Subaru
Subaru reveals Legacy GTk Concept during the 2009 SEMA
Aside from their teasers on the Legacy VIP and WRX STI concept cars, Subaru also lifts the covers off a third concept vehicle during the recent SEMA motor show. This is also based on the 2010 Legacy.
Fans of sporty Subaru wagons can stretch their imagination a bit and beef up the package with some turbochargers and modifications to make the car cooler. The 2010 Legacy GTk concept looks perfect for the track and fit to battle it out in an autocross.
The Legacy GTk is designed to satisfy the cravings of performance enthusiasts who look for something more than a family wagon. The concept car was worked on by SVI or Specialized Vehicles Inc. and features a custom bumper with fog-lights, smoked tail lights, black-out headlights, modified roof, and black-red paint scheme.
The engine was also modified and paired with a manual six-speed transmission. The designers also recalibrated the ECU and modified the exhaust system. All these changes help in liberating about 300 horsepower and a torque of 350 lb-ft from the installed powerplant.
The power is really felt because of other essentials like a short-throw shifter, modified center differential, a suspension kit from Bilstein, and Brembo brake setup.
The WRX STI was specifically designed by the Subaru Performance Tuning team so owners can toy with their ride while at home following the SPT guide. The car has a 315 horspower, 2.5L engine.
The VIP concept, on the other hand, follows a luxury theme inspired by VIP rides in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. The eye catchers for this one are the huge luxury rims and the very low ride.
Subaru Outback and Legacy get Safest Ride stamp from IIHS
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety or IIHS has given the Subaru 2010 Legacy and 2010 Outback as the safest cars consumers can have based on their crash test results.
The facelift given to the 2010 Outback is better than the shape of the Legacy, but some of the design details are not appreciated by Subaru enthusiasts. There are more things to rejoice for other than good looks it seems, and being best in fuel mileage and being the Top Safety Pick of IIHS are things to be proud of.
To be rated as the Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must pass with flying colors the crash testing of the IIHS which will subject the car to simulated collisions from the rear, side, and front. The vehicle must also have an excellent electronic control for stability.
Subaru celebrates the feat because the recognition from the IIHS comes with vehicles that are lighter or just about the same poundage as previous Subie models.
The Japanese car maker executives pay tribute to their designers and engineers for the Top Safety Pick achievement from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. They see it as proof that they are on the right path in producing not only fun and nice looking cars but safe rides for their consumers.
Subaru Rally History
Most really enthusiasts must have heard of the name Subaru when they glance through the history of car rallying. One will be amazed to note the name of the manufacturers of this car as Fuji Heavy Industries, Japan. The initial name 
given to this car was Mutsuraboshi which means six stars. All famous cars have their own rally history and the case is no different with that of the Subaru. If one checks the rally history of this car, they will find that the first entry was way back in 1982.
The second appearance for this car was in 1984 at the WRC and the team for this rally had their boss Noreyuki Koseki as the nucleus. For the uninitiated, Koseki was the boss of the STI department of Sabaru. STI means Subaru Technica International. In these two races, the car met with no successes because of their lack of both performance and reliability. Down the years Subaru had a number of famous stars in their lineup including Sekhar Mehta, Ari Vatanen, Mike Kirkland, Per Eklund, Harald Demuth and Possum Bourne.
Even the presence of these star drivers could not change the fortune of Subaru in the rallies. It was only in 1990 that the scenario changed over completely when the Legacy model was launched by Subaru and the company handed over their rally program to the UK based private team, Prodrive. Irrespective of all this, the Subaru had to wait till NZ 1993 to show off its true colors.
History of Subaru Cars
People often claim that they are extremely possessive about their car and yet do not know about its history. The same is the case with the owners of Most Subaru cars. Hardly a few of them know that the name of this Japanese car means “unite”. It was way back during the early 1950’s when a group of Japanese companies grouped together to form what was known as Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., and its automotive division was named Subaru. The first Subaru car, the P-1, was revealed in 1954.
This car had a 4-cylinder engine powering it. Later on the name of this model was changed to “Subaru 1500”. It had a “Y’ type independent suspension and was the first Japanese car to boast a single shell design. Due to paucity of funds and support the sales of this car were suspended. However all these were resolved and in the year 1958, the 360 model of Subaru, which is also known as “The Ladybird” was released. It was named thus because of its shape which resembled a ladybird.
This model became very popular and was produced for twelve years. The glorious history of the Subaru has started and soon the organization also started producing trucks, sedans and station wagons. Nowadays Subaru manufactures wagons, trucks and is a world famous brand. Those who are seeking high-performance cars can check out the WRX STi from the stables of Subaru. This is, in a nutshell, the glorious history of the Subaru.