Subaru to sell Traviq in the States soon...

[fzanetti]

Subaru planning to produce all-wheel drive, boxer-powered minivan

YUZO YAMAGUCHI | Automotive News
Posted Date: 8/31/05
TOKYO -- Subaru plans to add a minivan to its U.S. lineup in late 2007 or in 2008.

Based on the Subaru Legacy platform, the seven-seat vehicle with a 2.5-liter engine would be smaller and more affordable than the B9 Tribeca, says a source at Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., which makes Subarus.

Another Fuji source confirmed the company's plans for the minivan.

The B9 Tribeca sport wagon, which went on sale in May, has a base price of $31,320, including destination. Powered by a 3.0-liter V-6, it is available with five or seven seats.

The minivan will offer two key Subaru elements: all-wheel drive and a boxer engine.

When the Subaru Traviq minivan flopped in Japan last year, Fuji Heavy learned the importance of those attributes. The Traviq, a rebadged Opel Zafira that General Motors assembled in Thailand, lacked a boxer engine and awd. A boxer engine has horizontally opposed cylinders.

In the United States, Subaru expects the minivan to help it achieve its sales target of 250,000 in 2010. In 2004, Subaru sold 187,402 units in the United States.

The minivan will be sold globally to achieve economies of scale.

In Japan, the new minivan will replace the Traviq. GM stopped building the Thai-made minivan for Subaru last December, about three years after Fuji Heavy launched it in Japan. Last year, Traviq sales here plunged 36.1 percent from a year earlier to 1,847.



Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA


P.S. Minivan, arrrrrgh.....................

[gt_ltd]

looks like a repost. :P

[fzanetti]

YUZO YAMAGUCHI | Automotive News
Posted Date: 8/31/05

:-)

Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA

[mach_six]

It doesn't look that bad, if something like this came out.

http://home.wanadoo.nl/wacad/opel/zafira/opc05.htm

Here's some real pictures.
http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/2005_geneva/0503_opel_zafira/

[fzanetti]

I usually don't care for minivans, but this Zafira OPC must be a really nice ride....

I drove an Opel Vectra in Europe once, and I really had a good time with it... Crusing at about 260km/h (gov speed limit) was really nice.... heheheheeheh

Thanks for sending this one out, beautiful blue!!!!!

New Open Vectra OPC pics:
http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000897053669/

Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA

[PhilT]

Opel have made some really nice cars, one of my first rides was an Opel Manta, I thought that was the dogs bollocks back in those days.

[kenzo]

Smaller than a Tribeca with seven seats? I guess Snow White will be tied to the roof...

[firedawgs]

I think it looks like a Scion.

[tytek]

260km/h in a Vectra??? You must have smoked A LOT of weed before your drive franky... 248km/h is its max speed, and unless it was your friends car, no rental agency offers the 3.2 GTS version. sorry, but i call BS :dm: no hard feelings though :p keep dreaming.

as to the zafira, it is based on an astra chasis, which is roughly the size of a chevy cobalt. it is even smaller than mazda mpv (the smallest van in the US). it is a euro sized minivan, and i stress the mini part! ;)

in my opinion the ultimate people mover is the MB E55 AMG WAGON. 0-60mph in 4.1s, 1/4 mile in 12.5s @114mph!!! BAD TO THE BONE!!! and the largest trunk in the world (in a wagon). now, where to get the +$90k :mad:

[fzanetti]

260km/h in a Vectra??? You must have smoked A LOT of weed before your drive franky... 248km/h is its max speed, and unless it was your friends car, no rental agency offers the 3.2 GTS version. sorry, but i call BS :dm: no hard feelings though :p keep dreaming.

It was actually a 1992 Opel Vectra 2.0i Turbo 4x4, I am sure about the model, because I loved soo much that car I really wished I had one at that time... (I was only 16 at the time and still was driving go-kart as a hobbie - before I bacame too fat hehehe)....

I am not sure about mods, once this was my cousin's car at the time... And he has been an Opel fan for ever, had a Calibra after that, an Omega, Astra GSI turbo, a Signum turbo too, and right now he's in the process of buying an Irmscher Vectra GTS V6 3.2 Kompressor...

Anyways, 260 km/h or not, I am not 100% sure, but it did measured that on the speedometer...

I really wish US had more european style cars, which are by far a lot more good looking than ours here, and puhh-leeez GM, your Opel cars are far better than our Pontiacs or Chevy's here.....

Cheers,

Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA

[tytek]

flavio,

i am sorry, i am used to the nabisco style boards, where people just dream stuff up. stain on me.

i remember that 4x4 turbo vectra very well. one of the most exciting opels ever. 204HP at that feather weight was impressive. remember the turbo calibra, that shared its drivetrain? and the astra GSI - it think i just wet my pants!

around the time that these cars came out, my uncle had a lotus omega. that car was so ahead of its time... 377HP, tons of torque, 6 spd manual from zr-1 vette, twin turbo and a top speed of well into 280km/h. oh boy! there is nothing like the early 90s, baby!!! :D

now, the irmscher GTS! holly crap! your cousin must be loaded ;)

after seeing those cars, how can i possibly get excited about the z24 cavalier, or the newer monte carlo ss??? :rolleyes:

oh, memories...

[turboliberty]

Someone posted this on Edmunds Townhall-

Erroneous Report in Automotive News

TO: All Subaru Dealers
FROM: Nobuo Obara
DEPARTMENT: SOA Corp Communications
DATE: 8/31/2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may have read in this week's issue of Automotive News a story regarding FHI's plans for a minivan in the US market for 2007-2008. This report from an unofficial and unidentified source was in error and we are working to correct it.

FHI had planned a minivan for the Japanese market, as part of the original FDR-1 business plan, which has since been reviewed and changed.

Subaru product planning strives to be responsive to current market conditions and Subaru of America currently has no plans to sell a minivan in the US.

I wanted to clear up any misunderstanding or rumors regarding this reporter's incorrect speculation.

Should you have any questions, you can contact the corporate communications department directly.


http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef8938d

[pdw]

I really wish US had more european style cars, which are by far a lot more good looking than ours here, and puhh-leeez GM, your Opel cars are far better than our Pontiacs or Chevy's here.....



I actually like the GTO and I wouldn't mind a Z06 at all. Otherwise, I totally agree. Same goes for Euro Fords vs. the junk they sell here.

[andrew.anderson]

Someone posted this on Edmunds Townhall-

Erroneous Report in Automotive News

TO: All Subaru Dealers
FROM: Nobuo Obara
DEPARTMENT: SOA Corp Communications
DATE: 8/31/2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may have read in this week's issue of Automotive News a story regarding FHI's plans for a minivan in the US market for 2007-2008. This report from an unofficial and unidentified source was in error and we are working to correct it.

FHI had planned a minivan for the Japanese market, as part of the original FDR-1 business plan, which has since been reviewed and changed.

Subaru product planning strives to be responsive to current market conditions and Subaru of America currently has no plans to sell a minivan in the US.

I wanted to clear up any misunderstanding or rumors regarding this reporter's incorrect speculation.

Should you have any questions, you can contact the corporate communications department directly.


http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef8938d


Good. Opel sucks.

[Drakuun]

Opel have made some really nice cars, one of my first rides was an Opel Manta, I thought that was the dogs bollocks back in those days.



OMG... is that what came to the states as the Cheverolet Monza/Vega?

My Mom owned one of those when I was a wee lad, and I remember that was a pretty bad arse car. Especially the Vega which I think had Optional V8.
My babysitters husband had a sky blue Vega Wagon V6 5MT that pretty quick as I recall.

[pdw]

No, the Monza/Vega wasn't related to any Opel models. The Monza/Vega were horrendous POS's. The only good thing about them was there was a Cosworth version of the Vega that had a DOHC, 16V Cosworth 4 cylinder. I think it handled pretty well for the time also.

Basically, teh Monza/Vega was GM's version of the Pinto except it didn't blow up as often. These cars were even bad relative to other cars from the 70's which was the worst decade for cars evAR.

[fzanetti]

Irmscher Opel Vectra at 283 km/h...

http://forum.opelclubscene.de/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2989&highlight=&sid=2f8718f29ee4b731698882ba508099b9

Ich fang schonmal an zu sparen http://forum.opelclubscene.de/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif


Irmscher Vectra GTS V6 Kompressor

3.2L V6 Kompressor
302 PS
370 NM
vmax 283 km/h
Preis 36.743€


Beschleunigung :

0-100 km/h 6,4 s
0-130 km/h 9,7 s
0-160 km/h 13,5 s
0-200 km/h 20,9 s (schneller als ein SL500 23.9 Sekunden)
100-200 km/h 14,5 s





http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/34547.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/34358.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/34551.jpg


Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA

[PhilT]

Still can't touch the original Lotus Carlton :

Base Price, GBP, '9149,045Engine Typedohc turbocharged I6Displacement, cc3615Power(DIN)@rpm377@5200Torque lb-ft@rpm419@4200Curb Weight, lb36500-60 mph, sec4.91/4 mile, sec13.560-0 mph, ft1120-100mph, sec11.0Top Speed, mph175

Like the Alpina B10 Biturbo, the Lotus Omega was first introduced at the 1989 Geneva Auto Show and was produced in limited numbers until 1994. About 1100 Omegas were built in the years between 1991 when it entered production and 1994. Unlike other Lotus models like the Esprit, the Omega was not a homegrown model but instead a modification of someone else's work, the Opel Omega 3000GSi 24v to be precise, the top of the line Omega. At that time both Lotus and Opel were owned by GM, which felt that a special high performance model of the Omega was required to change its plain, bland image. The original engine, a 3.0L DOHC 24v inline-6, was enlarged to 3.6L, and two Garrett T25 turbos were added, along with a water-cooled intercooler ("Chargecooler" in Lotus lingo). The original 5-speed manual gearbox was substituted by a ZF 6-speed item, straight from the now-extinct Corvette ZR-1, with the deletion of the "skip-shift" feature found in the ZR-1. Apparently the gearbox was the only one GM could find that is capable of handling the Omega's massive torque. None of the Omegas are believed to exist in North America, and only 440 of the 1100 were built British-spec RHD.

http://www.fantasycars.com/sedans/misc/lotus_omega1.jpg

[SLegacy99]

Same goes for Euro Fords vs. the junk they sell here.

yeah I saw a really nice Escort in Austria. Wood trim and leather. And the Fords there have a more attractive exterior styling too. Odd.

[willoc]

I dunno...that Manta looks suspiciously similar to the Chevy Monza! I had one of those POS' when I was around 20 years old...it had the 5.0 V8 which I put a high lift mechanical cam, Holley 4 bbl, and dual exhaust into....it was fairly quick but probably no more than 200 hp. You couldn't get much out of those 70's and 80's emission controlled engines!

[fzanetti]

Still can't touch the original Lotus Carlton :

Base Price, GBP, '9149,045Engine Typedohc turbocharged I6Displacement, cc3615Power(DIN)@rpm377@5200Torque lb-ft@rpm419@4200Curb Weight, lb36500-60 mph, sec4.91/4 mile, sec13.560-0 mph, ft1120-100mph, sec11.0Top Speed, mph175

Like the Alpina B10 Biturbo, the Lotus Omega was first introduced at the 1989 Geneva Auto Show and was produced in limited numbers until 1994. About 1100 Omegas were built in the years between 1991 when it entered production and 1994. Unlike other Lotus models like the Esprit, the Omega was not a homegrown model but instead a modification of someone else's work, the Opel Omega 3000GSi 24v to be precise, the top of the line Omega. At that time both Lotus and Opel were owned by GM, which felt that a special high performance model of the Omega was required to change its plain, bland image. The original engine, a 3.0L DOHC 24v inline-6, was enlarged to 3.6L, and two Garrett T25 turbos were added, along with a water-cooled intercooler ("Chargecooler" in Lotus lingo). The original 5-speed manual gearbox was substituted by a ZF 6-speed item, straight from the now-extinct Corvette ZR-1, with the deletion of the "skip-shift" feature found in the ZR-1. Apparently the gearbox was the only one GM could find that is capable of handling the Omega's massive torque. None of the Omegas are believed to exist in North America, and only 440 of the 1100 were built British-spec RHD.

http://www.fantasycars.com/sedans/misc/lotus_omega1.jpg

Mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

My father had a Chevrolet Omega GSI back in 1992 in Brazil!!!

Heheheheh weird thing, that when I was young I used to take on the weekends, and some friends of mine used to bring magazines and keep comparing my dad's to the Lotus Carlton, but they did not sell it on South America whatsoever....

hehehehehe good memories....

Here's the spec sheet:
http://www.carsplusplus.com/specs1990/opel_lotus_omega.php

Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA