Calling all Subaru fans. The Japanese brand unveiled a trio of crowd-pleasing new performance Imprezas at the British Motor Show. And two other Subaru models have made their UK debuts. For those who found the STi was simply not fast enough, there’s the STi 380 concept. Tuning experts at Prodrive have rebuilt the 2.5-litre flat four-cylinder boxer turbo to offer 380bhp, while the running gear has been upgraded to cope with the extra power. Subaru will gauge public reaction to the STi 380 at ExCeL before deciding whether to put it into production.

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Subaru will display three new special edition Impreza WRX vehicles at this week’s London Motor Show, including a brand new concept version dubbed the WRX STI 380S. The car’s name refers to its 380 metric horsepower rating, which translates to a final output of 375hp (280kW), and depending on its reception at the London event could enter limited production within six months.

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Subaru's Australian outpost is set to deliver a localized special edition Liberty GT (Liberty = Legacy) that's been upgraded with a laundry list of components from the STI catalog. The Liberty GT tuned by STI makes 260 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and will be made available with either a 6-speed stick or a 5-speed sportshift automatic. Brembos, Bilstein shocks, STI springs, a new muffler, lightweight Enkeis, and leather-and-Alcantara sport seats are but a few the features included in the 250-car limited edition, which is now on sale in Australia. Hey Subaru of America, where's the love like this for U.S. customers?

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News comes from the Japan Post Service Co, which is the mail delivery unit of Japan Post Group, that the mail carrier plans a switch to completely electric vehicles as soon as possible. This announcement comes as record-high gasoline prices sweep the world. Major Japanese automakers have big plans regarding all-electric cars, with manufacturers such as Nissan, Subaru and Mitsubishi all readying introductions of their first models in 2010.

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News comes by way of the Japanese news resource Nikkei that Hitachi Maxell is currently hard at work on a new lithium-based battery which does away with the problematic cobalt ingredient. We've gotten pretty used to seeing some very wild claims when it comes to new battery tech, so it may be hard to get too excited about this particular announcement until we actually see some goods to go along with it, but the idea of a battery with twenty times higher energy capacity is surely an exciting claim. Instead of the cobalt, manganese is being cited as the other main ingredient.

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Sebastian Loeb and Citroen had a comfortable win at the Acropolis Rally in Greece this past weekend, but much of the attention was paid to the race debut of the Subaru WRC2008. With Petter Solberg behind the wheel, the new Subie took ten top-five stage times the first two days and captured second place overall. The result was Solberg's first points since February and his first podium finish since last year's Acropolis Rally. The problem-free weekend and the fast pace were encouraging for the Subaru team, who see the new race car as a turning point. "This is it, we're coming back!" Solberg declared after the race. The next rally in Turkey will determine whether the initial success of the car was a fluke or for real.

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For the 2008 model year, Subaru has equipped the new Tribeca with an all-new 6-cylinder 3.6-litre SUBARU BOXER engine that delivers more power, more torque, improved fuel economy and emissions performance - all on regular petrol.

The larger engine displacement increases engine torque to 247 lb.-ft. at 4,400 rpm, and horsepower to 256 at 6,000 rpm, providing improved low-end torque without sacrificing high-rpm power. The new engine package, which adds displacement without adding overall size, not only maintains excellent emissions levels but delivers improved fuel efficiency in real world driving situations.

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Subaru has launched its new Tribeca complete with new looks and a new, larger displacement 3.6-litre H6 engine in Southern Ireland, but UK buyers will have to wait until 2009.

The new model gets a new, wider and taller grille, new front wings and bonnet design. The grille is now integrated into the front bumper, featuring a new chrome spread-wing design.

The bonnet is higher and there's also a deeper front valance with new headlamps. It comes as a seven-seater with standard 50/50 split fold-down third-row seat. For added passenger comfort it features an auxiliary rear cabin air conditioner with fan speed control in the second row.

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The all-new 2009 Subaru Forester has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's, "2008 Top Safety Pick" award. To win this award, a vehicle must offer superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their class. To qualify, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control.

"We are delighted that once again, a Subaru vehicle is recognized as a "Top Safety Pick", said Tom Doll, executive vice president and CFO for Subaru of America. "This award speaks to the quality work our engineers put into equipping our cars with industry leading safety while still making them affordable with standard all-wheel drive."

Criteria to win is tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard on the Forester.

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Subaru unleashes its hardcore new Impreza WRX STI which is significantly unlike the non-turbo five-door models. It’s a true combination of comfort with agility, and provides more clout and driver participation. In order to please Subaru purists, the 296 bhp turbocharged 2.5 liter ‘boxer’ engine exhibits a wholly new suspension with sophisticated, symmetrical all-wheel drive system. It keeps you absorbed as the rear, four exhaust pipes twinned in pairs at either side of the body not only give a typical look but lessen exhaust air-flow resistance by 38 per cent.

Moreover, the innovative Impreza WRX STI brags leather/alcantara-covered sports seats as customary with Recaro seats as an alternative. A multi-mode Vehicle Dynamics Control System permits the driver to pick the best setting for the common road conditions. The new STI also shows off stronger, low to mid-speed torque of 300 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm owing to variable-valve timing for the intake and exhaust system, and a fast-warm catalytic converter for reduced emissions.

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Toyota and Subaru have confirmed that they are to jointly develop an affordable small sports coupe.

This rear-wheel-drive model will go on sale in the US in 2011, though sales elsewhere in the world have not yet been confirmed.

The car will be built by Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru's parent company) in Japan, and will feature a Subaru flat-four petrol engine.

A top-end variant - thought to be in the vein of the Celica GT4 - is expected to feature Subaru's all-wheel-drive system. Subaru is to develop the car's platform, but exterior design will be by Toyota, with each model clearly differentiated and separately marketed.

This news comes after the announcement this week that Toyota is to increase its stake in Fuji Heavy Industries to 16.5 per cent. It has paid an estimated $300million to up its holding from the 8.7 per cent it bought in 2005.

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The coupe depicted in the sketch above is said to come from a source inside of Subaru’s design department, and is meant to depict the upcoming rear-wheel-drive offering from the company.

It’s no secret that Subaru has been working with Toyota, which owns a four percent stake in the smaller company, on a shared coupe project that will be underpinned by Impreza gear. The two versions will differ in appearance, but will both offer Subaru’s 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter boxer fours in standard and turbocharged trim.

The source of the image also suggests that despite the planned RWD layout of the shared coupe, an AWD version hasn’t been ruled out for the top of the range. Subaru’s iteration of the car should be fully realized by this summer, with production slated to begin in 2010.

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The New York auto show is open to the public today, and aside from the rollicking Dodge Challenger and Pontiac G8 musclecars and the exotic Benz SL on display, they’ll also be seeing a fair amount of green machines, including this experimental electric-powered Subaru.

The R1e, Subaru says, is the battery-powered version of its home-market R1. The electric version was developed in partnership with a Japanese power company, and the duo has been it in Japan for the past two years. In the U.S., a pair of R1e city cars will be put to use by the New York Power Authority.The basics of the car include a fast-charge lithium-ion battery that’s formulated for quick charges. Subaru says at 65 mph, the R1e has a 50-mile range and can be charged to 80 percent capacity in 15 minutes (or to full charge in eight hours) through a regular household outlet. The batteries are good for 10 years and 100,000 miles, Subaru says.By the end of next year, Subaru will have 100 R1e EVs in its Japanese fleet.“This new partnership with the New York Power Authority is further demonstration of Subaru’s ongoing efforts in applying electric car technology in real world situations.

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This week at the New York International Auto Show Subaru will announce that their small electric vehicle, the R1e, will be evaluated by the New York Power Authority all summer. Of course, the Subaru R1e will be on show at the NYIAS.

The Subaru R1e is not a new car, it has been thoroughly tested in Japan where it has won the ‘2006 Commendation For Global Warming Prevention Activity’ award. The 2+2 small car has been developed by Subaru, Tokyo Electric Power and NEC Lamilion Energy. Tokyo Electric Power hopes to have 3,000 R1e's on the Kanagawa prefecture roads by 2012.

The R1e electric vehicle has a range of 50 miles, roughly a quarter of the Tesla Roadster which went into production yesterday, but can be 'quick charged' in 15 minutes to 80% capacity (40 miles). A full recharge requires a regular power outlet, takes 8 hours and should cost no more than USD 2.

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A senior brand insider has revealed to Autocar that Subaru UK wants to sell a hot diesel-powered version of the Impreza WRX in the UK.

Subaru’s new diesel boxer engine, currently only on offer in the Legacy, is likely to be offered in the Impreza in its current state of tune before the end of the year – and Subaru has already hinted that more powerful versions of the engine will follow.

Subaru UK is mindful of the effect that forthcoming CO2-based taxation will have on the sales of its more powerful models, all of which fall into the highest emissions band ‘G’, and is pushing hard for brand bosses in Japan to bring forward a high-output version of the diesel motor for the Impreza. This would have around 200bhp and would be sold wearing a WRX badge.

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