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Subaru's Opening Up A New Front


his sensational new coupé is Japanese, but if you're thinking Honda or Toyota, you're not even close. The tiny badge on the front is the giveaway - this is a Subaru.

Codenamed B11S, the car will make its debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show. It's powered by a 3.0-litre flat-six engine and sports the company's famed four-wheel-drive system. This is the first large, luxury coupé the firm has built since it launched the SVX in 1992, and reflects the arrival of ex-Alfa designer Andreas Zapatinas. Coincidentally, the SVX was styled by Giugiaro at Italdesign, a company that's also enjoyed a long association with Alfa Romeo.

While the B11S hints at a future sports car from Subaru, it also signals a more wide-ranging change. Insiders say this look - including the bold front grille - represents a whole new design direction for the firm, which will have a serious impact on the company's next generation of cars. However, Subaru fans will have a long wait before such styling graces showroom models. The first car likely to sport this face is not due until at least 2007, when the current Impreza is replaced by an all-new machine. The revised nose won't have any impact on the new Legacy, revealed in last week's magazine and on sale later this year.


Article from: Auto Express