2002 Subaru Impreza Wrx Wagon 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Subaru to showcase five customized Levorg concepts at Tokyo Auto Salon

Last month, Subaru unveiled the Levorg concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, previewing what could be the next Legacy wagon. But that's not the end of the story for the concept car.
With the Tokyo Auto Salon - Japan's equivalent to SEMA - approaching next month, Fuji Heavy has announced five customized versions of the Levorg. One is being prepared by Subaru itself with a focus on luxury (including new alloy wheels and a burgundy interior), one by Subaru Tecnica International (with strut brace and aero kit) and one each by aftermarket Subaru tuners Corazon, Syms and Prova.
Subaru will also display a pair of racecars based on the BRZ: the Super GT300 version we've already seen and a new STI NBR Challenge racer aimed at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Details in the press release below.

Subaru revisits 1998 Impreza 22B STI

It was 1998 when Subaru made some crucial changes to its World Rally Championship Impreza, such as increasing the displacement of the turbocharged flat-four-cylinder engine from 2.0 to 2.2 liters and fitting wide fender flares. Subaru won the WRC manufacturer championship with the car that year, and it also was the year of the automaker's 40th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone, the company came out with this limited-edition, road-going Impreza, the hallowed 22B STI, which looked nearly identical to the rally car.
Only 424 22Bs were built, and most of them stayed in Japan. But Dominick Infante, national manager of product communications at Subaru of America, was able to secure a drive in one of the only two 22Bs in the US. He details the car's history and some of the design and engineering cues that made the Impreza STI so popular both in motorsport and on the street, but we were caught up listening to the exhaust and admiring the timeless blue-and-gold paint. You should too, so head below to watch the video.

Toyota FT-86 Open Concept leaves us feeling flushed

When last we checked in on our topless would-be hero, the Toyota FT-86 convertible had been reportedly placed on "indefinite hold." That was back in early October, not long after Toyota had trotted out the rear-wheel-drive canvasback to Scion dealers as a possible future product carrot if they decided not to turn in their franchises. And yet, we're here at the Tokyo Motor Show, where Toyota has taken the time to at least repaint the FT-86 Open Concept in "Flash Red," if not build a whole other car (the original Geneva showcar was white). It's enough to make our heads spin like a teenager on the verge of a breakup. Will they? Won't they?
At this point, we still don't know any more than you do - the last word we heard out of Toyota was not encouraging, although the story was that the program could still be fast-tracked if management had a change of heart. As the car has never been seen before in Japan, perhaps Toyota is merely extending its domestic audience a courtesy view before it lines this showcar in mothballs, or maybe they're still trying to make a decision on its fate and gauging public reaction on the homefront.
Interestingly, in a new story published today, Automotive News quotes Subaru brand boss Yasuyuki Yoshinaga downplaying the likelihood of a production model, saying flatly "We make the car, so if we don't make it, it can't happen." The executive went on to note, "Our engineering department told me that losing the entire roof requires a complete redesign of the structure. It would need a big change." Given that such a car would probably trade in rather small volumes, that sounds like a significant hurtle.