SUBARU DISPLAY VEHICLES AT THE 2008 SEMA SHOW

THE ROAD TO SEMA: SUBARU CONCEPT VEHICLES

DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER, SUBARU DISPLAYED NINE VEHICLES AT THE 2008 SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT MARKET ASSOCIATION (SEMA) SHOW IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. HERE IS WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT THEM WHEN THIS ISSUE OF DRIVE PERFORMANCE WENT TO PRESS.

TWO RADICAL FORESTER CONCEPTS

“WITH THE OVERWHELMING SALES SUCCESS OF THE ALL-NEW 2009 FORESTER, WE WANTED TO BUILD TWO EXTREME VEHICLES THAT WOULD ILLUSTRATE THE VERSATILITY OF THE FORESTER’S DESIGN PLATFORM. EACH VEHICLE PROVIDES A GREAT CANVAS TO SHOWCASE THE EXTENSIVE LIST OF AVAILABLE GENUINE SUBARU ACCESSORIES^®.”
– ACCESSORIES MARKETING MANAGER ERIK LUKAS, SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.

2009 FORESTER XTI

The Forester XTI is the fusion of the rugged 2009 Forester XT and the performance-prepared 2008 Impreza WRX STI. This “best of both worlds” vehicle is a Forester body coupled with an STI 305-horsepower engine, 6-speed manual transmission, race-ready suspension, brakes, and electronics.

The exterior is modified with Genuine Subaru Accessories: Front Under Spoiler and Sport Mesh Grille. The interior is complete with leather and Alcantara^®1 STI sport seats and leather-wrapped STI steering wheel.

At the end of August, this vehicle was completely disassembled down to an empty shell. Most of the exterior was sanded down, leaving a washed-out red appearance. The only hint of what this vehicle eventually would resemble was a painted liftgate drying off to the side and painted pillars – all boasted a deep burnt orange color. The completed look has metallic charcoal color fading into a root beer brown, representing the vision of an extremely fast vehicle burning up as it re-enters the atmosphere. It is finished off with a black stripe stretching from front bumper to rear bumper and a striking gold pearl SPT logo adorning each side.

2009 FORESTER MOUNTAIN RESCUE VEHICLE

The Mountain Rescue 2009 Forester conceptualizes a first responder vehicle for the National Ski Patrol. The safety-green-inspired color is designed to stand out at night. The 2009 Forester XT was prepared by Specialized Vehicles in Troy, Michigan.

This extreme mountain vehicle features Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and off-road 30-inch Yokohama Geolandar MTS tires. The custom fender flares and body cladding allow for larger wheel wells for bigger tires, which increase ground clearance. This monster is equipped with a custom-adjustable ride height suspension by Air Lift with driver remote-control and keyless remote to raise and lower vehicle. “We consulted extensively with representatives from the National Ski Patrol in order to find out what features and equipment they would need for high-altitude rescues,” declared Lukas.

The vehicle is outfitted with a custom front tubular grille guard, Genuine Subaru Accessories Sport Mesh Grille, cross bars to carry a rescue toboggan, five forward-facing and two rearward-facing LED spot lamps, and roof-mounted ski carriers – the first product of the new “Subaru Yakima Equipped” co-branded label.

Panel truck modifications consist of removing rear door glass, replacing rear quarter glass with an external-access 6-inch-deep compartment, shaving rear door handles with rear doors opened by remote, installing custom interior paneling, and inserting a new flat floor for the entire cargo and rear seat area.

2009 WRX 5-DOOR BY SPT

A 2009 WRX 5-door was modified with bolt-on Subaru Genuine Performance Parts by Subaru Performance Tuning and Subaru Tecnica International. It showcases an SPT performance cat-back exhaust system, STI short-throw shifter, SPT turbo heat shield, SPT lower chassis brace, SPT front strut tower brace, and STI front lip spoiler. The interior features the popular Subaru iPod^® interface kit and Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror with HomeLink^®2.

The white WRX sports a graphics scheme of gray and blue pixilated patches with the SPT logo hidden in the design.

2009 WRX 4-DOOR BY AEM

The AEM Impreza WRX is customized for the outdoor adventurist. It boasts the signature all-wheel drive and is equipped with a 449-horsepower engine, SPT lower chassis brace, SPT cat-back exhaust system, and SPT lower strut tower bar that are perfect for the surf- and snow-bound enthusiasts.

Modifications include the STI front lip spoiler, Genuine Subaru Accessories roof carrier base, STI pedal pad set, and ski and snowboard carrier by Subaru Yakima. The custom skateboard and snowboard were created by Advanced Engine Management (AEM), the Subaru supplier partner that created this vehicle concept.

2009 LEGACY 3.0R LIMITED BY HARMAN KARDON^®3

The 2009 Legacy was created in conjunction with Harman Kardon, the new audio partner for Subaru models.

The car’s altered exterior has Japanese domestic market cues, including front quarter panels, hood fascia, grille, bumper, and headlights – giving it a more aggressive front end. Performance parts added include an STI coil-over suspension, JDM S401 STI 18-inch by 8-inch wheels, and Yokohama Neova tires.

The interior components incorporate center channel speakers, front door speakers, rear door speakers, rear deck, and subwoofer all by JBL^®4, a brand of Harman Kardon.

CARS BUILT FOR SPEED

Displayed alongside these concept vehicles were Subaru cars built with serious speed in mind:

• The Unlimited Class Crawford Performance Time Attack Impreza WRX STI, which is featured in this issue’s cover story, carries an eye-catching orange-and-black paint scheme.
• The #199 Red Bull^® Impreza WRX STI as driven by Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana to earn X Games gold plus the 2008 Rally America National Championship.
• The race-prepared Legacy 2.5GT spec.B piloted by members of the Subaru Road Racing Team in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series.
• The Fast and the Furious 4 Subaru WRX STI driven by Paul Walker in the upcoming movie.