Subaru Impreza 2008 News

Subaru has launched a major 121,754-vehicle recall to fix a potential fault which can cause the brake lights to fail (though the brakes themselves will still work), with every Forester, WRX, Impreza and XV sold over a particular timeframe impacted.

A number of potentially hazardous faults have been identified in vehicles sold in Australia, prompting a wide range of recalls.

But it won't be back in Australia.Chris Atkinson is fighting to rebuild his shattered career after Subaru's shock withdrawal from the World Rally Championship.Atkinson has just completed his best season — finishing fifth in the championship with a string of second places and beating Subaru team leader Petter Solberg — but now finds himself without a car.“At the moment I still have a contract with Subaru for 2009. But obviously if they are not competing then neither am I,” Atkinson said yesterday from his base in Monaco.“That's about as much as I know at the moment. I've been loyal to Subaru and that's the disappointing thing.“There are only five or six drivers in the world at our level so hopefully I will be wanted somewhere.”The Queenslander has battled to establish himself among the world's motorsport elite, winning a multi-million-dollar salary with his speed and commitment to the British-based team.But Subaru company president Ikuo Mori said in Tokyo the withdrawal was forced by the global economic crisis.“While this decision is sudden it was necessary,” Mori said as he battled tears.Subaru's move follows Honda closing its Formula One team and a similar WRC withdrawal by Suzuki.Atkinson admitted he was shocked when told of Subaru's decision by Prodrive, which runs the factory's Impreza rally squad.“I'm a little bit surprised. I definitely didn't expect it, especially with everyone having contracts for next year,” Atkinson said. “Maybe at the end of next year . . .”Atkinson and his management team are looking for another team but, despite his world ranking, there are only two remaining WRC manufacturer teams — Ford and Citroen — and both are full.“Obviously I still want to race and compete, but with the championship at the moment it looks difficult to get a drive,” Atkinson said.“You've always got to keep your eye out for what's available, but there is not too much to chase in the WRC.”Prodrive plans to continue with privately-funded Subarus in the WRC next year, and Ford and Citroen also field second-tier teams, but Atkinson will not pay to drive.“I think of the options that are available they require sponsorship to be brought,” he said. “It wouldn't be ideal. That's not what I want to do.”But he plans to keep rallying at the highest level possible.“I have to drive something. You can't just stop,” he said.That could mean a move to the International Rally Series, which fields S2000 cars similar to the Toyota Corolla which Neal Bates took to this year's Australian Rally Championship, or stepping back into a production class Subaru Impreza in the Group N category of the world championship.“There are a lot of good things about that championship (the IRC) and we need manufacturers in there, so that's an interesting situation,” Atkinson said.“I don't know if Subaru is planning anything on that front, or the Super 2000 category, but they will still be involved in Group N.“I'll be happy if the phone rings, but we have to see what happens.“I don't want to be too confident. I haven't looked at too many options. We only found out on Monday.”But Atkinson has no intention of retreating to Australia, even if he could pick up a drive in the national championship.“I've got no plans to come back at the moment,” he said. 

STEVE Owen became the newest development series winner in the V8 Supercar world at Oran Park on Sunday afternoon. He claimed the Fujitsu Championship crown, despite young Jack Perkins taking top points for the weekend, after a season-long battle with another 'main game' refugee, Dean Canto.HONDA is not the only company winding back its motorsport involvement because of the global economic decline, even if the Japanese maker is the first to desert Formula One. Audi is slashing its sports car racing schedule for 2009, withdrawing entirely from the American Le Mans series, although it has built is new R15 turbodiesel racer to try and continue its string of Le Mans 24-hour victories in France.DRIVERS have begun their team switches for the 2009 V8 Supercar season, with James Courtney moving to Dick Johnson and Jim Beam, Todd and Rick Kelly setting up a new Melbourne workshop for Kelly Racing, Will Davison moving into the Holden Racing Team, and Alex Davison doing ride days as he gets ready for Stone Brothers Racing. Among the potential changes for next season are David Reynolds in a fourth car with Walkinshaw Racing, although no-one knows yet who will take the plum place at the Toll-HSV Dealer Team which has been vacated by Rick Kelly.COST cutting in motorsport has even hit the well-funded Nascar series in the USA. All off-season testing has been banned in the stock car series, although the decision only applies to tracks where the three championship series teams actually compete.CHRIS Atkinson had a miserable end to a miserable season when he crashed out of Rally GB on the second day in his Subaru Impreza. The young Australian was in the leading group when he slid into the trees on an icy corner in Wales with a heavy impact that meant a precautionary trip to hospital, although he was not injured.PHILLIP Island will host the long-distance lead-up to Bathurst for at least the next decade under a new deal agreed with V8 Supercars Australia. The two-driver, 500-kilometre enduro moved to its new home this year from Sandown Park and has now been confirmed until 2018 in a deal negotiated by Phillip Island's Andrew Fox.DAVID Murcott continued his strong recent run with sprintcar victory at Avalon Raceway in the fourth round of the SRA series, a win made easier when Luch Monte blew his right-rear tyre with just seven laps to go in the feature. The win made Murcott a three-straight winner of the Fireball Derby as he beat out series leader Matthew Reed and South Australian Steven Lines.ADELAIDE motorcycle racer Brendan Roberts will hit the big time next year when he competes in the World Superbike Championship. He is joining the Guandalini Racing team in Italy and, not surprisingly, will be racing a Ducati.A GOOD samaritan act in the Classic Adelaide rally has finally been rewarded, with Kevin Weeks and Bec Crunkhorn being named as winners after eventually losing top spot with a time penalty after stopping for a crashed car. Bill Pye and Grant Geelan were originally named as winners in their Porsche 911, but Weeks appealed and was given back enough of his lost time to regain the lead he held throughout the event and another victory in his Porsche.LAMBORGHINI racer Mark Eddy is Australia's new GT Champion. He claimed the title with his Gallardo at Sandown Park in Melbourne, as Richard Kimber took the GT Challenge crown with his Porsche and Tim Poulton used a Lotus Exige to become GT Production champion.RICK Kelly is really shaking his racing world. He has already confirmed he is leaving the Toll-HSV Dealer team to drive for Kelly Racing in 2009 and has also set up his own website, rickkelly.com.au 

Subaru Australia managing director, Nick Senior, credits the Impreza with having driven sales, particularly since the arrival of a sedan model earlier this year.Next week the range will get another boost with the updated 2.5-litre WRX sedan and hatch.Senior says that despite the recent new car sales slowdown, Subaru is on track to achieve its 11th consecutive record sales year.The Impreza is a big contributor, he says.“We've seen Impreza sales up 7 per cent this year in a small car market that is up only marginally up year to date and that is despite the fact that we haven't had a sedan, which accounted for 50 per cent of our sales in the previous Impreza,” he says.“We launched the Impreza sedan in May and next week we launch the 2.5-litre WRX in sedan and hatch variants.“We are anticipating that our WRX sales will also increase.”Senior admitted that the past six months had been difficult but the company was performing solidly on the back of the Impreza and new Forester.When the Impreza was launched last year it pushed sales up 7 per cent without the added bonus of the sedan by attracting new buyers.“We had a thorough look at Impreza and in terms of a pure marketing campaign it has been a success in attracting those new audiences, particularly the professional womens' segment... female buyers from 25-30 right through to 50-55 that are working business professionals,” he says.“So we have grown that audience despite not having a sedan model.”Subaru will go into 2009 with the existing Liberty and Outback range, which is not due to be replaced until the end of the year.Senior says the company is also close to signing off on the Exiga minivan.“We're having a look at Exiga,” he says.“We've done clinics here.“There's one running around at the moment doing some preliminary work on testing.“We haven't pressed the button on it, yet, that's probably going to come after a few more discussions in late January.“So I imagine in January we'll be making a decision and if it is coming it's probably late next year.”Senior says unlike Japan, which has both turbo and non-turbo Exigas, only one normally aspirated model will be available here.That is expected to be a 2.0-litre four cylinder.In Japan that engine produces 108kW at 6000 revs and 191Nm at 3200 revs. 

In extreme situations, owners have been warned their vehicles may catch fire.Mitsubishi was hit with the biggest safety recall for the three month period. It has written to owners of Pajeros built between 2000 and 2003 to warn them of a potential brake problem. As many as 13,400 vehicles may need to be checked.The company also recalled 4400 of its now-defunct 380 sedan, built between 2006 and 2007, which may have a faulty fuel tank retaining strap. In a severe collision the tank may be dislodged and spill fuel.Mitsubishi is also checking more than 8300 Colts built this year which may have a problem with door windows which may drop and unlock or open the door while the car is being driven.Honda has recalled 11,800 of its 2004-05 Jazz to check whether they have a faulty handbrake, while Mazda needs to look at 1770 of its B4000 utes built between 2005-2006 because the bonnet may open unexpectedly.Subaru has recalled 5380 of its Imprezas, built between 2001 and 2003 because of a faulty rear tailgate which may suddenly drop.Subaru Australia spokesman, Dave Rowley, said many of the recalls were to check for "minor or niggling" faults."We have had no incidents of anyone being injured in Australia and we found only six cars which had the faulty (tailgate strut) connection."Many recalls are done as a pre-emptive measure to avoid possible problems further down the track, " he said.Other potential faults include electrical short circuits, which in extreme circumstances, may start a cabin fire in Landrover Freelander diesels built since 2007. Landrover warns the fault may occur when the vehicle is parked and unattended.Other recalls were to check for short circuits in Fiat's Grande Punto; and a chance that the panoramic glass roof in a small number of Citroen's Picasso could be dislodged.Suzuki has warned of potential fire risk in its 3-door Suzuki Grand Vitara (2006-07) because of a possible cracked fuel pipe, while the 2005-08 Vitara diesel has a remote fire risk in a filter because of a problem with the intercooler outlet pipe insulator.Other problems include faulty rear seat belt D-loop attachments in the current Jaguar XF, and the potential for a loss of steering in Chrysler's 300C built last year because of a problem with rear axle hub nuts which could see the half shaft disengage from the wheel hub.Mercedes Benz wants to look at axles, springs and the park brake in its Sprinter or Vito vans.Jayco has recalled some of its motor homes to check and fix awning and exhaust pipe problems.Of the 1500 motorcycles recalled, safety issues to be fixed include a faulty fuel filler on Kawasaki models, a windshield which may come off Buell bikes if ridden at high speed and a rear view mirror which may fall off on certain Yamaha models.An ACCC spokeswoman said this year's figures were actually less than last year but the number has been steadily rising over the past 20 years.The ACCC says there have been 52 individual recalls this year compared to 171 last year.Full details of the recalls can be found at www.recalls.gov.au 

Not all the new cars at the show are designed strictly for the road. They may be based on the standard production cars, but there are a number of race cars on display that offer some colour and speed beyond what the showroom can offer. Some are the genuine racers, some are mock-ups, but all offer a little spice to the show.Ford’s new FG V8 Supercar is yet to debut on track, but the show car is on display at the Ford stand. Subaru’s new Impreza STi World Rally Car that debuted in August in the hands of Aussie Chris Atkinson is set up in tarmac guise, while Toyota’s Australian Rally Championship Corolla sits alongside the TRD V6 Hilux Heroes stunt truck, as well as a Toyota Formula 1 car.New maker Isuzu has teamed with Bruce Garland to attack some off-road safaris, while on a production scale, George Miedecke’s Hyundai Tiburon.PlayStation’s influence infiltrates a couple of cars too, with the Motor Storm Pacific Rift monster truck and a Mitsubishi Lancer that houses a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue simulator. 

Not all the new cars at the show are designed strictly for the road.

Following the recent introduction of Impreza R, RX and RS sedans, the WRX will go on sale around December.Making its Australian motor show debut, the sedan Impreza WRX variant is expected to draw huge interest among Subaru turbocharged fans.Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia, said: “Impreza WRX sedan will feature a wide variety of mechanical changes.It will, of course, maintain our standard of five-star crashworthiness ratings for occupant safety and standard electronic stability control.”Mr Senior said Model Year 2009 Impreza WRX sedan and hatch would offer the same specification levels, making the choice easier for customers.“New generation Impreza has proved a sales winner since its introduction last year, with sales up 12.5 per cent.“This final addition to the range will expand its appeal still further.”Pricing and specification details will be released at the Show on Thursday 9 October. 

After an absence of 12 months, Subaru has added a new sedan to its Impreza line-up.The sedan is initially available only in naturally aspirated models. The WRX is due to arrive in December, but a hotter STi sedan is not on the cards, Subaru spokesman David Rowley says.Despite being out of the market for 12 months, Rowley says Subaru lost few customers.“If you look at the combined sales of the old sedan and hatch we have been selling 200 more a month of just the new hatch,” he says.“We hope the sedan will take sales to another level.“Even though the market has shifted a bit towards hatches we still think there is room for growth.”Prices of the R, RX and RS sedans are identical to the hatches, which means prices start at $24,490 for the R sedan, rising to $31,490 for the RS sedan.About 20 per cent of buyers are expected to opt for the new sedan, Rowley says.Like the hatch, the sedan has a five-star crash rating and electronic stability control is standard.So far this year Impreza sales are up 12.5 per cent, averaging more than 1000 a month, despite the lack of a sedan option until now.Subaru managing director Nick Senior says the Impreza is one of the country's fastest-growing models.“It is hugely encouraging that the sales mix of Impreza hatch has been fairly equal across the three variants, compared with the previous generation's bias towards the entry-level cars,” he says.Subaru expects the sedan to add about 200 Impreza sales a month.The Impreza sedan is 35mm higher and the wheelbase 95mm longer than the superseded version.For the first time, the sedan gets a split/fold rear seat to increase cargo-carrying capacity.