Subaru’s UK distributor IM Group is expecting the availability of Subaru’s new boxer turbodiesel engine to double UK Subaru sales from 7,000 units in 2007 to about 15,000 cars annually by 2010. It’s target for 2008 is 8,500 units.

The first oil burning Subarus to arrive on UK shores is the Legacy and the Outback, and this will be followed by diesel version of the Subaru Forester in September 2008, and the Subaru Impreza before the year ends.

While doubling sales by 2010 sounds impressive, IM Group says this is about as far as Subaru can go in the UK with its current model line-up, with no higher sales expected unless Subaru expands its model line-up into other segments.

Related Posts:
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Subaru turbodiesel boxer produces 110kW (147 horsepower)

This video produced by BMW WebTV is some form of short documentary (2:27 long) on the history of the BMW M3. Check out the video after the jump, together with links to a previously published three-part series of articles on the BMW M3.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: The BMW M3 – Milestones

While the European Toyota Yaris TS uses a 1.8 liter Dual VVT-i engine producing 130 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 173Nm of torque at 4,400rpm, its Japanese twin with a different name the Toyota Vitz has gone down the forced induction route with the Toyota Vitz TRD Turbo M. Sporting a similiar engine to the Toyota Vios Turbo sold in Thailand some time ago, the 1.5 liter DOHC VVT-i engine 1NZ-FE in the Toyota Vitz gets a bolt-on turbocharger with intercooler and now produces 150 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 195Nm of torque at 4,800rpm, far more powerful than the Yaris TS.

Nearly 200Nm of torque should prove pretty fun for a car that weighs only 1,060kg, but its a shame that peak torque kicks in at such a high RPM, something unseen of with modern turbocharged engines. We’re used to peak torque kicking in under 2,500rpm in small displacement engines these days, but then again we have to remember that unlike the BMW Price, Fiat T-JET or the Volkswagen TSI engine, this wasn’t designed to be a turbocharged engine to begin with, and is a bolt-on. So the numbers are pretty decent. The Vitz TRD Turbo M rides on a stiffer suspension that also lowers the car by 15mm.

When I was browsing through the Vitz’s microsite, I also found a more powerful normally aspirated variant of the 1NZ-FE that makes 119 PS at 6,000rpm and 147Nm of torque between 4,400rpm and 5,200rpm, compared to the 1NZ-FE in our Toyota Vios which makes the usual 109 PS and 142Nm of torque. We could possibly see this state of tune being made the standard 1NZ-FE tune in the future to counter Honda’s latest series of 1.5 liter engines found in the 2nd generation Fit which already produces 120 PS.

A few photos of the TRD components after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Toyota Vitz TRD Turbo M

Toyota has been testing a plug-in version of its Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive hybrid car.

The plug-in system is expected to make its debut in the next generation Toyota Prius, which is due soon. Plug-in recharging is one of the features of the next generation Hybrid Synergy Drive.

According to Toyota, a complete recharge of the prototype’s batteries can be done in about 3 to 4 hours from a 100V outlet. Check out the 3 minute video after the jump, which previews the next generation Prius technologies.

Click here to read the rest of Toyota previews next gen Hybrid Synergy Drive

It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard of the Lexus IS-F here on this blog. Here is a video of the Lexus IS-F at a track day. You can see a whole line-up of the Lexus IS-F in the pits, and not just the blue one we see so often. Needless to say, there’s also plenty of engine growl to enjoy. Video after jump.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Lexus IS-F on the race track

Toyota has revealed the production version of the Toyota iQ at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, but without any details on its powertrain options, except that two will be petrol and one will be diesel. So what we do know now is what it will actually look like when it goes into production late this year.

The compact Toyota iQ has a length of 2,985mm and a wheelbase of 2,000mm – such a long wheelbase for such a short length means a surprisingly large interior, very short overhangs, and a generally cute cartoon-like appearance. It takes 3 adults and a child or luggage, or the entire rear bench can be used for luggage instead.

The small Toyota iQ is definitely not a Tata Nano competitor despite it being so small sized. According to Toyota, it is designed to cater for the needs of buyers who seek more than just urban mobility but demand space and refinement in an environmentally-friendly vehicle. Those who want it to be green and convenient, but not necessarily sparse. It is also expected to score 5 stars in the Euro NCAP safety test.

The interior has a chocolate-plum colour scheme, and the dashboard sports a 5.8 inch color touch screen display which allows you to control the in-car entertainment and satellite navigation. Rear legroom has been increased by using a slim seat design for the front seats, which gives a further 40mm of rear legroom at knee height.

The short overhangs were achieved through clever methods. Firstly, a newly developed differential saves engine compartment space. The whole under-bonnet equipment packaging has been made alot more compact so that the front wheels can be placed at the very corners of the car. The rear shock absorbers are rear-angled. The iQ uses a flat under-floor fuel tank, which is something difficult to engineer because of the variance in fuel surface levels depending on the angle of the car. Somehow Toyota engineers managed to make a viable flat under-floor fuel tank.

More photos after the jump.

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Production Toyota iQ to debut at Geneva 2008
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Click here to read the rest of Production Toyota iQ showcased at Geneva 2008

This is BMW’s opening video for its 2008 Geneva Motorshow showcase. It includes the new hybrid-turbodiesel BMW X5 Concept Vision EfficientDynamics, the BMW X6, the new M3 Convertible, and other cars in the Geneva line-up. Video after jump.

Click here to read the rest of BMW at the Geneva Motorshow 2008

Grand Prize Winner of the F1 Simulator Challenge, Encik Tunku Muhammad Ilyas – Click to enlarge

Here are some snapshots from the Honda F1 Roadshow at the Queensbay Mall in Penang during the weekend. It should give you an idea of what to expect if you drop by the next roadshow held at Sunway Pyramid this Friday to Sunday (7th to 9th).

Just a recap – there will be information on the new RA108 Earthdreams car, and a mock-up of the 2007 season’s RA107 will also be displayed. The F1 car simulator competition and other games could win you prizes worth more than RM10,000, which include grandstand tickets for the upcoming Malaysian leg of the F1 race.

As Soichiro Honda once said, “Without racing, there is no Honda.” For more information on the roadshow schedule, please visit the post in the related links below.

More photos after the jump.

Related Posts:
Honda F1 Roadshows arond Peninsular Malaysia

Click here to read the rest of Honda F1 Roadshow at Queensbay Mall Penang

Full details of the new Volkswagen Scirocco has officially been unveiled, and Volkswagen says the Scirocco is positioned as an affordable sports car, perhaps the German version of what the Mazda MX5 is.

Three petrol engines and one diesel engine are available. Petrol engines include a 122 horsepower 1.4 liter TSI with 200Nm of torque, a 160 horsepower 1.4 liter TSI with 240Nm of torque, and the venerable 200 horsepower 2.0 liter TFSI engine with 280Nm of torque. The 1.4 liter engines are available with the new dry clutch 7-speed DSG, while the 2.0 liter TFSI and the 140 horsepower TDI turbodiesel with 320Nm of torque is available with the wet clutch 6-speed DSG, the gearbox that changed the landscape of shift performance. All of the manual transmissions are 6-speeders.

The Volkswagen Scirocco is 4,256mm long, 1,810mm wide and 1,400mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,578mm. For comparison sake, the Golf GTI is 4,216mm long, 1,785mm wide and 1,466mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,578mm. The two cars have an identical wheelbase, which means the rear passengers of the Scirocco will most likely enjoy the Golf’s generous rear knee room, but the Scirocco is longer, wider and shorter than the Golf GTI, lending it a much sleeker profile.

The sleek side profile sports a hidden B-pillar, and the front end shows a new Volkswagen front fascia, which might be a preview of the 6th generation Volkswagen Golf’s front end. The Scirocco is a 4-seater with front and rear bucket seats, and it has a 292 liter boot, extendable into the cabin area for a total of 755 liters via the foldable 50:50 split rear bench.

For more photos of the Scirocco, look at the previous post linked below.

Related Posts:
Volkswagen Scirocco photos leaked ahead of debut

My second contribution to new online newspaper The Malaysian Insider is now up. Read the story titled “The low-down on leasing” at The Malaysian Insider. Do check out the rest of the paper too, I think the quality of the stories is rather good.

Previous TMI Stories:
TMI 1: Our car industry – coming or going?