Subaru Legacy

Hard pressed car maker Subaru will unveil its brand new Legacy at this year’s Detroit Motor Show.


Hard pressed car maker Subaru will unveil its brand new Legacy at this year’s Detroit Motor Show.

Following the announcement of its immediate and total withdrawal from the World Rally Championship, the Japanese firm moved quickly to prove it has ambitious plans for its road cars by releasing this single teaser image of the new model, expected to hit the road in 2010.

Though exact details remain scarce, it’s believed that the Legacy gets an updated chassis, and a development of Subaru’s trademarked symmetrical all wheel drive system.

Under the bonnet, there’s a new 3.6-litre flat six-cylinder engine, plus an advanced six speed gearbox.

For launch, it’s expected that the 3.6-litre unit could be joined by smaller, more fuel efficient engines. Both 2.5-litre four cylinder and 3.0-litre six cylinder boxer engines will be offered, as will the company’s first diesel, a 2.0-litre turbo, that’s also the world’s only oil burning boxer.

The Legacy concept makes its debut almost 20 years to the day of the lunch of the original Legacy model, and builds on that car’s instantly recognisable design.

With a new look nose, and wide track, the sporty looking saloon is aimed at the likes of the BMW 5-Series and new Mercedes E-Class, which will also debut at Detroit.

Trulli says Singapore still a worry for F1 drivers

Formula One drivers are still fretting about the sport's first night race less than a month before Singapore's new street circuit makes its debut.

"It's a new circuit, we don't know much about it, the schedule, the times of running. we all are a little bit concerned about the night race and the poor weather which might occur there," Toyota's Jarno Trulli told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix on Thursday.

"It's a big question mark for everyone, we mustn't underestimate the situation."

Singapore will become the second new venue this season after last month's Valencia street race when the southeast Asian island state hosts the 15th round of the championship on Sept. 28 at the tail end of the monsoon season.

Unlike Valencia, which staged a couple of junior formula races on the street circuit a month before the grand prix to iron out any problems, Singapore remains untested.

"In Valencia they did a good job, so I am confident they can do a good job for Singapore," said Trulli. "But the location is different and the climate conditions are different.

"We are all a little bit uncertain because we probably don't have enough data. I haven't seen the circuit layout but that's not the problem. The problem is we don't know if the circuit is good enough, if the surface is good enough, if we have enough run-off areas, if the safety is good enough for a night race in wet conditions.

"There are several question marks and several concerns. I'm not saying that I don't want to race there, but that we might encounter some more problems than in Valencia."