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Subaru says Forester logs 8,000 JDM orders in first month, 4x expectations

The 2014 Subaru Forester is not on sale yet here in the US, but it has been on sale in Japan since the middle of last month. In that time, Subaru says that the 8,149 customer orders it has received have more than quadrupled the original expectation of just 2,000 units.
To go along with these impressive orders so far, Subaru has also provided a breakdown of exactly what initial customers are ordering, and based on the numbers provided, it would appear that early customers are choosing well-equipped models. This includes almost 90 percent of all models being ordered with the new Subaru EyeSight system, and while close to two-thirds of the Forester models are equipped with the base 2.0-liter engine, the turbocharged Forester 2.0XT is the most popular individual trim level accounting for almost 40 percent of the orders out of four available trim levels. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues as more Foresters hit dealers, but this is definitely a good sign for the compact crossover right out of the gate.
There's a brief press release after the jump that gives a full breakdown of customer orders so far in Japan.

2015 Subaru WRX STI

In December, I put the 2015 Subaru WRX through its paces along some incredibly challenging roads in northern California, and to say I walked away impressed wouldn't really do my feelings justice. Say what you will about the way it looks, the new 'Rex is an awesome car, full stop. When it comes to all-weather sports sedans that won't break the bank, it's very tough to beat the WRX.
But then there's its big brother - the STI. The winged wonder. The rally superstar. The car that, to many - and to me - represents all that is right in the world of dirt-and-gravel thrills. Sharp as the WRX has always been, the hardcore STI model has always been a little bit sharper. But in recent years, that hasn't always been a good thing. What I've liked most about the WRX is the fact that it's not an always-on attack missile - it can be forgiving, easy to drive, and if I'm honest, reasonably comfortable. Because of that, in the WRX/STI debate, I've preferred the former for daily driving activities. I've always had a thing for That Wing, but in the outgoing car, the STI was never really far and away a more rewarding car to drive, and it offered exactly zero upgrades in terms of comfort or refinement.
The 2015 WRX is easily the finest example of Subaru's hot hatch sedan to date. But what happens when you try to turn the dial past 11? I headed back to NorCal, including a stop at the historic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, to find out.

Subaru teasing new WRX S4 model ahead of Japanese debut

The Subaru WRX range is growing just a little bit larger, at least in Japan, with the automaker's teasing announcement of a new version called the S4. Unfortunately, the company is keeping details about its latest all-wheel drive sport sedan a closely guarded secret for the moment.
From what we can glean, it appears that the S4 might be a more luxurious take on the WRX. According to the release, the name stands for the four qualities that Subaru wants the sedan to have: "'Sports performance', 'Safety performance', 'Smart driving' and 'Sophisticated feel.'" As part of this focus, the car comes with the company's EyeSight camera system. Thankfully, we don't have too long to wait to find out what all of the buzz words actually mean because Subaru is unveiling the S4 on August 25 in Japan.
The automaker also launched a teaser website for the S4 that you can cheek out, here, but at the moment it doesn't provide any more details about the new sport sedan. The site just has countdown until the August reveal. There's also no indication yet whether this potentially more premium WRX could make it US shores. Scroll down to read the Subaru's rather concise teaser for the upcoming S4.