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Toyota GT86 engineers explored shooting brake and sedan variants, are they still in the cards?

According to the Toyota UK blog, engineers for the automaker were so excited developing the GT86 coupe that they investigated producing a whole family of models based on the rear-wheel drive sports car. And at least one engineer - product chief Tetsuya Tada - still hopes it can happen, even if not everyone at Toyota is onboard. Tada: "Actually we tried to do this secretly but the executives found us out. They said: 'What are you doing? Will you please focus on the coupe.'"
Those mooted variants included both a four-door sedan and a shooting brake. Why? Aside from the pure excellence of a lightweight, brilliantly handling hatchback, Toyota was keenly aware of the fact that it may need to spread the cost of development out across several models. Tada says that's part of the reason why it was so easy to create the convertible. The company knew from the outset that a softtop version was in the cards, and built the machine's structure to accommodate having the roof sliced off.
Tada also made mention of the already-announced collaboration between Toyota and BMW. The engineer said that the GT86 was particularly helpful because it demonstrated just how successful a product conceived and designed by two different companies can be. While he didn't say exactly what Toyota and BMW are up to, it's clear the two are looking into a number of possibilities. It's an interesting read with a lot of

Subaru teases the 2019 Forester ahead of New York reveal

Following Toyota's romantic RAV4 silhouette teaser shot yesterday, Subaru is officially joining in the compact crossover titillating game with a glimpse of the 2019 Forester. Subaru has toyed with pincer-shaped taillights for a few years on its Viziv concepts. The Ascent concept wore another version of the design, but the production Ascent got fitted with a set of highly unoffensive lamps. Looks like the Forester earns the retail nod for the conceptual units, and with it, a wider cargo opening. The taillights on the present Forester impose a scalloped shutline on the tailgate. The split units in this teaser let designers push the tailgate edge just a few inches from the edge of the car. The Ascent could make its presence felt elsewhere, though. We've made out a couple of the flowing character lines underneath camouflage on Forester prototypes that match the Ascent's flanks. Up front, the 2019 Forester gets a much more upright schnozz reminiscsent of the Ascent. The two vehicles differ in grille treatment — the Forester carries over its general design from the current car, but replaces the thick geometric bars with thin strakes similar to the Ascent's. Although larger than the current Forester, we don't expect huge growth anywhere. Migrating to Subaru's Global Platform will make the most of the incremental gains; the much smaller Impreza added three additional cubic feet of cargo room after its switch to the SGP. We don't know if engines will be included in the under-the-skin overhaul, but a welcome swap would be adding the Ascsent's 2.4-liter turbo to the lineup. That lump produces 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, trumping the 250 hp and 258 lb-ft in the current top-tier Forester 2.0XT Premium. Spy photographers caught the Forester testing alongside a new Honda CR-V and a Volkswagen Tiguan, which means we could be in for a new level of feature and dynamic polish. What we can rely on is a selection of four-cylinder boxer engines and CVTs, plus updated EyeSight driver assistance tech. The debut happens in exactly two weeks at the New York Auto Show, the showroom appearance late this year. Related Video: Image Credit: Subaru New York Auto Show Subaru Crossover Wagon Future Vehicles

2015 Subaru Legacy spills out ahead of Chicago

Subaru has been one of the industry's hottest automakers, recording record sales month after month. Those handsome figures have come largely on the backs of its crossover lineup, however - models like Forester, Outback and XV Crosstrek have been carrying all the water. The Japanese marque has seen less noteworthy performance out of its midsize sedan, the Legacy, but a new one is slated to be revealed later this week at the Chicago Auto Show, and it hopes to improve the company's family sedan fortunes.
Leaked here in these first photos, the 2015 Legacy picks up some cues from the brash Legacy Concept revealed at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, but it loses some impact and gains a pair of rear doors versus the showcar. There's little new visual ground broken, but the overall look is more harmonious than its balloon-fendered predecessor. As is often the case, it has features that make us think of other cars, but overall, it looks to be a handsome (if conservative) design. We particularly like the sleeker roofline and the bold front grille treatment - the latter will likely serve well as the face of the next Outback.
Subaru has traditionally offered function-over-form interiors, and while the new dashboard remains visually staid, it looks to have picked up a number of nice new features, including improved HVAC controls, a new steering wheel and freshened touchscreen navigation system.