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Changes to Japan’s antitrust laws has leaves the path open for industry giant Toyota to take over Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. Toyota has owned an 8.7% stake of Fuji Heavy since October 2005 but according to analysts, the company always wanted a controlling stake but couldn’t due to the antitrust laws at the time. According to Automotive News, combined sales of Toyota and Fuji Heavy comprised 45.6% of the Japanese domestic market in 2006.

Under the previous antitrust rules, no company could control 50% of the Japanese market for any product, but the new rulings will look at global market share instead when reviewing mergers and acquisitions. The changes are designed to strengthen Japanese companies’ competitiveness on world markets, but won’t take effect until the 1st of April. Toyota taking a controlling stake in Fuji Heavy is sure to bring that number one automaker spot ever closer to the Japanese giant. We also hope that Toyota will take advantage of Subaru’s expertise in AWD and performance cars and apply them to future models. Subaru could definitely add some spice to the normally staid Toyota lineup.

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Marty Howard
2011 NASA SE Factory Five Challenge Champion
Track Events Logistics Coordinator - TZC/THSCC
2007 Factory Five Challenge Car.
http://www.mh-motorsports.com

vw is going to work with chrysler and mercedes to develop their common rail system.. so buy outs are not going to be a odd as one may thnink, maybe toyota coudl teach subaru how to build a transmission

Interesting... I didn't know about Toyota being interested in Fuji/Subaru. This does remind me of the Porsche/VW situation. I believe that currently Porsche owns about 25% of VW which IIRC is the maximum they can own before formally needing to take them over via local law. I don't think that Porsche wants to buy VW, but I think they want to own enough to keep someone else from buying.

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

Near as I can tell, Subaru knows how to build a transmission. They went to Porsche, got a box designed, and put it in the STi. Works great for me.


--Donnie

And the people breaking transmissions in non-STi Subarus are either rallying, drag racing, or are heavily modified. The stories of the glass Subaru gearbox are only half true - my experience has been that they are more than strong enough for their intended use but go beyond that use and expect to do some damage.

--Kevin H.

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2003 WRX (again!)

Scott (and the Franks), how's your second (or so) Toyota Celica tranny(s) treating you?

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Don't know all of the details, but my Dad is having issues with the transmission in his Scion tC. Then again, the transmission in my Honda Odyssey is not the best either. No problem with my Civic however.

Whats up with all of the transmissions issues these days? Is it my imagination or is there a number of bad designs floating around?

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

Third for us. There seems to be a design "flaw" where a bearing does not get sufficient lube if running for extended periods at high RPM in a lower gear (like when AXing). But then Toyota may not consider it a flaw because how many average drivers spend a lot of time near the rev limiter in 2nd gear? Most would upshift thru second rather quickly. I personally only heard of one tranny failure on a non raced Celi.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

our 97 explorer v6, is a camp trailer tower, and the tranny is easily busted..
ford did not make a good thing with that truck, push hard when towing in the hills, and boom happens, nto pretty.. cottmans transmissions is good though.. off capitol blvd.. fixed it nicely.. se-r is same, second gear is weak.. drag racers often say it wil do one great run, then boom