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Subaru sells 2 millionth Outback in U.S.

Subaru just sold its 2 millionth Outback in the U.S. The Outback is Subaru's most popular vehicle, and the brand's sales growth in recent years means it took far less time to reach the 2 million mark as it did to sell the first million (from 1995 to 2011). Currently in its fifth generation, the Outback is built in Lafayette, Ind., and the 2 millionth example was sold at Subaru Pacific in Hawthorne, Calif. Andrew Simpson is the new owner (that's him in the center in the photo below), and a host of Subaru's top executives were there to close the deal and to give Simpson a few gifts the buyer of Outback No. 1,999,999 apparently didn't get. Best of all, there was a charitable donation to the Grades of Green program on his behalf from the automaker's environmental philanthropy arm, Subaru Loves the Earth. The second millionth Outback is worth a look back 24 years down the long rutted trail it has traveled, with bragging rights over SUVs strewn along the way. It all started in 1995, with "Crocodile Dundee" Paul Hogan offering "a ripper deal": This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Hogan did Outback commercials for years. But this may be the first instance of dogs as Subaru pitchmen: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Here's a pretty great extended commercial with Daniel Tosh, "proud Subaru owner." For once he's not kidding. He even held a contest on "Tosh 2.0" to give his 2011 Outback away to a viewer: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This one is wrapped in a Snuggie: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In recent years, in the "Love, it's what makes a Subaru a Subaru" era, there has been a focus on the Outback's reputation for safety. This ad pulls a heartstring: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. And finally, a toast from the Barkleys (in "two completely different voices"), to you, Subaru Outback, and your many loyal customers, including the 2 millionth: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Subaru XT

Back in the 1980s, Subaru decided that the futuristic-looking, gadget-packed Alcyone would go over well in North America, and so the XT became available for the 1985 through model years. They were reasonably popular in California, and I saw this discarded example awaiting its fate in a Los Angeles wrecking yard. Because the boxer engine in the XT was so low, the car could have an extreme wedge-shaped body and a very low coefficient of drag. Inside, an asymmetrical steering wheel, gearshift that looked like it had been torn from the cockpit of a Mitsubishi F2, and Mars Base-style controls made Toyotas and Hondas of the era look staid and sensible. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. When you adjusted the tilt steering wheel, the instrument cluster moved with it. If you were really serious, you could get an XT with a video-game-style digital instrument cluster. You could get an XT Turbo (with 115 horsepower), or an XT6 (with six cylinders and 145 horsepower). Four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems were available on some models for some years. This car here is an ordinary front-wheel-drive XT with naturally-aspirated 90-horse four-cylinder. Not a speck of rust, pretty straight, but nobody was willing to save it. Next stop: the crusher! Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Subaru XT View 10 Photos Auto News Subaru

Subaru introduces special BRZ and WRX STI models in Tokyo

Subaru has given its BRZ and WRX STI models some more of that Subaru Tecnica International feel. A special JDM model of each was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show. The BRZ gets a STI Sport range-topper version, which Subaru says is sharper and more responsive thanks to a stiffer front suspension and new "V-braces", along with STI-tuned Sachs dampers. The 18-inch wheels are bespoke to the model version, and the interior has been given a smarter once-over with two-tone shades. In addition, there is a Cool Grey Khaki edition, which will be limited to 100 units and the lucky buyers will be picked by a lottery. No matter how special the BRZ STI Sport is, the power figures are unchanged from the stock 197 horsepower. The S208, based on the WRX STI, will now be Subaru's high-performance king on offer. Following the S207 unveiled in 2015, the S208 is more powerful and has a lower center of gravity thanks to a carbon roof. The power output is 329 horsepower instead of 323, and the STI-enhanced parts include what Subaru calls a DampMatic II front suspension and active torque vectoring both front and rear. Wheels are BBS-built in 19-inch size, brakes are Brembo. There will only be 450 S208 models made, and they will be Japan-only; also on offer is a Nurburgring-themed NBR Challenge Package in 350 units. The editions will be separated by color options: the regular S208 is available in blue or white, and the NBR can be had in the pictured Cool Grey Khaki as well. Related Video: