Subaru is upgrading their lineup with an all new Legacy for 2010, and while we enjoyed driving the larger sedan, we have to admit that the 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5X Limited we recently test drove offered a similar experience to the old four door wagon alternative, and that is certainly not a bad thing. Like all Subarus our Forester came from the factory with symmetrical all wheel drive so it can go anywhere, because it is a Forester the cabin is quite roomy and thanks to the boxy layout there is plenty of storage space for whatever adventure you can dream up.
Our 2010 Subaru Forester had fun written all over it from the tall stance to the oversized fog lights, moon roof and bold 17 inch rims that looked strong and sturdy enough thanks to their thick spokes to get the Forester anywhere you can imagine. The car’s 2.5 Liter Boxer engine makes 170 HP and thanks to Subaru’s SPORTSHIFT four speed automatic is about as much fun as you can have while getting as much as 26 MPG on the highway in a Low Emissions Vehicle with anything from your band’s equipment to your children’s soccer gear in the trunk.
Not only was the outside of our Subaru Forester 2.5 Limited energetic, the interior was well adorned with leather wrapped surfaces, a large LCD navigation display that only added to the appeal of the spacious cabin. Our Forester also came standard with a host of safety features like six air bags, ABS, VDC, four wheel disk brakes, a reinforced chassis developed by the WRC championship winning automaker and a whole bunch of five star safety ratings to back it up.
We recently received an all new 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5X Limited into the Top Speed test fleet. Our Camellia Red Pearl small SUV was completely redesigned back in 2008 and from what we can see, the improvements keep on coming into 2010. Like all Subarus, the Forester comes from the factory with all wheel drive, the cabin is quite roomy thanks to the boxy design and there is plenty of storage space in the back. The new touch screen navigation unit has Bluetooth built in and the infotainment system is made up of an AM/FM/XM radio with an in dash CD player and auxiliary audio and video inputs thanks to the popular Option package number 10, which for an extra $1,800 over the $25,995 MSRP gives you all those electronic goodies.
The interior of our brand new Subaru is upholstered in grey leather, covering everything from the seats to the steering wheel. The design team has incorporated the same metallic swatches into the dash of the Forester that we liked so much on the Impreza. We like the climate controls; three straight forward knobs control everything as opposed to a host of buttons and LCD displays. Our 2.5X also had power door locks and a one touch driver’s window that add a bit of convenience to the package. However the best part of the Forester’s interior is the ridiculously oversized panoramic sunroof, it is so large that the amount of light allowed inside rivals that of a convertible.
Just like the name suggests, our Forester is powered by a 2.5 Liter flat four engine cranking out 175 HP and still gets 20 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway. Our Subaru rode on a set of 17 inch rims that looked extremely strong and sturdy thanks to their thick spokes while the raised body makes the Forester look like it can go anywhere. Thanks to safety features like a host of air bags, ABS, disk brakes, a Subaru designed chassis and a whole bunch of top notch safety ratings is making us look forward to getting behind the wheel.
At last year’s Paris Motor Show, the English automaker Mini showed the world the Mini Crossover concept that took the cute Cooper and beefed it up with some off road attitude, and everyone expected to see the production version this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. however Mini has announced that the crossover’s official launch has been delayed until 2010 at the earliest.
That doesn’t mean that the Mini booth will be empty in Frankfurt, the automobile manufacturer will be unveiling the Mini Coupe concept and the Mini Roadster concept at the German auto show, a fitting move considering that their parent company BMW is from the region.
The crossover model, reportedly called Crossman, is almost certain to make an appearance at the Geneva motor show next spring. According to a BMW Mini spokesman, "The Crossover launch has been pushed back as we wish to first explore differentiation within future Mini smaller models and get feedback." Hopefully we don’t face any more financial crisis before then.
Top Speed was recently invited to Ford’s test facility in Dearborn, Michigan to have a look at what the American automaker has in store for the next model year and try to get a little insider information about the upcoming lineup. One of the vehicles that we were pleased as punch to have a chance to climb all over was the all-new for 2010 Ford Raptor. This high performance, purpose built off-road truck was built to be versatile enough to compete in the Baja 1000 right out of the showroom as well as get you to work and back again starting at only $38,020.
When the Ford Raptor was initially introduced, Ford’s representatives confirmed that the upcoming born in Baja special would be offered with two different power plants. At the time, everyone knew that the F-150 on steroids would have one of the blue oval’s 5.4 Liter 3 valve V8 engines under the hood making 320 HP and an impressive 390 lb-ft of torque. However what we didn’t know is that the other power plant that Ford’s design team are going to shoehorn in between the strut towers is the all-new 6.2 Liter SOHC V8. This 2 valve per cylinder piston pumper is slated to produce a ground pounding 400 HP and 400 lb-ft of torque when it goes on sale this November.
Although the truck is based on the Ford F-150, unique to the Raptor is the bold grill with an oversized “FORD” written across the front along with some other styling cues like a vented hood, unique front bumper, skid plate, 7 extra inches of track and loads of ground clearance. Everything about this truck was designed to make it a bonafide off-road competitor. One of the keys to that go anywhere lifestyle is suspension travel, with 11.2 inches in the front and 13.4 inches in the back. If you get under the truck you can see that the exhaust takes a dramatic bend over the rear axle to allow it over a foot of travel. The truck rides on 35 inch off-road radials that are connected to the chassis by a set of specially tuned FOX Racing Shox that bolt up to a pair of SVT designed reinforced lower control arms to make sure that the truck keeps tracking straight after repeatedly getting airborne. Ford hopes to get a lot of new truck buyers excited about the 2010 Raptor, with a package like this, it shouldn’t be hard at all.
Back in May Fornasari announced their plans to build the Racing Buggy concept. Even if everyone expected never to hear another word about the outlandish concept, the Italian automaker has announced that the 610 HP version will go into limited production for a price of around 80,000 euro, but they did not revealed the exact date of the launch.
Fornasari’s most powerful version will be motivated by a Chevrolet sourced 7.0 Liter V8 that makes 610 HP and can make the Buggy sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in under 3.8 seconds.
The German tuning firm Hamann has just revealed a new tuning kit for the all-terrain Mercedes Benz G55 AMG. Thanks to a few aftermarket performance products, the Hamann Typhoon is now able to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 5.1 seconds, unbelievable performance for an off-roader. But after all, the G is the Austrian Military’s favorite Fast Attack Vehicle.
Fire and Ice, honestly speaking, those are the last two words that we would ever associate with a vehicle. However, the people over at Land Rover believe that they will be selling like hotcakes. They must know something from over 60 years of building off road vehicles, so we’ll leave it at that for now.
In the now Indian automaker’s defense, Fire and Ice are actually two editions of Land Rover’s stripped down off road machine, the Defender. A stark contrast in a sea of pimped Luxury SUV’s with excessive amounts of unnecessary accessories. Let’s face it; we see vehicles like the Hummer H3, the Cadillac Escalade and Mercedes G-Wagen rolling along our highways sporting shiny grills and ridiculously large wheels and ultra low profile tires, with their owners not even considering stepping off the beaten path. Despite the current trend, the Defender chooses to remain as simple and as basic as possible.
If you look at it from the outside, you might mistake the modern day Defender for a car that has been since before you were born. That’s partly true, considering that the Defenders frame design goes all the way back to 1948, and unlike almost every other car on the face of the planet, the Defender is still built by hand.
Ford’s future SVT Raptor is one of the few trucks that gives us that warm and tingly feeling inside. Built with a slew of high performance aftermarket parts straight off the showroom, Ford claims that it will be the “first truck you could buy right off the lot and drive in Baja.” That is exactly what filmmaker Bud Brutsman was out to show.
The documentary "Raptor-Born in Baja" will debut at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California on June 23rd. The film follows Ford’s design team, race engineers and team directors as they put the Raptor together and then put the off-road F-150 through its paces by entering the grueling Baja 1000, one of the toughest all terrain races in the world. A test that the Raptor passed with flying colors, coming in third in class in what was supposed to be a development run.
Following the film’s premiere, a one-hour television version of the feature will air on the SPEED Channel on Sunday, July 12. Check you local listings for time and channel.
When I first saw the Mercedes Benz GLK premier in the Sex and the City movie all I could think was, this is a vehicle strictly intended for females. Although the squared off two box exterior looks like this mini G Wagon should be off-roading, the compact crossover is too small to be anything but cute, and the clean white exterior doesn’t help its cause either. However the 20’s our GLK is riding on are another story.
The interior is nicely finished, everything you would expect from Mercedes, there is the familiar large three spoke steering wheel and beautiful brushed metal trim. The audio system is easy to use audio, that is once you figure out how to control the imitation i drive wheel, I just wish the same could be said for the climate controls, there are simply too many buttons.
It took parking next to a Focus hatchback for me to realize that this would be perfect luxury vehicle for Europeans; the GLK was just slightly bigger than the Ford in every dimension. It’s attractive, easy to drive and especially with BlueTEC power, would make a great car overseas.
Keep following Top Speed for more on our GLK and to see if I change my mind about feeling like I should be wearing stilettos.
Mercedes Benz has just revealed two very different special editions of the same military inspired classic, the G-Wagen. The EDITION.PUR model is based on the G 280 CDI, and this throwback to the classic off road machine has been equipped to handle anything that could possibly stand in its way. Packaged with a set of all terrain tires, flexible wheel arches, protective guards for the headlamps and grill and a reinforced hood make the PUR a force to be reckoned with.
Whereas the G-Class LIMITED.30 is an expression of elegance, taking the shape of the Mercedes Benz G500 luxury machine. Highlighted by platinum black bodywork, a unique set of alloys and LIMITED lettering on the outside. The inside is classed up with the ultimate in plush high-end trim, like "chablis" colored leather and designo wood trim in finished in anthracite.
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