You see, whilst the BRZ/GT86 is a joint Subaru/Toyota programme, Toyota are very much wearing the trousers in the relationship and came out first with details of the GT86 pricing.

Currency exchange rates have been another factor in the delay – over the past 3 months the Japanese Yen has risen almost 14% when compared to the pound, making the task more than a little tricky for the corporate finance team at Subaru UK’s parent company.

But now we know BRZ pricing will range from £24,995 to £27,995 (on the road) – identical to that of the Toyota GT 86.

The BRZ will be offered from launch in two model variants: 2.0i SE, and 2.0i SE Lux with a choice of a six-speed manual or, for £1,500 more, a six-speed automatic with paddle shift operation. A more basic S model is anticipated for launch in 2013. The BRZ’s power plant is a 2.0-litre flat-four “boxer” unit delivering a maximum of 197bhp.

Both the SE and SE Lux will come equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, a sophisticated torque-sensing limited slip differential and fully automatic air conditioning with dual-zone controls.

When Subaru say ‘Lux’, don’t expect that to imply Mercedes S-Class levels of electronic trickery – the only differentiating feature is heated leather seats (which, by the way, are £100 less than in the GT86), so for all intents and purposes they’re equally as focused when it comes to driving dynamics.

The SE and SE Lux also feature electrically-folding door mirrors with heaters; keyless Smart Entry with push-button engine start; leather-trimmed steering wheel, parking brake and gearshift lever; and a high-quality six-speaker audio system with CD, radio and iPod connectivity. In addition to all these features, the SE Lux also has heated leather seats.

There are just two optional extras: Pioneer satellite navigation (£1,000 – £250 more than the GT86) and special paint finishes (£500 – £50 more than the GT86).

Six bodywork colours will be available: Satin White Pearl, Sterling Silver Metallic, Dark Grey Metallic, Crystal Black Silica, San Remo Red, and WR Blue Mica.

Pricing and specification

We kept track of the automotive ones and of these, only 4 out of 9 embraced the medium of video – with one of those (Google’s driverless NASCAR race car) not even shareable.

So what is it about April Fools that deters brands from getting involved?

It’s like Karaoke, without the music..

I came across a phrase whilst compiling our article, Ad Watch: The most amusing Automotive April Fools’ pranks of 2011/2012, which sums up the problem:

“April Fools is like a huge open mic night in which millions of people go out of their way to demonstrate how unfunny they are..”

Most brands lack a sense of humour and when they attempt humour, it goes against their very nature to be self-deprecating – in fact the humour is usually a less than subtle way of sugar-coating a dry and self-promotional press release.

2012′s winners and losers

Take Automotive vehicle information expert, HPI, (the people you contact to find out if your car is stolen, owes finance or has been clocked). Their April Fools’ prank ‘HPI helps singles survive the dating scene and avoid a relationship write-off‘, whilst interesting in theory, spent 2/3rds of the release talking about the £35,000 guarantee available as part of their HPI Check service (yawn..).

Past masters BMW are renowned for their April 1st pranks which have included; BMW Political Roundel Attachment Tag (PRAT) that let owners show their partisanship during the 2010 general elections, the BMW M3 Royal Edition, built to celebrate Kate and William’s royal nuptials and of course 2008′s Canine Repellent Alloy Protection (CRAP) which was the brainchild of Dr Hans Zoff..

However this year, their April Fools’ prank – BMW introduces the driverless Running Coach – was little more than an advert for BMW’s involvement in the London 2012 Games.

Of the social videos produced, Subaru’s ‘Beat the hosepipe ban with a self-cleaning Subaru‘ earned just 6,000 views and less than a handful of shares.

TomTom’s ‘Darth Vader holds the key to making your children happier‘ reached the giddy heights of 280,543 views (which perhaps reflects the huge popularity of TomTom’s viral videos) and Peugeot’s ‘RCZ Mood Paint Demonstration‘ reached an audience of 51,864 viewers.

What can we learn?

The first rule of April Fools is: You do not promote a real product. The second rule of April Fools is: You do not quote real facts in your press release. But the third rule of April Fools is: Unless you’re really funny, don’t try to be.

Compared to last year when we had Land Rover’s ‘Self-levelling Tax Disc Holder‘, Autoglass’ ‘Self-reparing Glass for iPhones‘ and BMW’s ‘M3 Pickup‘, this year’s pranks were in-the-main press releases for products and services, which on every other day of the year would feature in ordinary adverts displayed online or in magazines and newspapers.

Google’s driverless NASCAR racer, which was clearly a promotion for Google’s ‘real’ self-driving guidance technology was hardly better and creating a video that could only be viewed in North America, and even then primarily on NASCAR.com’s website seems the very antithesis of virality.

Perhaps the best example this year of the perfect April Fools’ campaign came from Richard Branson and Virgin Group. As with the latest Usain Bolt Virgin Media ads, Branson got personally involved engaging his 1.9 million Twitter followers in the hoaxes; Virgin Volcanic which will provided journeys to the centre of the Earth, Virgin Holidays’ new Branson currency which is all set to replace the Pound and my personal favourite, Virgin Active’s ‘Bare and Burn’ regime which launches the UK’s first entirely naked workout session.

Interacting on Twitter with the likes of Tom Hanks, Will.i.am and Seth Green added further credence to the Virgin hoaxes, showing yet again that for an April Fools’ prank to succeed it must be believable, surprising and never portray a brand taking about itself or taking itself seriously.

Neither of Branson’s pranks relied on video, but that just goes to show that you need to get the story right before dipping into the creative box of tricks.

April Fool’s humour is an art-form in itself – too outlandish and it will lack the subtlety required to lure the audience in, take the whole thing too seriously and you’ll end up looking awkward and contrived. It’s like a huge open mic night in which people go out of their way to demonstrate how unfunny they are.

Leader in the automotive field is BMW, they’ve made it a key part of their marketing strategy since the year 2000, and even created a section in their BMW Education website to host all their most popular spoofs.

2012 is set to be another bumper year, with several car makers already out of the blocks and one (non automotive prank) I can’t resist sharing from Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.

You can catch up with all the latest pranks as they happen in our dedicated ‘April Fools’ section, and we’ll also update this article to show 2012′s efforts alongside our favourites from last year.

2012

BMW to be exempt from Australia’s Luxury Car Tax

BMW argues that it doesn’t make cars, it makes Ultimate Driving Machines, therefore they should be exempt from the proposed Luxury Car Tax, unlike ordinary station wagons, four-wheel drive vehicles and all limousines….

View the ad

Build your own MINI Countryman.. from 29,762 individual parts

Here’s an old-media prank from MINI Australia that had their antipodean readers hopping around and getting all excited. Imagine building your own MINI Countryman from 29,762 individual parts….

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Honda introduces the Anti-Theft Negotiator

More than a car alarm, TERII uses biometric recognition and FBI hostage negotiating tactics to protect against vehicle theft. Scheduled for inclusion on all 2013 Honda vehicles…

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Peugeot launches the first car to change colour with your emotions

Peugeot UK has unveiled an RCZ that uses an innovative reactive paint to change its body colour to reflect your emotions – be it happy, sad or anything in between….

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HPI helps singles survive the dating scene and avoid a relationship write-off

The dating game can be hit and miss, sometimes with heartbreaking consequences. Vehicle information expert, HPI, is today trialling a new service to help singletons tell a dream date from a relationship write-off…

Read more

Lotus F1 Team resolves Kimi Raikkonen’s steering issues

After weeks of changing steering racks, power steering systems, steering wheel heights and a host of other settings, the Lotus F1 Team design office engineers have found the solution to Kimi’s steering issues….

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Google announces autonomous race car partnership with NASCAR

Ever since mankind could go fast, we have longed to go faster. And ever since we’ve done work, we have longed to have someone else, or something else, do that work for us. Now Google bring their driverless technology to NASCAR…

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Cut price petrol for one day only

An enterprising petrol station in Musewll Hill, London is taking advantage of last week’s panic buying at UK fuel pumps, by slashing the price of regular unleaded petrol to 39.9 pence per litre. The Shell station, just off Colney…

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MINI launches the new Clubvan Concept

Soon the world will also be the oyster of MINI drivers and their entourages. 12 days on from the “official” start of spring, MINI can announce its arrival among the ranks of camping outfitters with the new Clubvan…

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TomTom discovers Darth Vader holds the key to making your children happier

Following months of meticulous research, the experts at TomTom’s Navigation Laboratory (NavLab) have discovered a solution to stop babies crying in the backseat. Project GAGA evaluated the full range of TomTom navigation voices….

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Beat the hosepipe ban with a self-cleaning Subaru

Subaru is about to take the automotive world by storm with the launch of the world’s first self-cleaning car, with a radical new technology developed by Subaru engineers using their patented AF Technology…

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BMW introduces the driverless Running Coach

As an official sponsor of London 2012, BMW has been inspired to develop the new driverless Running Coach feature, which uses a combination of ConnectedDrive technologies and surround view cameras…

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Richard Branson launches journeys to the centre of the Earth with Virgin Volcanic

Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks will join the first expedition, which will target the five most active volcanoes in the world, Etna – Sicily, Italy, Stromboli – Aeolian Islands, Yasur – Republic of Vanuatu,…

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2011

Underground-GPS from BMW Australia

The advanced-engineered Underground-GPS system available exclusively in the all new compact and versatile BMW X1, is the only one of its kind capable of showing the streets beneath the streets of Australia’s major cities…

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Mitsubishi reveals its Evo replacement – the 345bhp i-MiEVO all-electric car

Mitsubishi teased a new concept for the Evo – called the AF-J on its Lancer Evolution Facebook page. Posing the question, “The next Evo?”, they promised to reveal the full car on Facebook at 15:00 GMT on April 1st…

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Autoglass pioneers ‘self-repairing’ glass… for phones

Autoglass® has today announced a scientific breakthrough by developing glass that repairs itself. Scientists at the company’s headquarters in Bedford have been testing the technology on mobile and smartphones over the…

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Goodwood follows red brick road at the 2011 Festival of Speed

To celebrate 100 years of the famous Indianapolis 500 race, Goodwood can confirm that it is commencing construction work on the challenging Festival track to cover the entire 1.16-mile hillclimb with one million bricks…

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BMW M GmbH develops the world’s fastest pickup

The world’s first high-performance pickup has been created at the BMW M GmbH development centre, with a load capacity of 450 kilos in its generously sized and intelligent lightweight load area…

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BMW reveals New M3 Royal Edition to commemorate Will & Kate’s Big Day

As a tribute to HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton, a very special Royal Edition of the M3 will be available at BMW Dealerships throughout the country from today – the NEW BMW M3 ROYAL EDITION…

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Land Rover introduces the self-levelling tax disc holder

Land Rover has released a novel piece of technology in response to the recent change in tax disc legislation. The self-levelling tax disc holder is an industry first and takes full advantage of our ground-breaking Hill-Descent Control….

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Kia Motors says NO to pigeon sh!t

Kia Motors dealers around the UK have launched innovative plans to keep the cars on their forecourts spotless and free from attack by the enemy of all car-owners, bird-droppings!

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SEAT reveals its Media Audio Recognition Technology (SMART) nav system

Spanish car maker SEAT’s new SMART system features Automatic Regional Speech Equivalence software that identifies the area through which the SEAT is being driven, and tailors the accent of its navigation instructions accordingly.

Read more

Mini takes automotive personalisation to new levels

MINI, a leader in the manufacturing of customised vehicles has introduced a revolutionary paint system that will allow owners to change the exterior colour of their vehicle as often as they change their mood…

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Goodwood uses renewable energy source for its Moving Motor Show

To reduce the number of generators used on site, this year’s event will be powered by natural methane gas, taken directly from Goodwood’s extensive herd of Dairy Shorthorn cattle, rare breed of cows usually supplies…

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Subaru’s engineers have developed the radical new technology in conjunction with some of the world’s leading electrical engineers. To clean the car in an instant, the driver simply has to press a button on the key fob while outside the vehicle, without any danger of getting wet or dousing the neighbours’ pets.

The team behind the self-cleaning technology recognise that Subaru drivers are active people who lead active lives and they don’t have to waste their time washing their car at the weekend.

It is with this in mind that the team has been dedicated to developing the technology to make their customer’s lives that little bit easier.

Professor Ai Lai, who led the team, reveals: “Nanogenerators convert mechanical energy available in the environment into electrical energy, activating safe low-voltage electrical currents on the car’s outer body surface.

“These currents flow in precise, overlapping patterns to disturb and dissolve micro-attachments on the car’s metalwork, such as dirt and dust.”

A dream solution for every motorist’s wish list, AF self-cleaning becomes available in the UK Sunday April 1st.

To find out more about the XV’s new innovative feature, visit www.subaru.co.uk/selfclean from 00.01am 1st April.

The Japanese brand has now revealed that top-specification models come with 17-inch alloy wheels, a torque-sensing LSD, front, side, curtain and knee airbags, MP3 connectivity, dual-zone climate control and LED daytime running lights. The driver-focussed BRZ will also come with Subaru’s VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and can be fitted with either a six-speed short-shift manual or paddle-operated automatic transmission.

Subaru also confirmed this morning that a second, lower-spec model will also be made available later in the year, plus a third ‘stripped out’ version, which promises to be the perfect solution for those who wish to tune and fettle the BRZ to their own tastes, as well as track-day enthusiasts.

Powered by the same 197 bhp 2.0-litre Boxer engine as the GT 86, Subaru’s new sports coupe promises a power-to-weight ratio of 162 bhp per tonne.

The BRZ is available in six eye-catching colours all of which suit the car perfectly, including Subaru’s trademark WR Blue Mica, Sterling Silver, Satin White, Crystal Black Silica, Dark Grey Metallic and San Remo Red.

With deliveries expected from summer 2012, the BRZ will eventually have to stand comparison with its Japanese stablemate. But with Toyota’s part ownership of the company, I suspect they’ve already ensured that it won’t undercut the £24,995 GT 86.

Gallery

ROAD are big fans of the reliable, durable, practical and above all, individual Japanese Subaru brand. In fact I’ve owned a Legacy, a Forester and countless Imprezas, including two WRX STi Version II Type RA (Race Altered) beasties, which I still miss today. The RA was an awesome A-B car in any weather and my own road car went on to become a modified 911-eating track weapon.

Subaru earned the ‘farmer’s choice’ tag line from its the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Legacy, Forester and Outback models, and although still hugely popular with rural types, the term is no longer an appropriate label for the modern Subaru range.

Better build quality, the world’s first horizontally-opposed Boxer diesel engine and a wider range of models have made Subaru a more mainstream brand. And now with the exciting new BRZ coupe and XV crossover, their appeal is set to increase further still.

Although, the WRX STi is no longer a contender in the World Rally Championship, it’s still a well-loved car thanks to an uber-loyal fan base and rightly so, as we found with the latest re-mapped WRX STi 320R on an epic road trip to the Lake District.

We also sample a pair of ‘go anywhere’ Forester and Legacy Boxer Diesel range-toppers on and off road and go rallying in the perfect Prodrive Group N WRX STi.

TV presenter Neil Cole, writes this month about the Monte Carlo Rally in his ‘Cole Position” column, and we show you what you missed at the 2012 Autosport Show.

We’re big fans of Subaru, so we hope you enjoy our insight into some of their most popular cars.

TO VIEW THE MAGAZINE JUST CLICK ON THE SECOND ‘CLICK HERE’ ICON ABOVE.

Looking almost identical to its Toyota sibling, the BRZ lacks the visual drama of the BRZ STi concept, and is powered by the a 1,998cc “boxer” four-cylinder engine, presumably with same 197 bhp as the GT 86.

Further details will be released once the show gets underway, but we expect most of the differences between the two cars to be mainly aesthetic.

The XV’s design combines the latest distinctive Subaru elements with the commanding silhouette expected of a crossover and is expected to bring a new type of customer to the Brand — people who value the company’s AWD and engineering expertise, who are also looking for the flexibility and lifestyle benefits a crossover brings.

Subaru’s new crossover will be unveiled at a press conference scheduled for 09.30am on September 13, and is due for launch in the UK during early 2012.

Gallery

He smashed the late Tony Pond’s 21 year record at his first attempt, setting a lap time of 19 minutes and 56.7 seconds and averaging 113mph around the course.

That was his first lap, his practice lap if you like. On his second lap, he was joined by Road & Track photographer Chris Cantle and in less than 2-minutes from the off, Higgins had what he describes as “..the biggest moment of my life..”.

Watch and admire Higgins’ skill and sheer calmness behind the wheel as he experiences a moment that for most mortals would have been their final moment.

And here’s the on-board view where you can see just how awful a crash would have been at these speeds..

Hats off to Mark Higgins for such an incredible piece of driving and for remaining such a sportsman when everything (nearly) went horribly wrong.

The previous record was set by the late Tony Pond, who was the first driver to average more than 100 mph around the 37.8-mile course in a road car at the wheel of a Rover 827 Vitesse. 21 years later to the day Higgins smashed the record, posting a blistering lap time of 19 minutes and 56.7 seconds, which translates to an average speed of 113mph and a peak speed during the lap of 162 mph.

Mark says on his blog that it’s been a long time ambition to emulate Tony Pond’s famous lap of the TT from 1990 and he was delighted to smash the record on his first attempt last Monday.

You can listen to an interview with Mark, before and after his record-breaking run by visiting this link.

Before the lap, Mark told Chris Boyde of local radio station EnergyFM that he was uncertain about achieving the ‘ton’. After a flying start from Governor’s Bridge he was therefore expected to reach Glen Helen in 6 minutes to be on the schedule to match Pond’s long-standing record, however he blitzed that and passed the famous checkpoint in 4min 59.75sec at an average speed of 116.3mph.

By the time he’d reached the Bungalow in 16 minutes 10 seconds his average was up to 120.87 mph, however for the rapid descent down the Mountain, Mark admitted he was struggling with brake fade.

The TT event organisers gave Higgins just one lap to conduct his record attempt in the car, and there was no opportunity to carry out high-speed practice runs, so Mark struggled on with the brakes until he crossed the finish line just 19 minutes 56.67seconds after starting.

“In the end the lap was simply fantastic, and the WRX STI behaved impeccably,” explains Higgins. “That we managed to set such an impressive time at our first attempt is a great tribute to the Subaru, especially given that so few modifications have been made. The engine pulled incredibly strongly throughout and the cornering capability proved crucial on such a twisty, unforgiving course.”

“Setting the record was both the most exhilarating and the most frightening thing I have ever done,” explains Higgins, whose career as a driver in the British and World Rally Championships hasn’t exactly been short of excitement. “The rules allow for a flying start, so I crossed the line at 125mph. I then went down through the Bray Hill junction – normally taken at around 20mph – at over 150mph. Once that tricky section was out of the way I settled into the lap and quickly got used to the balance and sheer pace of the car.”

The outright lap record on the TT course was set in 2009 by John McGuinness on a Honda CBR1000RR ‘Fireblade’ motorcycle. McGuinness posted a time of 17 minutes and 12.3 seconds, equivalent to an average speed of 131mph, so less than 3 minutes faster than Higgins in his Subaru.

Back in 1990 a certain Carl Fogarty won the opening race of the Isle of Man TT Series riding a Honda Britain RC30. Fogarty averaged 118.35mph for the six-lap race, whilst later in the event the late Steve Hislop broke his own lap record with an incredible 122.63mph.

The Car..

The WRX STI used for the record-breaking run was a standard Subaru production car, equipped with a 296 bhp Horizontally-Opposed Boxer engine, unmodified brake callipers and with road-legal Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres. Springs and dampers were adjusted to minimise any potential damage when the car encountering the various bumps and jumps at high-speed along the course.

In recognition of the speeds involved, and the fact that there are little or no crash barriers around most of the TT road circuit, the WRX STI was fitted with some essential safety enhancements. These included an MSA-specification T45 integrated roll cage, TRS race harnesses and a Lifeline extinguisher system. To help forewarn spectators of the presence of the oncoming car (as well as entertain them, no doubt!), the Subaru team also fitted the WRX STI with a high-decibel exhaust.

The WRX STI is currently available from Subaru dealers with free satellite navigation and a free power upgrade, taking the output to 315 bhp – which I’m sure Higgins would have welcomed, although not before upgrading those brakes…