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Subaru Impreza

 
 
  

2012 Subaru Impreza WRX Club Spec Edition

Our friends in Australia are probably stoked about getting dibs on a car that’s exclusive to them; pity for us because the said vehicle happens to be one we’re more than interested in getting our hands on.

Subaru Australia has announced that they will be releasing a special edition Impreza WRX Club Spec. It’s going to be limited to only 300 models, which means that only a select few will get their grubs on one. The Impreza WRX Club Spec carries a few distinct styling cues that will be limited to its kind, particularly the choice of a Tangerine Orange or Midnight Black exterior finish. In addition, the high-powered sedan also gets a Subaru Tecnica International spoiler, black door mirrors, Club-Spec badge, a leather interior trim with either orange or red stitching depending on the color of the vehicle you choose on the seats, back rests, and steering wheels. Rounding out the features for the WRX Club Spec are a new set of 17" alloy wheels.

Even better, Subaru is also giving prospective customers an opportunity to add optional upgrades, particularly an STI body kit that’s comprised of a front lip spoiler, a short shift gear lever kit and a flexible strut tower brace bar.

Performance modifications weren’t made on the sedan, but that shouldn’t turn off customers any bit because the WRX already produces 305 horsepower, thanks to its turbocharged, four-cylinder engine.

If you happen to be Down Under and you’re interested in this special edition Impreza WRX, prepare to shell out AUD $41,490, which is around the same figure when converted to USD.



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Audi? BMW? Nope, just a strange 1993 Subaru Impreza WRX found on eBay

We firmly believe that the vast majority of cars only look good from certain angles, rather than every angle. In a similar vein, we believe that many cars look far better from the front than they do the rear and vice versa. Two of those cars just happen to be many previous generation Audi A4’s as well as the recently retired BMW 520.

Whether you prefer the front of either to the rear, it doesn’t really matter, but what does matter is the question of joining the two best angles of each together to create a superior looking car.

Well, we recently stumbled upon an interesting sale on eBay UK where a used 1993 Subaru Impreza WRX is being sold with an Impreza interior and custom wheels but most importantly, it’s borrowed the rear-end from the BMW 520 and the front fascia from the Audi A4.

The result?

Interestingly enough, the end result is nowhere near as horrible as one may assume. The owner has managed to combine the two ends in such a way that this interesting Impreza actually looks quite impressive.

With 110,124 miles on the clock, the car has received four bids thus far with the highest bid currently being £4,000.00 (at the time of writing). Also included in the package is a “performance exhaust” and “Predator brakes” and the unnamed owner has promised that it’s been “maintained to [a] high standard.”

With just over five days left of the sale, any prospecting buyers better get a hurry-on as this truly is a unique one-off piece of machinery.



Video: Awesomeness in Advertising by Hoonigan.com


Way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I was a spritely high school graduate heading into my first semester at college as a business administration – I know, my prospective career took a detour. In between Frat parties, sports, and chasing those of the opposite sex, I found myself in classes, some of which were about marketing correctly. The key to marketing is to get your viewers’ attention, flash your product, then leave the viewers with a lasting impression to remember you by.

Well, Hoonigan.com absolutely mastered the art of “gaining your viewers’ attention” with its latest attempt to peddle its online wares. Not only does this video contain some hooning awesomeness, but it is bursting at the seams with it. Pretty much every single awesome car video we have seen in the last five (or so) years has a several-second spot in this ad. Hell, there is even some Power Wheels hoonage at the 45-second mark and some bicycle hoonage going on at the 58-second mark.

All we can do is tip our collective hats to the folks that put together this video and the countless number of hours that must have been put in watching various videos. Just finding the videos alone must have taken hundreds of hours, but then editing them, dubbing Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” over it, and splicing it all together, Phew.

Some highlights are the Subaru WRX vs. Snowboarder downhill race at to 50-second mark, the Honda Civic passenger running for his life at the 38-second mark, and the worlds greatest drift pass at 1:23. If there is a single short car clip to watch so far this year, this is it!



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Subaru’s David Higgins and Craig Drew Take us Along on a Rally Race


We all have our own tolerance level for speed and danger, and rally racing is about the limit for most automotive buffs. We see these guys whipping around turns and sliding in loose gravel at speeds best reserved for smooth tarmac and we think “yea, not for me.” All we ever really get to see though is the outside of the car and rarely do we ever get a look at what really goes on inside the car during a live rally.

Subaru rally driver, David Higgins, and his co-driver, Craig Drew, decided it was time to let us in on what it is really like behind the wheel of a 300+ horsepower machine in loose dirt. First and foremost, Craig Drew sounds like he was once an auctioneer, as he quickly blurts out the upcoming turns, and its recommended speed. How exactly he manages to keep an eye on his track notes while flying around turns and bouncing up and down is beyond us.

Secondly, Subaru mounted a forward-pointing camera, so we can see the track live as Drew and Higgins tackle it. Even seeing the video of their running in the Rally America Susquehannock Trail Rally in Wellsboro, PA was enough to make us a little uneasy, so we could only imagine what kind of training both drivers went through to manage to slither down this track that is barely wide enough for a four-wheeler, let alone a rally car, at speeds obviously in excess of 100 mph.

Truly scary stuff. Take a look at the video and see if you could actually handle the craziness that these guys do.



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Next generation Subaru WRX will be inspired by Advanced Tourer Concept

When Subaru unveiled the Advanced Tourer Concept at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show, not many people paid much attention to it. After all, it was sitting next to the brand new Subaru BRZ, which pretty much stole the show in the Subaru booth. Now, in a twisted turn of events, MotorTrend is reporting that the Advanced Tourer was a preview version of the next generation Subaru WRX set to be unveiled sometime in 2013.

According to the magazine, a Subaru insider revealed that the next WRX will get the headlights, air dam, grille, and front brake ducts from the Tourer Concept. The overall side profile will also resemble the Tourer, but the front design will be even more aggressive and so will the rear wheel arches and fenders.

The future WRX will be built on a modified version of the current Impreza platform and as previously reported, will drop the Impreza from its nomenclature. While the engine to be placed under the hood is still a subject for speculation, Motor Trend suggests that Subaru is currently testing a new FA series of 1.6- and 2.0-liter direct-injected turbocharged boxer fours and a hybrid version of the 1.6-liter turbo. One of these three versions will definitely find its way under the hood of the next WRX, maybe even the 2.0 version.



Next Subaru WRX could get electric turbo

About the future Subaru WRX we have heard all kinds of rumors, including the fact that it will drop the "Impreza" from its name and it will be simply called WRX. After that we heard that Subaru will place under the hood of the new car the same turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer engine found in the BRZ. And now the speculation continues: new rumors suggest that the car will in fact feature an electrically-operated turbo engine.

According to Drive.com.au, Subaru is working to trap heat energy from exhaust gases, generating electricity to power the turbo. This new system will create power more efficiently with less turbo lag. But no matter what engine we will see under the hood, the next WRX will keep the same continuously variable transmission used in the standard Impreza.

The same source is also reporting that the next WRX "will be completely distinctive from the current Impreza, it will look considerably different." The model will also be featuring very significant technical changes and innovations.

Expect to see the new Subaru WRX launched sometime next year. A STI version will also follow.



Video: WRX STi Goes Playing in the Snow and Ice


Back when the Impreza WRX made its debut, we began salivating, as it marked the comeback of the turbocharged car. Then once the STi came around bearing its 300-horsepower, 2.5-liter H-4 engine, we were officially in love. That love has somewhat dissipated, as the turbocharged market has become a little flooded lately. The STi still has its own little spot in our hearts though.

One of the many things that made the STi so unique was its combination of extreme power from a four-cylinder engine with Subaru’s legendary AWD system. This made, and still makes, the WRX STi one of the most fun cars in the world to tinker around in the snow and ice.

The above video comes straight from Russia showing a rather good driver maneuvering his STi through the icy and snowy streets with a lead car filming him. Not only is the action pretty darn good, but the editing isn’t half-bad either.

Regardless of how cool this video is, we do have to ask you to please not go buy an STi and start sliding around your city’s streets during the next snowstorm. Yeah, it looks cool and you might get yourself a spot on the internet, but its rather dopey, to say the least.

Now that we have given you our parent-like lecture for the day, sit back and enjoy a WRX STi frolicking in it favorite habitat, snow and ice. If you keep a close eye at the 1:19 mark, you can see their fun is almost over, as plow tractors are coming through to clean up the slippery stuff.



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Ken Block’s Subaru WRX STI TRAX Comes To Life On eBay Motors

Now we’re sure everyone remembers the insane Subaru WRX STi TRAX which was previewed back in 2009 for the SEMA Auto Show and for Ken Block to fool around in. However, Subaru may have forgotten to put up a disclaimer stating “Don’t try this at home,” because that’s exactly what an insane owner in Chassel, MI, decided to do when they created their very own version of the TRAX.

The car recently popped up on eBay Motors and it’s definitely one of the most interesting cars to come out of the auction site for years. It’s currently unclear if there is much serious interest in the car and while we respect the brave owner for doing these radical modifications, we can’t help thinking that whoever buys it is wasting their money.

It’ll be outlawed in most if not all U.S. states, which means it could only be driven on private property. As a result, it seems to be a waste of a perfectly healthy 2002 Subaru WRX STI as it’ll likely never feel the cool air rushing through its intercooler and will probably be kept in storage all year round.

Nevertheless, this piece of machinery would be unquestionably fun to drive, and if the modifications have been performed correctly, it could very well be the most fun you can have in a Subaru on snow covered roads. However, in saying that, the WRX STI is still pretty capable on snow when left stock due to its 2.0 liter engine, 5 speed transmission, and all-wheel drive system, but like we said, props to the madman behind this creation.



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Forza Motorsport 4 Launch Bonus Pack includes Koenigsegg Agera

forza motorsport 4 launch bonus pack includes koenigsegg agera picture

The new 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo made its debut in Forza Motorsport 4 about two weeks ago. Now, Turn 10 Studis available that will add another 10 vehicles to your list of cars to drive, including the Koenigsegg Agera supercar and the electric Tesla Roadster Sport.

The new Launch Bonus Pack includes a collection of ten cars previously available only to those Forza 4 players who had either pre-ordered from specific retail outlets, or picked up the game during its first run via the "Ship Bonus Car Pack." The new Launch Bonus Pack is available for Xbox Live and can be yours for 560 Microsoft Points.

The list of 10 cars included in the new Launch Bonus Pack include: 1997 Lexus SC300, 1965 Mustang GT Coupe, 2011 Ruf RGT-8, 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport, 2011 Koenigsegg Agera, 2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta, 2011 Subaru WRX STI, 2011 MINI John Cooper Works Clubman, 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe, and 2011 Honda CR-Z EX.

Hit the jump for a presentation video of all the cars.


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2013 Subaru WRX STI

The 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show allowed Subaru to unveil the Impreza Design Concept, a preview version of the next generation Impreza. Details for the vehicle have been sparse since then, but we decided to dream up what the WRX STI version would look like anyway.

The concept’s design is defined by a theme of "Dynamic, Enticing, Secure." Starting with this theme, the WRX STI version adds requisite fender flares, a top-mount intercooler, and, that massive wing on the back.

The standard Impreza is expected to be revealed in early 2011. It will continue offering the same 2.5 liter Boxer engine, but rumors are also circulating that a hybrid version will also be available, a first for Subaru. The WRX STI model will follow a few months later with sales beginning in early 2012.

UPDATE 07/14/2011: New details about the future generation Subaru Impreza WRX suggest that, starting 2014, the Impreza and the WRX will go their separate ways. What this means is that the car will simply be called the Subaru WRX and will be a totally different vehicle. According to a MotorTrend source: "Apart from a few nuts and bolts, every part on the WRX will be unique. Even the engine and body. Obviously the WRX’s platform will be inherited from the new Impreza, but it will be radically modified and significantly shortened."

UPDATE 11/18/2011: During their presence at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Subaru has offered new details on the next WRX STI model. The car will continue to be turbocharged and will use a forced-induction version of the carmaker’s new 2.0-liter "FB" boxer four engine with an output of about 300 HP. (CarAndDriver)

UPDATE 12/08/2011: The Subaru WRX has been rumored to deliver up to 300 HP, but new details are suggesting that the standard model will actually use a turbocharged version of the BRZ 2.0-liter boxer engine with an output of about 270 HP. That’s 30 HP we’ll probably never see again.

Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Subaru WRX STI model.


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