In what is likely the last special edition model based on the current Legacy platform, Subaru has introduced the very special and very limited STI S402 for some very special Japanese customers.

Available in either sedan or wagon, Subaru has loaded up the Legacy GT with many STI performance parts, as well as some items that are exclusive to this vehicle. The end result being envy of just about every Subie driver worldwide.

One item that's exclusive to this model is that this is the first 2.5 Subaru that has a twin-scroll turbo (pictured). The JDM 2.0 turbos have had twin-scroll capability for some time. I'm hoping we will see this offered on US-spec models in the future, as it greatly improves power throughout the rev range.

The car goes on sale in Japan at the end of June.

Full story here.

Nope, this is not a new Subaru Tribeca, but rather the production version of the Japanese-spec 7-seat Exiga. The Exiga is rumored to be very close to the next-generation Outback—or perhaps better stated—the all-new 2010 Outback is rumored to be built off the Exiga platform.

Subaru debuted an Exiga concept (middle image) last year at the Tokyo auto show (2007 Tokyo Auto Show Preview: Subaru Exiga). At that time is was rumored that it would see production in the not too distant future. If the Exiga-Outback rumor proves to be true, don't expect it to seat seven. It also signifies that the Outback will be distanced a bit more from the Legacy than is currently the case.

I suspect that the new Outback's closest competitor will be the new Toyota Venza. The Vensa will come with a 2.7L four-cylinder engine and the 3.5L V6. The V6 can tow 3500 pounds. It should be an interesting match up, if my speculating here comes true.

The link to the Exiga teaser image is here.

Do you know  the name of this car? If you do, you're the winner. Well, you don't actually win anything. However, you can tell  your buddies you know more about cars than them. Wait, you already do that - just for fun then.

Check back next week for the answer and some stats on this automotive oddity.

Brian Moody

DISCLAIMER: Yes, this is a Subaru video. Yes, I'm a Subaru fan. Yes, the Forester and Legacy GT have different AWD systems (VDC on the GT which allows for 1-wheel traction, and not on '08 Forester, but is on '09 Forester). Yes, the Highlander and VW here are 2007 models, and therefore may not represent what's currently being sold. No, that doesn't mean that the results aren't valid or informative.

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We all hear and read about AWD these days, and we also know here are a bunch of different systems out there which all work differently. More to the point, some work better or worse than others. Unfortunately there's not much out there showing the "actual" advantages of one system over another.

The vehicles here are all tested in a lab and on a ramp with four rollers that can be locked or unlocked to simulate icy conditions. While Honda, Toyota and VW may well have their own videos that show their vehicles to be superior, I haven't seen any. To be more truthful, I haven't gone out of my way to look for any either. I have, however, seen several videos that show Subaru's AWD in comparison to some of its competitors, and this is just the most recent one that's come to my attention.

So whether you buy into this video, or just consider it Subaru propaganda, the results are still interesting.

Although the official debut of the 2009 Acura TSX will happen at the 2008 New York Auto Show in a couple weeks, the European Honda Accord unveiled today in Geneva is a pretty good sneak peek. Its exterior is virtually identical as it uses the same shield grille up front and a sharply creased rear end. Inside, it’s all Accord though as the cabin looks identical to our larger U.S.-market version.

Like our TSX, the European Accord will offer a 197-hp 2.4-liter engine, but it also marks the introduction of Honda’s latest i-DTEC diesel engine. A diesel option is an absolute must for a mainstream family sedan in Europe, but whether Acura will use it in the upscale TSX is still being debated. We drove an early prototype and the performance is solid, but we don’t see many U.S. buyers opting for the more expensive diesel given the fuel-efficiency of the standard four-cylinder gas engine. -- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line

Audi will debut a new A4 Avant at the Geneva Auto Show. The mechanicals and vehicle content are pretty much as per the sedan. At launch, Audi will offer two gasoline engines and three diesel engines. These engines offer superior performance by more than 14 percent as compared to previous versions.

Here’s Inside Line’s take: 2008 Geneva Auto Show Preview: Audi A4 Avant

More images after the jump.

Continue reading...

Motor Authority, Winding Road and Car & Driver are reporting that Lincoln may get a version of the Ford Flex.

Now why am I not surprised? After all, that's a classic Ford modus operandi: Take a successful (or not successful) Ford product and then clone it for Lincoln and/or Mercury.

So expect at a chrome-laden Flex wagon bearing Lincoln badges sometime in the near future. Let's hope they do better with this than they did with the Lincoln Blackwood, Mark LT and Aviator.

Full story here and here.

Image: Winding Road

This nifty Volvo Surf Rescue Concept was conceived by Volvo and built by Aria, a concept car building firm from Irvine, CA. The car was first shown at SEMA. 

Other than some eye-catching graphics, the 3.2L, 235 hp car has been given a 5" suspension lift, oversized floation-type tires, and modified body panels. The interior has also been given the beach once-over.

Full story here.

We’re not sure what to make of these latest spy shots. Spy photographers in Germany caught these pics of what looks like an Audi A4-based Allroad. With its raised ride height, knobby tires and black fenders, all the signs are there. The only problem is the sedan bodystyle as the Allroad was offered as a wagon only. So this prototype is probably one of two things: a fake sedan body covering up what will become an A4-based Allroad wagon, or a fake sedan body riding on the chassis of the upcoming Q5 SUV. If there is an A4-based Allroad don’t expect to see it in the U.S., however, as the previous A6-based Allroad never achieved the popularity Audi had hoped for.

Ikuo Mori, president and CEO of Fuji Heavy Industries, gave only passing mention to the Subaru Exiga at the company's Tokyo press conference. He never used the word "minivan," but that's exactly what the Exiga (or whatever name FHI settles on) will be when the production version goes on sale.

It should do well in a market where, based on our extensive observation during long bus rides to and from Makuhari Messe, buyers prefer hinged rear doors instead of sliders, and four-cylinder engines instead of thirsty sixes, while insisting upon a minimum of one entertainment screen per row of seating. -- Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor