Autoblog

Click either image for a high-res rendering of each model at AutoExpress.

Mitsubishi and Subaru are entering round two of the newest battle for all-wheel-drive supremacy and AutoExpress has ringside seats. Both automakers are preparing hard-core versions of their turbocharged, rally-bred road rockets and that means more power, more aerodynamic mods and, in the case of Subaru, less weight.

The Lancer Evolution X MR is on the way, with a new fascia equipped with extra venting and a new air intake, while a revised rear wing, side skirts and blacked-out wheels complete the exterior makeover. Output is increased by 20 hp (in JDM spec) to 305 hp and the mid-range has been tweaked to provide more low-end torque, dropping the 0-60 time to under five seconds. The paddle-shifted SST twin-clutch transmission transfers over from the GSR model (likely with some software revisions) and the body has been stiffened to maximize the MR's handling.

Subaru is taking a different tack, keeping power upgrades to the STI's turbo'd 2.5-liter boxer to a minimum and instead focusing on weight reduction. The Impreza WRX STI Spec C will get a slightly revised aero kit, with a roof scoop (functional?), standard gold wheels, a lightweight roof, aluminum trunk lid, compact battery, smaller fuel tank and thinner compartment glass all around. All that work is expected to result in a 154-pound drop in weight, so the Spec C will tip the scales at just over 3,000 pounds.

Subaru is also planning to equip the new Legacy with the STI's drivetrain, a revised suspension and slapping on an "S402" badge on the back, along with a sporting interior with more grippy seats. All of this is only for JDM consumption at the moment, but we'd expect to see both the MR and Spec C hit the UK next year, with sales in the U.S. of the MR coming around the same time.

[Source: AutoExpress]

The Subaru WRX STI has the speed and agility to be a track star, but on dirt, few machines on earth can keep up with the sprightly little screamer. The impressive little Scooby can scoot just like the last-gen model, but now it does it with a refinement the old model lacked. For fans and foes of the AWD pocket rocket, team Subie made a one-minute video tribute to the coolness that is STI. Hit the jump to view some seriously amazing jumps, flips, spin-outs, crashes, and power slides featuring the old car that concludes with the '08 ride tearing up the tarmac. If you don't want to go drive an STI after watching this clip, you may be dead.

[Source: YouTube]

Click image for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

I remember the last red Subaru I drove. I was in high school, and the car was my dad's – a new '88 GL wagon with an automatic and push-button 4WD on the shifter. I dug that Scooby. It wasn't powerful but it was fun -- especially when it snowed. Somehow I managed to avoid bouncing it off a lamppost while sliding it around corners. This had much more to do with luck than skill, as I was in high school and clearly an idiot. But I digress -- after all, this isn't about my dad's old GL. It is, however, about a red Subaru – the new Impreza WRX STI, to be specific. If this thing was around back during my neighborhood rally-pretender salad days, I'd probably just be getting my license back right about now.


All photos Copyright ©2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.

Hot on the heels of news that Subaru will be showing off a 147-hp diesel boxer in the Legacy and Outback next month in Geneva, the Japanese automaker is rumored to be considering an oil-burner for its tuner favorite WRX. It appears Subaru may have a winner with its 2.0L turbo-diesel powerplant, too. During a test drive of the diesel Legacy, the UK's Autocar gushed that the sedan may sport the best diesel they've ever driven. Since Subaru is looking to improve its fleet-wide fuel economy, it makes sense that the engine would quickly make its rounds through the Subie lineup. The Forester seems like a logical target, and with 258 lb-ft and a compact footprint, the fuel-efficient powerplant would definitely work in the WRX.

Australia's Drive asked Subaru about a possible diesel WRX, and the company responded with the expected "we're looking into it". Of course they are. As fun and interesting as a diesel WRX sounds, the combo is likely the stuff of pixie dust and fairies of the dental kind for those of us living in the States. We almost never get the really interesting stuff here. That all could change, however, when the EU adopts emissions standards as strict as those in the US, making the transfer of diesel technology between the two as easy as pie.

[Source: Drive]

Click above to check out more images at Exhaustnote.com.

We wouldn't quite call ourselves fans of the Fast and Furious franchise, but we're getting more and more impressed with this newest iteration of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. We'll admit that it's hardly the most attractive hatch on the road, but its blend of planted purposefulness and flared fenders have slowly made converts out of some of us.

Could it be made uglier? Most certainly. But the crew at Veilside are supplying a kit for the new STI that will make its debut in the new Fast and Furious sequel. The Rally Blue 'Rex is getting a full work-over at a shop in Southern California before Paul Walker (aka Brian O'Connner) takes the helm and our friends at ExhaustNote.com were able to supply some pics in the midst of modifications. While the new front bumper and precariously placed spoiler might not suit everyone's taste, the full roll cage could mean that better (non-CG, please) stunts are on the way.

[Source: ExhaustNote.com]

Click above to watch the video.

After amassing a healthy lead over their competitors, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom were able to play it cool for the second to last stage of the 2008 SnoDrift Rally last weekend. All was well as they made their way through the forest roads and fresh powder until one of God's creatures decided that now would be a good time to cross the ice-covered stage road. As the 2007 WRX STI careened down the road at over 60 mph, Bambi colliding with Pastrana's left front bumper, causing irreparable damage to the engine and ending the team's race as the Subaru coasted to a stop. We're not sure if it was Pastrana or Edstrom who let out the shriek just as the deer hit, but we've got to give them points for using far fewer expletives than we would've.

You can check the video after the jump and read a full account of the race over at Vermont Sports Car's website.

Thanks for the tip Chris!

While we're stuck with Knight Rider and a bunch of really crappy game and reality shows during the writers strike, in Japan, reality/game/variety programs manage to turn generally mundane tasks into TV gold. Maybe we should import their shows during this time of need -- stuff like TV Champions, which recently aired an episode dedicated to finding Japan's greatest car parker. In the video above, professional drivers were tasked with flooring an Impreza STi in reverse, guiding it into a marked spot, and popping a balloon mounted against a wall of cans without knocking them over. Bonus: it's all set to Kenny Loggins' Top Gun classic, "Danger Zone." After the jump, we have the second segment, in which the drivers needed to back a 170cm-wide Toyota bB into a 171cm-wide corral. This is not easy. The completely unhinged host of the show ices the cake with his over-the-top calls in both segments. Who cares if you can't understand a word. It's wildly entertaining. Watch for yourselves. Thanks for the tip, catgirlshyla!

[Source: Japan Probe]

Best Motoring's Tsukuba shootouts regularly put all the others to shame. Sure, they might lack some of the high-dollar production quality of other motoring shows, but they make up for it with mesmerizing track sessions and entertaining commentary. Case in point, in the recent edition of the Japanese-language video series, they've pitted the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI against the Mitsubishi Evolution X with the five-speed gearbox. But to make it even more interesting, they included the SST-equipped version of the Evo X, an Evo IX MR GSR and the last generation WRX STI. The video shows where each vehicle excels and falters, with a few choice gems coming from the drivers like, "Ohhhh, undudasteero!" and "sido-by-sido."

The results may be surprising, but we won't spoil the ending. Check the video after the jump.

Thanks for the tip Ovidio!

[Source: YouTube via Zercustoms]

From the front, it looks like the damage would almost buff out. Then you see the shot of the back. Significant restyling has taken place on this particular brandy-new STI, and we're not talking about the new duds Fuji whipped up. At least now we know what the primo donor cars will look like at the pick-a-part. While it's an upsetting thing for us internet pikers to gaze upon, we can only imagine the owner's anguish. That said, since most of the damage is in the rear, we're guessing that someone else is at fault for the total loss of this Subie. So, while this particular STI is likely headed for a dismemberment, the owner is likely tooling around in a replacement. So, what do you think the combined cost of this lovely hunk of low-miles (282km) scrap plus a shipping container would be?

Thanks for the tip, Marc!

[Source: caradvice.com.au]

It didn't take long for Japan's journalists to get the new STI and EVO X side by side, and the results are now officially in. Tsukuba circuit regulars Kazuo Shimizu and Manabu Kawaguchi spent an afternoon thrashing around the notoriously twisty short circuit just north of Tokyo and here (drum roll please) are the best times they could ring out of the AWD rivals:

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X : 1:06:46

Subaru Impreza WRX STI : 1:05:95

So there you have it. The new engine placed further forward in the engine bay of the EVO X than in the EVO IX has indeed proven to be a handicap, while the STI's "wheel at each corner" longer wheelbase plus new double wishbone rear suspension has proved its worth.

Neither car is quite as quick as its immediate ancestor though.

Check out this 15 year rivalry of the EVO vs the STI as recorded at Tsukuba after the jump.

[Source: CAR Top magazine]