Daily Archives: May 16, 2016
Subaru Confirmed Levorg STI Version
Subaru Tecnica International, Subaru’s performance arm, just confirmed the company’s plan to launch a high performance version of its Levorg wagon. According to a source, it will be based on the Levorg STI concept introduced during the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon.
The concept is due to start production this summer, but it won’t be coming to the United States market since the Levorg was never really offered there.
Unlike the previous BRZ tS, the Subaru Levorg STI won’t be another lame duck attempt. Instead, it will more likely offer dedicated performance like the WRX STI, which was celebrated when it was launched.
Subaru is basically claiming this would be a more mature performance car. It is launching the vehicle to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the brand’s love for horizontally-opposed “boxer” engines. The release seems to be an appeal also for consumers who lamented the company’s decision to end the production of the hatchback body style of the current-generation WRX STI.
No other details have been released by Subaru, although reports are pointing out to a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, which we saw on the original Levorg STI concept. What we saw on the concept is that it’s also fitted with 18-inch wheels, especially-tuned dampers and an elegant interior with two-tone leather trim.
The concept also featured a CVT.
All of these features were included in the wagon as an attempt by Subaru’s design team to come up with a performance car for the older and more conservative types who were unimpressed by the WRX STI.
There’s no actual detail yet on when Subaru is planning to introduce the Levorg STI to the market, but the company has been hinting since 2011, when it launched the Advanced Tourer concept, of such a vehicle. Let us expect the Levorg STI wagon anytime soon.
FJ Cruiser To End Production This August
Toyota has just confirmed it will end the production of the retro-inspired FJ Cruiser this August. This is a sad news for the handful of markets that still manage to get their claws on the two-door SUV.
If you can remember, the FJ Cruiser was first introduced at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show as an off-roader inspired by Toyota’s cult classic FJ40 Land Cruiser.
Toyota has already pulled out the FJ Cruiser from North American markets about two years ago. But its sales have continued in markets that favor rugged-type SUVs such as Japan, China, Australia and the Middle East, among others.
In the United States and Canada, Toyota decided to focus on its four-door 4Runner, which has surprisingly been popular among North American consumers. The current 4Runner was launched in 2009, but it was updated for the 2014 model.
Both models, the FJ Cruiser and the 4Runner, share most of the designs and performance features—running gear and their body on-frame construction. However, they are assembled in different plants.
In most markets, the two models are priced very close to each other. But in the US, the 4Runner is generally a bit more expensive than the FJ Cruiser.
Usually, when Toyota stops a production for a car model, it first creates a special edition—kind of like a souvenir for that particular model’s fans. In particular, it did that for the high-feature Ultimate Edition offered to American consumers in 2014 before the SUV closed its market.
For the FJ Cruiser, the company has yet to announce any such plans. Of course, how ironic was it that car enthusiasts are mourning the end of the FJ’s production when it didn’t receive that much love when it was first launched.
Remember, we used to think it was a bit on the unsightly side until Toyota made some improvements on it designs?
2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia QV Carabinieri Is The New Police Car
How cool is it that in some parts of the world supercars are being used as police cars? Some departments actually have the Maserati GranCabrio Politie and the entire lineup of Lamborghini, particularly the Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 Polizia, as cop cars.
But with the entrance of the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia QV Carabinieri, the list of police lineup just got a bit longer. The catch is, the supercar isn’t going to be used as traditional police cars. Instead, it will transport blood or organs during medical emergencies, according to a report.
Outside, the Giulia QV and the Carabinieri version don’t look very different. They have the same fascia and body design, although the Carabinieri is decked out with new LED flashers at the top of the innermost vents of the fascia. Of course, there’s also the traditional police-issued LED light bar on the roof.
The car is designed with full police livery—a red stripe on each side of the hood, and the word Carabinieri in white lettering sprawled along the forward edge of the hood.
Inside, there are standard police features such as radio system, portable cooling units, and a defibrillator. It appears there’s also a Samsung Galaxy Tablet installed on the passenger side of the dashboard. This might be for the Odin system the police department uses.
On the armrest of the front doors, there is a LED flashlight that can provide easy access to officers if they ever need supplemental lights. There might also be a storage for a long gun hidden somewhere in the cockpit.
Supposedly, the Carabinieri will have more power than the production car. That is usually the case for police cars. Since there’s no word on it yet, let’s take the Carabinieri for what it is. It has a 2.9-liter BiTurbo engine delivers 510 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque.
Even without the tuning, it can hit 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, and is also fuel efficient.