2001 Subaru Forester Awd on 2040-cars

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Scion FR-S Convertible (in Toyota GT86 form) spied in South Africa

Though the eventual existence of a convertible version of the Toyota GT86 (and its Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ versions for America) is a no-brainer, we've yet to get a glimpse of the real-deal car until now.
Spotted in Cape Town, South Africa, of all places, this completely undisguised GT86 convertible seems to be in a remarkably advanced state of development. The image seen here was obviously sniped from quite a distance and without the aid of a powerful lens, but we can still make out a production-ready looking piece of rear bodywork for the convertible top to hide away in, as well as a functioning trunk lid. It's hard to make out with any certainty, based on this evidence, but there does seem to be space retained behind the front seats for two, small rear chairs.
With the first car spotted, we'd expect to seem some more and better images of it flow through in the near future, and if not, Toyota has already confirmed a concept version for next month's Geneva Motor Show, dubbed FT-86 Open, so stay tuned. For now, click through to the FT86Club.com forum to have a slightly closer look at the images.

Subaru ups US sales projections to 500k units

Subaru is going absolutely gangbusters so far in 2014, with growing year-over-year sales every month this year adding to the streak of 33 consecutive months. The prognosis is so positive that the Japanese brand is revising its 2014 forecast to 500,000 vehicles or more, from a previous estimated 460,000. If it reaches the goal, it would be the first time that the automaker hit the half-million mark here.
Subaru has been growing steadily in the US for a while now. Annual sales have increased for the past five consecutive years with 2014 not indicating for that to change. For August alone, the company moved 50,246 vehicles, up 22.37 percent year-over-year, and the business proclaimed it as the best month in its history.
According to Subaru, it believes that the growth for the last two years has been fueled by the latest Forester and XV Crosstrek last year and the new Legacy and Outback this year. "The market is telling us that we are delivering products that consumers want at the right prices," said Thomas J. Doll, president and chief operating officer at Subaru of America. Scroll down to read the company's full announcement.

Subaru recalling almost 634,000* CUVs, sedans for possible puddle light short

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a massive recall campaign today for some of the more popular Subaru models due to defective puddle lights that could short out and possibly lead to smoke and/or fire.
(*)While the recall notice lists a total of 633,842 Forester, Legacy, Outback and Tribeca models from various model years, Automotive News is reporting that there are only 53,999 units actually equipped with the defective lights, but Subaru is having to make the massive recall since it is unable identify which vehicles have the lights.
The problem with the 2009 through 2012 Forester, 2006 through 2012 Tribeca and the 2010 through 2011 Legacy and Outback is that the puddle lights mounted under the door mirrors can collect water or moisture, which can lead to the short. To fix the problem, Subaru is adding an extra fuse to the wiring harness as a part of the recall that will go into effect next month. For Forester owners, this is the second major recall in less than a year following the 275,000 units that were afflicted with faulty rear seatbelts.