Rumors have been flying that Subaru of America planned on changing its corporate image related to the warranty coverage offered on its vehicles.  In a positive step forward, Subaru of America recently announced to its network of dealerships that STi performance parts previously not covered under the limited warranty for Genuine Subaru Replacement Parts & Accessories, but now are.

“Therefore they can henceforth be installed by Subaru dealers on new and previously owned vehicles and the applicable parts and accessories warranty coverage will apply.

Included are WRX Springs, and Sway bars; virtually all undercarriage bushings including those for the muffler hanger and lateral , transverse and trailing links; strut, engine and transmission mounts; selected lateral link sets; and the STI pitching stopper. New part numbers have been assigned and the system reflects the suppression from the original STI number to the new FHI number.”

Subaru of America, Inc. will showcase two of its newest high-performance models at the 2005 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center Nov. 1-4. The 2006 Impreza WRX TR and the limited edition Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B will make their North American show debut at the industry’s premier automotive specialty performance products trade event. Subaru is America’s All-Wheel Drive leader, with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive standard on every vehicle in its model line.

For 2006, Subaru has considerably upped the ante in the high-performance arena with a restyled and expanded Impreza WRX line featuring a new 230-horsepower 2.5-liter engine. The new WRX TR model, and a new, limited edition Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B model, both fit the SEMA spirit of individualization and performance.

The WRX TR is the “Tuner Ready” version of this legendary performance car, featuring the new, more powerful engine and at a lower price. Combining the newly fortified punch of the 2006 WRX with the interior content and exterior trim from the Impreza 2.5 i Sedan allows for a lower entry-level price point

TOKYO—Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is studying whether to sell a small, gasoline-sipping car in the United States.

If projections are favorable, the car in the so-called B segment could be assembled at the company’s plant in Normal, Ill.

Mitsubishi believes that more Americans may shift to smaller cars because of rising gasoline prices. Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors, does not want to cede that growing market to the likes of Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Chevrolet.

“We have to consider the possibility of bringing a B car to the United States if we determine that the U.S. customers are going in that direction,” he told Automotive News at the Tokyo Motor Show last week.

He said a likely candidate could be the small Colt hatchback that is sold in Japan. But he said it might be too costly to modify the Japanese vehicle to meet U.S. regulations.

He said if the company determines that it could sell from 50,000 to 70,000 units here, he could make a business case to produce the vehicle at Normal.

Trevor Hofmann | Canadian Auto Press

According to top-ranking Mitsubishi officials, the prototype shown in Frankfurt is very true to the next Lancer Evolution, which bodes well for the automaker gaining ground as new models get released.

“The overall shape is close to the production model,” commented Akinori Nakanishi, chief designer for Mitsubishi Motors Corp. “We want a more mature looking, upscale and sophisticated model.”

It is believed that Mitsubishi will attempt to heighten the EVO’s appeal to a broader range of new car buyers when the new model comes along, it currently only sells 5,000 units in the U.S., and none in Canada being that bumper restrictions don’t allow its sale north of the 49th.

Currently, the manual-only performance car’s “boy-racer” styling is not popular among women, and Mitsubishi hopes its classier design and the addition of an automatic transmission will help lure more female performance buyers to the EVO camp.

The Evolution “is more boy-racer looking,” Nakanishi added. “We need a broader audience because of the price.”

The iconic Subaru Impreza is set for a dramatic change! A bold new hatchback is to replace the Impreza in 2007.

This news might come as a shock for Subaru fans but the iconic Japanese carmaker has some serious plans for the next Impreza.

Subaru gave a hint of what to expect of the Impreza replacement at the Tokyo Motor Show where the carmaker unveiled the radical looking B5 concept car.

The B5 shows Subaru’s distinctive new design direction and it featured the company’s new aeroplane-shaped grille.

Although the speedometer of the concept car is digital the B5’s rev-counter takes centre position in front of the driver as with the current Impreza STi.

Saleen knows all about power. As in S281 Mustangs, N2O Focuses and the S7, America’s first (and still the only) mid-engine exotic supercar. When it went on sale in 2002, the S7 was the only street-legal car in the U.S. with more than 500 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The media and S7 owners have raved about the car since it first smoked the rear tires in anger. And it has been recognized by numerous automotive magazines as the fastest production car in the world.

But during the past three years the automobile marketplace has witnessed an explosion of performance with models from manufacturers including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Chevrolet touting power numbers above the once magic 500 level.

Saleen is not an organization content to rest on yesterday’s 0-60 mph times or quarter-mile speeds. So for 2005 it’s “goodbye S7” and “all hail the S7 Twin Turbo!” This is the first major change to the S7 since its introduction, and it is a BIG change as in 750 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque, numbers the competition will be chasing for a long while we predict.

Compact sedan’s turbocharged, intercooled engine now features advanced MIVEC technology, producing higher torque and better overall performance

Source: Mitsubishi Motors of North America

Bred from legendary racing DNA and a legacy of heart-pounding excitement on the FIA world rally circuit, the striking new 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX was introduced today at the New York International Automobile Show. Loaded with power and aerodynamic enhancements culled from Mitsubishi’s rally-racing success during the past 13 years, the Lancer Evolution IX further distinguishes the vehicle as the undisputable leader in the high-performance compact sedan market.

This latest edition to the Lancer Evolution model line, designed to compete against far more expensive sports cars, easily lives up to its Mitsubishi motorsports pedigree. By combining brute power and graceful agility, the Lancer Evolution IX is sure to raise the adrenaline of driving enthusiasts at every turn.

Charged with taking the Lancer Evolution driving experience to the next level, Mitsubishi engineers complemented the vehicle’s unmatched riding and handling characteristics - refined on the world’s most demanding test tracks - with even more power and torque for 2006.

“Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, nothing can touch the Lancer Evolution IX,” said Rich Gilligan, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America. “For people who want to truly stand out in a high-performance compact sedan, there’s no better value than this latest edition of the Lancer Evolution series.”

What happens when a legend from Texas reunites with a legend from Dearborn? The most powerful Mustang ever. After 40 years, racing legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Mustang are back together with the introduction of the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500.

The collaboration between Shelby and Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) is yielding an instant collector’s Mustang that builds 475 horsepower in its 5.4-liter supercharged V-8. A modern interpretation of the Shelby Mustang of the 1960s, the Ford Shelby GT500 uses advanced engineering to attain the performance that made the original GT500 the king of the road.

True to the original GT500, it will be available both as a coupe and as a convertible when it goes on sale in the summer of 2006. “When Carroll was developing the original GT350 and GT500, he wanted to build the most powerful, most capable Mustangs of his day,” says Hau Thai-Tang, director, Advanced Product Creation and Special Vehicle Team. “Our goal was to build the most powerful, most capable Mustang ever.”

Serving as touchstone and inspirational leader for both the concept and the production versions, Shelby was impressed by what the team has accomplished. “It’s one thing to put 450 horsepower in an exotic supercar,” says Shelby. “It’s another to put that much power in something as affordable as a Mustang. The fact that they not only met their goal but pushed on to 475 horsepower is a remarkable achievement.”

Shelby knows something about creating modern supercars. He served as a senior adviser on the team that developed and built the 550-horsepower Ford GT.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) today announced that the Lancer Evolution IX high-performance 4WD sports sedan would go on sale at affiliated dealerships throughout Japan on March 3, 2005. With a 2.0-liter intercooler-turbocharged engine powering all four wheels through an electronically controlled 4WD system, Evolution IX raises all dynamic performance parameters to a new level. Tax inclusive prices range from 2,940,000 yen to 3,570,000 yen.

Evolution IX marks the 12th model in the series, which has also included an automatic transmission model, since the Lancer Evolution debuted in October 1992. Major features distinguishing the latest model include the adoption of Mitsubishi’s proprietary MIVEC variable valve timing technology in the intake system and improvements to the turbocharger that result in higher torque and produce better response for improved engine performance across its full rev range. New front and rear bumpers bring both high aerodynamics and cooling performance.