have been making headlines for their sales gains, took a hit.

Road & Track has put together as many details that they could on the new 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STi and the Mitsubishi EVO X. They also posted pics of what they expect the cars to look like when they are released early next year.

According to a post on The Car Connection, Subaru would not exist if it wasn't for Toyota. According the CEO, without Toyota's support Subaru's future would have been unknown.

Subaru has unveiled the heavily revised 2008 Subaru Tribeca that will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in a few days.

In the past week or so there have been numerous photos of the new WRX 5-door on the internet. It all started with a controversial Motor Trend showing. Since its unveiling the 5-door has received a lot of criticism for its underwhelming styling.

The All-New 2008 Subaru WRX is set to be unveiled at the New York Auto Show next month. Well the May issue of Motor Trend already has the pictures of the car.