2009 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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WRX Concept gets walkaround with Subaru design boss Osamu Namba

The Subaru WRX Concept was the only concept car to be mentioned among our Editors' Choice favorites for New York Auto Show debuts this year - snagging the No. 3 spot nonetheless - due to what it could mean to the future of Subaru if it indeed becomes a reality. Now that we've caught our breath from walking countless miles through the Javits Center, Subaru has released a brief video of design boss Osamu Namba describing some of the exterior styling elements of the sporty concept sedan.
While this video is just your basic walkaround that gives no mention of the concept's inspiration or what we can expect from the next-generation WRX, it is still fun to watch Namba explain many of the car's design elements including the more aggressive face, the quadruple exhaust outlets and the signature flared wheel arches and side outlet fender vents. If you liked the WRX Concept as much as we did, scroll down to watch this short video.

Subaru Cross Sport Design Concept is a BRZ with a backpack

Sports cars are a notoriously tough sell over the long-term. Like convertibles, sales of even the best sports cars tend to be front-loaded in the first couple of years, at which point they drop off like a stone. That may serve to explain this mysterious two-door wagonback concept from Subaru, dubbed Cross Sport Design Concept.
While details aren't exactly thick on the ground, at first blush, this appears to be a higher-riding BRZ with a more utilitarian backpack. Reports suggest the rear-wheel-drive sports coupe's chassis is riding underneath, despite the fact that the Cross Sport is 2.6 inches longer overall. Assuming the chassis itself is basically unmodified and the 2.0-liter, flat, four-cylinder engine is untouched, this could be a very effective way for Subaru to increase its return on investment in the BRZ's underpinnings while generating a very cool (if niche) shooting brake model.
With the exception of a few bits of concept car frosting (wood-lined cargo bay floor, overly-detailed steroscopic camera mounts, slivered side mirrors, etc.), this thing looks production ready, and that's just ducky with us.

Next-gen Subaru WRX STI spotted at the N"urburgring

Subaru has been busy testing the next-generation WRX STI. Well, it may be the STI. The big wing out back lends some credence to that theory, but it could be that the basic WRX is getting new action in the back section. Time will tell.
In either case, spy photographers nabbed a few shots of the heavily camouflaged sedan running around the Nürburgring. Unfortunately, it looks as if Subaru has taken some of the sexy out of the WRX Concept we saw at the New York Auto Show, leaving this car looking more derivative of the current model than a revolution in design. The bold power bulge has disappeared from the vehicle's hood and the lower fascia looks far more demure than the the wild concept. Likewise, the muscular rear fenders have been toned down substantially.
The result is a car that looks more like a mildly warmed over version of the current model than a production version of the WRX Concept. Still, engineers and designers may have a long way to go before the finished product hits the market, so we'll reserve final judgement for now. After all, the early BRZ mules were nothing short of a travesty to look at, and we know how that turned out. Hope springs eternal.