Subaru will reveal its take on the future of hybrid motoring when it whips the dust sheets off the gull-wing Hybrid Tourer Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show next week.
Powered by a flat-four 2l direct injection turbo petrol engine, the four-wheel drive HTC has two electric motors: one at the front and one at the back.
Subaru HTC …
...using bloody gull-wing doors to show just how futuristic your concept car is?
It looks bloody ridiculous. No, actually, it looks like "Supervan" from that bloody awful 70's movie called er, Supervan.
And, I'm sure your kids in the back will be dead-chuffed that you have to expose everyone inside to the pissing rain just to jump out for a pint of milk.
Is this trying to win special points for making it more complicated than the Prius or what?
Either one motor and use the AWD or two motors and kill the AWD link using an electric motor on the rear axle in 4WD mode.
Anyway, I happen to service my car at a Subaru dealership (most are authorised to service Daihatsu nowdays). I always wondered why do the guys bringing in Imprezas commonly have 900£ odd bills. Looking at this example of fine design I am not wondering any more.
Why is it that all concept hybrid and concept electric vehicles look like a delightful cross between Jessica Alba and Sheer Awesomeness, and yet actual hybrids and real electric cars that you can actually buy look like the mutated offspring of a Japanese dwarf and a tupperware box?
... but puny electric motors, a petrol engine big enough to break CO2 emissions targets and then stamp on the pieces, and the watts for the electric motors come from the petrol engine. No thanks.
Given the enormous size of the gull-wing doors, how do you get out in a typical car park where there are other cars parked within 40cm either side of you?
... Don't go together. They produce great looking concepts and then the production car comes out looking like it has already been in a multi car pile up. And the company are suffering as a result but just don't seem to realise it. When they were winning rallies people had a perceptible reason to buy their cars despite them being pig ugly. Rally wins have dried up and people don't want to buy an ugly car for no reason. But have Subaru twigged this? Not in the slightest and this will be no different when it eventually hits the road.
Register
Subaru set to show stylish hybrid
Subaru will reveal its take on the future of hybrid motoring when it whips the dust sheets off the gull-wing Hybrid Tourer Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show next week. Powered by a flat-four 2l direct injection turbo petrol engine, the four-wheel drive HTC has two electric motors: one at the front and one at the back. Subaru HTC …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Sigh... #
...so many concepts, so many promises.
yup Gull wing doors, the must useless invention ever!
With cars getting fatter and fatter and garages in new builds the size of a shoe cupboard, lets see how many people can actually get out the car...
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
Sterling Udell
I like... #
...but with that white interior, it's a good thing Subaru's now making Outback Detergent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdDRyDAtLYo
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
Will Shaw
What the hell is it with.... #
...using bloody gull-wing doors to show just how futuristic your concept car is?
It looks bloody ridiculous. No, actually, it looks like "Supervan" from that bloody awful 70's movie called er, Supervan.
And, I'm sure your kids in the back will be dead-chuffed that you have to expose everyone inside to the pissing rain just to jump out for a pint of milk.
FAIL.
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Gull Wing doors ;-) #
You would never get out of the car in a UK Supermarket car park.. or at my office either.
More cars with gull wings:
http://www.oobject.com/category/bad-design-gull-wing-cars/
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
Anton Ivanov
Hideously complicated #
Two electrical motors on an AWD? WTF?
Is this trying to win special points for making it more complicated than the Prius or what?
Either one motor and use the AWD or two motors and kill the AWD link using an electric motor on the rear axle in 4WD mode.
Anyway, I happen to service my car at a Subaru dealership (most are authorised to service Daihatsu nowdays). I always wondered why do the guys bringing in Imprezas commonly have 900£ odd bills. Looking at this example of fine design I am not wondering any more.
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Alfa Romeo? #
Anyone else think the backend looks like an Alfa Romeo thingy-wotsit?
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
Ian Ferguson
'Concept' #
Why is it that all concept hybrid and concept electric vehicles look like a delightful cross between Jessica Alba and Sheer Awesomeness, and yet actual hybrids and real electric cars that you can actually buy look like the mutated offspring of a Japanese dwarf and a tupperware box?
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
lee harvey osmond
Nice concept... #
... but puny electric motors, a petrol engine big enough to break CO2 emissions targets and then stamp on the pieces, and the watts for the electric motors come from the petrol engine. No thanks.
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
exit...quit...bye...quitbye.ctrl-C..ctrlX.ctrl-alt-X...aarrrr*slam*
And just like the ´08 Impreza... #
...its not exactly a beauty.
But what the register did not mention:
Said two litre H4 will most probably be a direct injection with 145kW, which means the NA model will deliver the same power as the ´07 WRX...
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:47 GMT
Dan Howarth
Looks like an Alfa #
Or to be precise, and Alfa Romeo Brera
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=alfa+brera&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g3
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:56 GMT
John Robson
Bet that door #
is heavy to shut - As my wife can't manage the boot very easily, that door'll be difficult from inside - unless of course it's motorised.
Then yuo'll get 30mile range (unless you shut the doors, which takes 10 miles of battery power)
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:56 GMT
b 3
very nice! #
like it.
always liked saburus..the original impreza turbo would be in my 10car all time garage ;)
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:56 GMT
Andrew Oakley
How do you get out in a car park? #
Given the enormous size of the gull-wing doors, how do you get out in a typical car park where there are other cars parked within 40cm either side of you?
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:56 GMT
The Indomitable Gall
Li-ion batteries under the driver's seat?!? #
Surely sticking a highly flammable, potentially explosive cell underneath the driver isn't the best idea in the world?
What's that you say? It's either there, in the fuel-and-air-filled engine or next to a full petrol tank?
Devil, deep-blue sea, rock, hard place, creek, !paddle.
Posted Wednesday 14th October 2009 13:56 GMT
Citizen Kaned
nice but..... #
how the hell do i get out of my car thats parked in a garage with gull wing doors? or modern parking spaces that just fit my astra in?
they look cool but no use in england.
Posted Thursday 15th October 2009 00:25 GMT
Mike Richards
Gull wing doors #
Maybe useless, but they were on the Mercedes 300 - so they aren't completely evil.
Posted Thursday 15th October 2009 09:21 GMT
Monkey
The words 'stylish' and 'Subaru'... #
... Don't go together. They produce great looking concepts and then the production car comes out looking like it has already been in a multi car pile up. And the company are suffering as a result but just don't seem to realise it. When they were winning rallies people had a perceptible reason to buy their cars despite them being pig ugly. Rally wins have dried up and people don't want to buy an ugly car for no reason. But have Subaru twigged this? Not in the slightest and this will be no different when it eventually hits the road.
This topic is closed for new posts.