Auto car sports

While pics of the 2011 Forester have yet to make it out the gates ( the car pictured above is a 2010MY ) , here is a run-through of the new lineup for the U.S. market. Other than some minor styling updates such as the new grille design and a revised instrument panel with softer materials, the big news is Subaru's brand-spanking new boxer engine we first told you about earlier today . The new naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder boxer unit gets different bore/stroke dimensions to increase displacement from 2,457 cc to 2,498 cc and a chain-driven cam (instead of a belt-driven one). Output remains the same as before at 170-horsepower but at slightly lower rpm, while peak torque is up to 174 lb.-ft. at 4,100 rpm, versus the outgoing boxer unit's 170 lb.ft. at 4,400 rpm. Subaru says fuel economy is improved with both 2011MY manual and automatic models returning 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway vs. the 2010MY's 20/27 for manual and 20/26 for automatic. The 2011 Forester's availabl...

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), Subaru's parent company, has released details on its third-generation four-cylinder boxer engine that will be available in 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter displacements. This is the first overall renewal since the second generation was introduced in 1989. The horizontally opposed flat 4 has been a mainstay of Subaru's Impreza, Forrester and Legacy models for some time. Subaru claims that fuel efficiency is up by 10%, thanks to a compacter combustion chamber and longer stroke, variable-valve timing (which Subaru calls Active Valve Control System) on both the intake and exhaust valves, lighter pistons and connection rods, a more efficient and compact oil pump and separate engine cooling circuitry for both the block and head. Power for the 2.0 L engine remains the same at 109kw / 150HP, while torque is up 5 Nm to 196. The new boxer engine has a slightly higher compression ratio of 10.5 (up from 10.2), a shorter bore (84 mm, down from 92) and longer strok...

Besides adding its upcoming unnamed coupe to the lineup, Subaru will be working to get a little pep back in its step by bringing out some new designs over the next few years. What can we expect from the all-wheel drive anti-SUV brand? Autoweek had an interesting article charting the upcoming changes in Subaru's lineup. Starting with the chunky-monkey Legacy and Outback models that are relatively new, the only update to be expected is a mild refresh/facelift coming in the next three or four years. Hopefully Subaru will decide on a corporate face that doesn't look like 'meh' and throw it on those two, because right now they're as beige as a Camry. I mean, if Volvo and Audi could make their crossover cars (the Cross Country and Allroad) look cool, why can't Subaru? Next is the Forester ; if all goes according to plan, this fall will see the 2011 Forester available with Subaru's more efficient next-gen 2.5-liter boxer engine. We can expect major styling update...

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. A flappy-paddle 5sp automatic gearbox, revised sports suspension and Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel drive round out the mechanical package, whilst new styling and comfort features including STI sourced 17-inch alloys, Alcantara interior trim and drilled alloy pedals help further differentiate the S-Edition from the XT. Subaru Australia's Managing Director is quite pleased with the Forester S-Edition concept: "We're delighted and honoured that Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) have chosen Sydney for the worldwide unveil of this Forester concept....