Autoblog

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 above for a high-res gallery of the Subaru Impreza WRX.

We reported last month that a senior exec over at Subaru was "looking into" the possibility of offering a diesel variant of the WRX. Today, Autocar is reporting a similar story, and as the saying goes, where there's smoke... there must be a diesel.

Subaru has already unveiled the oil-burning version of its Legacy over in the UK, and Forester and Impreza versions are likely to hit sometime later this year in the same market. But Autocar's Subie sources are saying that a high-output version is being developed that should make around 200 hp and some pretty prodigious torque.

Thankfully, Subaru is also working on modifying the 2.0L diesel boxer mill so it can be sold here in the States, and some version is expected to hit our shores sometime in the next two or three years. Thanks for the tip, Steve!


[Sources: Autocar, Subaru Insider]

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!

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]

Some of our favorite online reads released their initial driving impressions of the new for '08 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, and the consensus seems to be that the new STI is a big step forward, with a competent combination of daily usability and track-ready driving dynamics.

Subarus have sported standard AWD since the 80s, well before most other automakers even bothered with the technology. That, partnered with its boxer engine, goes together like peanut butter and jelly. But the Japanese automaker has to begin worrying about fuel efficiency and emissions, so the two features that have defined the brand for decades may become optional on future models. Thankfully, it's got Toyota to pilfer from, so the implementation of new drivetrains will be a bit easier if and when it makes the shift. Subaru of Australia Director Nick Senior broke the news of the possible switch, but he also emphasized that any changes wouldn't be made before 2010 and that no product plans are without AWD or the boxer engine in the foreseeable future.

[Source: Go Auto via Straightline]

UPDATE: Video of the STI unveiling has been added after the jump.

Click the image above for more live shots of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

The Subaru Impreza STI just made its North American debut, and for those of us here in the States, life is good. Just like the JDM version, the STI benefits from a wider track and a longer wheelbase, but power is provided by Subaru's 2.5-liter boxer four making 305 hp and 290 lb.-ft. of torque. The sprint to sixty will be dispatched in 4.9 seconds, and Subie execs are touting the engine's new torque characteristics as more tractable and effortlessly exciting. Aluminum suspension components partner with inverted struts to keep all four wheels planted and providing motivation, while a redesigned DCCD allows drivers to select six different differential settings.

Pricing has been set at $34,995 and Subaru began taking orders today. Check out Subaru's official press release after the jump and our gallery of high-res live shots below.

Click the image above for more shots from Cusco.

Cusco has been bringing the knowledge gleaned from its racing exploits to consumers for more than a decade, and over the past few years, it's finally offered up its wares to those of us in the States. In particular, the Subaru WRX has been the mainstay of its success, so it didn't take long to begin developing new suspension components to make the new Subie stick.