Subaru continues on its own track

Subaru is the car company Saab always wanted to be: a niche automaker with a loyal, growing following. It relies on horizontally opposed four- and six-cylinder engines and all-wheel drive, save for the new rear-drive BRZ sports car. Its deal with Toyota, which bought 8.7 percent of parent Fuji Heavy Industries after GM dumped its 20 percent, goes a long way toward Subaru's sustained success in the U.S. and globally. Even before the BRZ was launched, Subaru was making a profit in all its regions. Local production helps. With the Japanese yen running at historic highs against the U.S. dollar ($1 = 78.32 yen at presstime, versus $1 = 146.25 yen on January 2, 1990), selling cars built in Japan is a costly business. Back in February, we asked, "How long can Japan's niche brands survive?" Nine months later, the picture is a bit clearer. For the first half of 2012 versus the first half of '11, U.S. industry sales were up by 15 percent From: Motortrend