WRX. Those three letters tell automotive enthusiasts the world over that they are not dealing with an ordinary Impreza, and it all began in rally racing with a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine. Though some models – including the current WRX and STI in the United States – had engines displacing as much as 2.5 liters, the WRX earned its reputation with 2.0 liters, and that’s the displacement specified for competition use.
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Toyota is flush with buzz surrounding the company’s new 86 sports car, and that could translate into additional performance models if the vehicle’s chief engineer has anything to say about it. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Tetsuya Tada, the mind that brought the Toyota 86 to life, believes there’s room in the stable for two additional sports cars. Tada is quoted as saying that while the 86 is a mid-sized sports car, he’d like to see one vehicle positioned below the boxer-powered coupe as well as an additional model slotted higher in the lineup.
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It was a welcome change of pace to sit through a new car product presentation and not have to listen to company pitchmen repeat the adjective “best-in-class” over and over again. The simple truth is that the all-new 2012 Subaru Impreza doesn’t really have best-in-class anything – power, fuel economy, cruising range, cargo capacity or even warranty. The major thing that sets the new Impreza apart from its competition is standard all-wheel drive – a Subaru staple (at least, until the rear-wheel-drive BRZ shows up).
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Spy shots and see-through body treatments are all we have to go on when it comes to the upcoming Subaru BRZ. We’ve had enough of that, however, and it seems Subaru is finally ready to show us a bit more of what’s in store for the future sports coupe. According to Car and Driver, the Japanese automaker will unveil a concept version of the BRZ at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, and it will be wearing real sheetmetal this time, albeit with a wrinkle – none of the showcar’s panels will be the same as the production car. Read More »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just announced a safety recall covering 295,123 vehicles, a pair of Subaru models and a close relative from Saab. The recall concerns front control arms that may fail if corroded, making the vehicle difficult to control. The action covers select 2003-2008 Forester crossovers, 2002-2007 Impreza models and some 2005-2006 Saab 9-2x hatchbacks, the latter heavily based on Subaru mechanicals. Read More »

Go back a few years ago to when Saab and Subaru were the quirky stepchildren in the General Motors family. That was before GM sold its stake in both, and when the beancounters in Detroit wanted to try something different. They took a Subaru Impreza wagon/hatchback, gave it some new bodywork and presto! the Saab 9-2x was born.
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Before your heart goes all aflutter at the thought of a factory Subaru Forester XTI, cool your jets a bit. It’s true that Subaru Australia has just pulled the sheets off of a more powerful Forester complete with nearly 260 horsepower and 256 pound-feet of torque, and yes, the high-rider packs a new five-speed automatic to replace the archaic four-speed slusher found on most Forester models. Drivers can even control shifts via a pair of paddles should the mood strike them. But this isn’t some slammed hardcore grocery getter. Instead, the Forester S-Edition, as it’s called, wears a slightly revised suspension cooked up from the minds at STI along with a few subtle aero tweaks outside. Read More »