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Automotive April Fools' joke roundup [w/videos]

Happy April, everyone. And we all know what this first day of the month means: April Fools' Day. Today is a national holiday for pranksters with the Internet acting as a serious enabler, and it's always fun to see what kind of vivid imaginations exist out there in the automotive world. The abundance of fake news gets a little old as the day rolls on, but we did manage to get in a few chuckles thanks to a handful of major automakers and automotive news outlets that got into the pranking spirit this year
Some of our favorites this year includes Subaru showing what happens when you combine a bunch of rumors, a Corvette some may have already thought was a joke or Honda providing some in-car innovation circa the late 1980s. Honestly, we're still waiting for official confirmation from Mitsubishi that the recently introduced 2014 Mirage is an elaborate April Fools' joke using a failed design intended for the 1995 Geo Metro. We dug up as much "official" OEM foolishness we could find, as well as some of our other favorites, and posted them all below.

'Kingsman' Subaru WRX isn't your typical rear-engined stunt car

The Subaru WRX has been a hot choice for movie cars as of late. The most popular is the rear-wheel-drive Subie from " Baby Driver," of which two stunt car examples have been sold off. But a lesser known appearance was in the movie "Kingsman: The Secret Service." Now the car used in that film is up for sale, and it's got a custom twist we've never really seen before. As the photos show, this is no ordinary WRX. Although the exterior looks like any other car, the secrets are held within. Open the trunk and there lies the engine. Look inside the cabin and there are not one, but two separate steering wheels: one in the normal right-hand-drive spot for a U.K. car, the other in the rear passenger-side seat. For those who have seen the movie (if you haven't, we recommend it), it should have clicked by now why the car has this setup. For those who haven't, there is a fairly simple explanation. In one of the scenes, the main character is seen escaping the police by driving the car backward through a narrow street at a high rate of speed. Rather than trying to accomplish this task by actually driving the car backward, the movie makers apparently cut off the body of the WRX, flipped it 180 degrees, and reattached it. So, the steering wheel that appears to be in the normal spot is actually an imposter added after the fact. The real driver's seat, steering wheel, six-speed gearbox and pedals are the ones seen in the rear seat facing the trunk. According to the seller, there are several other additions to the car, which is claimed to be an STI Spec D. The seller says the engine has several upgrades to the engine, as well as a welded-in roll cage. The car apparently does not start with the key but was bump started and ran okay. Though listed on eBay, this is not an auction. The seller has posted the car, which has 67,000 miles on it, for GBP5,950.00 (about $7,605). He also claims to have two other Subarus that were used in the movie. This would be a perfect car to charge for appearances at local events and parades. Just beware of the gremlins that are sure to pop up. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: News Source: eBay Auto News Weird Car News Subaru Car Buying Used Car Buying Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan eBay movie cars sti

Will more efficient tech mean higher prices for Subaru?

If the latest ruling by the California Air Resources Board holds, then Subaru at least must build a plug-in hybrid in the coming years to comply with the Golden State's regulations. Fuel economy looks to improve across the board for the brand, though, thanks to $780 million going into the development of cleaner powertrains for this fiscal year alone. However, buyers might have to pay more for a Subie in the future after this boost in green spending. "Related costs are going up more than expected, bringing the profit margin downward," Fuji Heavy Industries President Yasuyuki Yoshinaga said to the Nihon Keizai newspaper in Japan, according to Automotive News. "We are a small company. We do not benefit as much from economy of scale as bigger companies, so we will have to make up for the increased costs by raising our brand value." At the moment, Subaru's electrified lineup in the US comprises just the XV Crosstrek Hybrid, but the company is reportedly planning to add more. Plus, Subie also wants to make its internal combustion engines more efficient. According to Automotive News, all of the brand's mills are getting direct injection by 2016, and cylinder deactivation and lean combustion cycles are on track for 2020. Earlier rumors also suggested that the automaker might bring the turbocharged four-cylinder boxer to more products, as well. While these more efficient models might cost more, Subaru must carefully maintain the balancing act of introducing the technology and keeping sales growing. As of May 2015, the brand had 42 straight months of year-over-year growth in the US and had record sales in the country last year. The company has already decided to significantly boost production capacity at its Indiana factory in hopes of keeping the good times rolling.