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Toyota, Mazda drop Takata as Mitsubishi, Subaru weigh options

It's not a very good time to be Takata right now. Fresh on the heels of longtime partner Honda ditching them, Toyota and Mazda have both come out and said they will not use the company's airbag inflators if they continue to rely on ammonium nitrate. Bloomberg reports that Subaru and Mitsubishi are also contemplating a divorce. "The inflator using ammonium nitrate produced by Takata will not be adopted by Toyota," President Akio Toyoda said during a briefing today. "What's most important above anything else is the safety and peace of mind of customers." Mazda echoed that position, simply saying it "will not use Takata airbag inflators which contain ammonium nitrate in our new cars." When you lose three huge OEM accounts in as many days, it's certainly going to have a deleterious effect on your fortunes. In Takata's case, that's meant a staggering 39-percent drop in their share price over the last three days. Yesterday alone, the company saw a 6.2-percent fall, Bloomberg reports. As the business publication reports, though, Takata isn't going down without a fight. The company is "considering some plans to survive," including a fundraising plan that will see it potentially offer up additional shares for sale. Still, at least one analyst doesn't see whatever company survives staying involved in the airbag inflator business. "I really don't see how they're going to be able to survive as an inflator manufacturer," Valient Market Research founder Scott Upham told Bloomberg. "When your major clients publicly come out and say that they're not going to use your products anymore, it makes this very difficult to sustain your business." News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Carlos Osorio / AP Honda Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Toyota Safety supplier

Another 'Baby Driver' Subaru WRX goes up for auction

We saw one of the "Baby Driver" Subaru Impreza WRX stunt cars sell last year for nearly $70,000. That was a bit nutty, but now there's another one up for auction, listed on Live Auctioneers. Just like the first, it's a red 2006 WRX Limited with a 2004 STI engine and rear-wheel-drive conversion. This means it has the 2.5-liter boxer engine instead of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder. All of the modifications were done by All Pro Subaru with a total of five cars receiving the special treatment. Beyond those mods, there's an upgraded rear differential, but that's pretty much it. If you've seen "Baby Driver," then you know how pivotal a role this car played in making the movie great. The opening chase scene is the most iconic of the whole movie — we've dropped the video of it in this post if you haven't seen it or just want to watch the awesome driving again. It's such an admirable scene because all the driving stunts are real. No special effects or CGI went into trying to make it any more than what it actually was. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This particular car has a lot of miles on it: 156,477 to be exact. For most Subarus of the WRX variety, this many miles pretty much guarantees you'll be paying for repairs in no time. This being a movie car means it's been driven pretty hard too; just watch the movie and you'll see what it's been through. The bid is sitting at $20,000 now, way less than the $69,100 the first one sold for. As a reference, WRX STIs of the same heritage and similar miles are listed anywhere between $10,000-$20,000. You won't end up buying this car because it's a great value, but rather, to be able to point out to your friends you have "that car" every time you watch the movie. The rear-wheel-drive conversion is pretty sweet too — that makes it more distinctive than it would be otherwise. Related video: Featured Gallery Baby Driver Subaru WRX Celebrities Subaru Auctions Performance Sedan baby driver

Why a production Mazda Koeru won't be a Subaru Outback clone

No automaker has had a hit quite like the Outback Many have entered, few have won. The Subaru Outback is one of those automotive bogeys that competitors seek to imitate but never quite capture. Mazda is poised to change that, its CEO tells Automotive News, with a production version of the Koeru concept. We're torn on whether this attempt will be the one to do it, whether the proposed model is truly aimed at the Outback, or whether it's just another pale imitation destined for failure. While the ingredients are pretty basic – wagon-like shape, extra cladding, a smidge more ground clearance than a regular car – no automaker has had a hit quite like the Outback. Reasons include packaging issues, poor brand fit, and Subaru's seemingly unstoppable momentum in building all-wheel-drive archetypes. That hasn't stopped a bunch of companies from trying. And now for a list: Ford attempted with the Freestyle/Taurus X; note that that model no longer exists, having been replaced de facto by the Flex and the newly crossover-ified Explorer. Audi discontinued the A4 Avant and slapped the Allroad badge and some fender flares on to capture the affluent outdoorsy crowd, initially selling well but now down 40 percent since last year. The humpback Honda (Accord) Crosstour and Toyota Venza could also be considered Outback-apers, as both short-lived models took sedan bodies and added a hatch and optional all-wheel drive. Dodge got into this space a few years back with the Journey Crossroad trim level, but fake brush guards and black wheels do not an Outback make. Volvo has perhaps come closest with the XC70, a not-quite-crossover that it nevertheless brands like its other crossovers. It helps that the Volvo die-hard and the repeat Subaru buyer aren't too different. Most of these models no longer exist, and the ones that do haven't sold as well as Subaru's Outback so far this year. Even if you're generous and add all 96,718 Journey sales (and not just those for the Crossroad, which FCA doesn't break out separately) to V70/XC70, Venza, and Crosstour, it still doesn't equal the 136,227 Outbacks Subaru pushed through November of 2015. And, as Automotive News points out, Mazda hasn't sold that many crossovers so far this year (the number is 129,932 thanks to huge CX-5 numbers). So why is Mazda considering going after the hallowed Outback? First off, we're not sure that it is because there's the question of what tiny niche this vehicle would occupy. "It's a totally new car.