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Autoblog Podcast #389

Episode #389 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, and Mark Pereira from Autoblog Canada talk about Johan deNysschen's move to Cadillac, rumors of more BMW nomenclature changes, a second generation for the Subaru BRZ, and cars from 2004 that we miss. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #389: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Johan de Nysschen moves to Cadillac BMW model designations changing even more Subaru BRZ getting second generation Cars We Miss In the Autoblog Garage: 2014 Ducati 899 Panigale 2015 Hyundai Sonata 2015 Volkswagen GTI 2015 Chevrolet Silverato 2500 Diesel Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Mark Pereira Runtime: 01:59:10 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Johan deNysschen - 36:12 BMW Nomenclature - 53:58 BRZ - 56:27 Cars We Miss - 01:05:07 Q&A - 01:30:09 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Auto News Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Podcasts BMW Cadillac Chevrolet Hyundai Subaru Volkswagen

Prototype Subaru Impreza 22B emerges from obscurity

Ask a gearhead what they think is the greatest Subaru built and the answer is probably something related to rally Imprezas – unless you're talking to a more quirky sort who'd throw out the SVX, XT or the bed-mounted jump seats of a Brat. But in any case, the 1990s rally Subarus are great, their road-going versions are brilliant and the rarest of all is the bulging 22B, which commands strong money due to its very limited availability. The Impreza 22B, reportedly named so for its 2.2-liter turbo boxer, but which also refers to the hexadecimal value of 555, Subaru's rally sponsor, was a widebody special with a bigger engine and more STI magic than other WRX variants. Officially it had 280 horsepower, but almost every Japanese performance car was advertised with that amount at the time – true figures take a dyno run or a dedicated mind to uncover. In addition to the modified body, the suspension was 22B-specific, as was the aero. The 2,800-pound 22B took just 5 seconds to hit 60 mph, a strong feat for 1998, and on the right road with the right kind of driver it is likely to be unparalleled for its era. As rare as any 22B is, there are also Subaru-built prototype cars that weren't part of the initial 400-car Japanese production run or the official 16-unit UK-bound batch, or the five Australian market cars. Some sources say there were 424 22Bs made, some mention a different number, and the prototypes are understandably the most coveted, least obtainable ones. Which brings us to this car currently for sale, which just so happens to be one of three known "000/400" series prototypes with just 55 kilometers (34 miles) on the digital odometer. Is this an actual wheeled unicorn? Contempo Concept, the Hong Kong-based dealer that also stocked the Miata Roadster Coupe we featured, has provided precious little information about this particular car, other than some very good sales photos that show the 22B in mint condition, complete with the 000/400 prototype plaque. There's no mention of the price – this Subaru is likely to have entered the "If you must ask, you cannot afford it" class of cars. It's not immediately obvious whether its prototype status would make it difficult, if impossible to register on the road, and/or if the low odometer reading is due to the car being more of a display item in the legal sense. 22B values have risen sharply during the past decades, and the prototypes will be the most expensive.

Subaru BRZ with 362-hp, 2.4-liter V8 is the best thing you'll hear today

Whenever the Subaru BRZ and its Toyota twin are talked about, the conversation inevitably turns to whether they would be even better sports coupes with more power. Since their introduction, rumors have popped up suggesting possibilities like more displacement, turbocharging or even a hybrid setup to increase horsepower, but nothing has come to pass. Japanese tuner Jun Auto has decided on a completely different way to boost performance by chucking the 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder entirely in place of a beautiful 2.4-liter V8. According to the YouTube description for this clip, the engine is based on two of the 1.2-liter inline four-cylinder units from a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R motorcycle. The result is a mill that makes a claimed 362 horsepower and revs to over 11,000 rpm. It also sounds like automotive nirvana. Finished in an eye-catching contrast of bright yellow paint with white wheels and a black wing at the back, the V8 BRZ certainly doesn't hide its performance, either. This video's text is in Japanese, but knowledge of the language isn't necessary to understand what's going on.