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BTW: Subaru's SHARC won the 2012 Design Challenge

Part of the festivities that encompass the LA Auto Show is the annual LA Design Challenge. This year's winner was the Subaru Highway Automated Response Concept, or SHARC. It envisioned automated, zero-emission highway patrolling.
The 2012 edition of the challenge was to envision the future of highway patrol in the year 2025. The goal was to conceptualize a vehicle that would account for the needs of "dynamic urban environments." In addition to Subaru's participation in the contest BMW, General Motors, Honda and Mercedes-Benz, all took part in the challenge.
The SHARC is essentially a law enforcement land-drone. It is entirely automated and runs on renewable energy. Subaru envisioned a future where the Hawaiian Islands are connected to each other by a large highway system. Such an expansive area would require considerable manpower to patrol. The concept of an autonomous patrol vehicle would eliminate the need for a good number of full-time personnel.

Subaru Outback Luggage Test | How much cargo space?

I'm reporting to you from my home in Portland, Ore., which is pretty much ground zero for Subaru Outback ownership. They're absolutely everywhere, challenged only by its little Crosstrek brother for new-car ubiquity. A big reason for that is owners (of which I know many) actually take them on outdoorsy weekend adventures. Ground clearance, all-wheel drive, copious space for gear and actually useful roof racks make an actual difference — it's not just for show, as is often the case with crossover ownership.   Well, the ground clearance (8.7 inches) and all-wheel drive (standard) are a given, but just how much space are we talking about in the Outback? The specs say there's 32.5 cubic feet behind the raised back seat, which is comparable to most compact crossovers. The rare ones that run bigger include the Honda CR-V (39.2 cu-ft) and Subaru's own Forester (35.4 without the panoramic sunroof), but remember that much of their volume is up high in the greenhouse since they are taller vehicles. By contrast, the Outback is deeper, which can not only be seen with the back seat raised, but when lowered, it's a few inches longer. If this test involved a trip to Ikea, I'm pretty confident the Outback would do better than those compact SUVs as a result. But, this is about luggage, not boxes of Bjorgorfen parts, so let's pack up the Outback for a hypothetical Pacific Northwest outdoorsy weekend adventure. So here is what you're working with. Note that rubber trunk tray and cargo cover are actually standard on all but the base Outback trim level.  As for that cargo cover ... Upper left: Here it is in place. Duh. Upper right: Like many other vehicles, especially wagons, there's a channel that runs up the D pillar that lets you quickly raise the cover without fully retracting it.  Bottom left: Here's a better look at that channel. Bottom right: Because the back seat reclines, you could end up with a gap between seatback and cover. This little filler piece is attached to a tension rod that easily adjusts by hand.  OK, onto the bags. As usual, I'll start by keeping the cargo cover in place. And as always, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).

2018 Subaru Forester joins the black-out bandwagon with Black Edition

People apparently love black-painted trim. Nissan, Chevrolet, and Honda have all recently offered special-edition packages to ditch chrome and color-coded parts for the dark hue, and Subaru is the latest to join the party. Its offering comes in the form of the 2018 Forester Black Edition. The package is only available on the 170-horsepower, naturally aspirated, Forester 2.5i Premium. It also costs an extra $1,150. For that money, you get the following in the eponymous color: 18-inch wheels, fog light trim, badges, mirror caps, and the grille. Inside, the interior is also black. The steering wheel and shifter are leather-wrapped, and the upholstery is cloth with faux leather bolsters. The package isn't all aesthetics, though. It also comes with steering LED headlights and paddle shifters for the CVT, allowing the driver to pick from six preset ratios. The latter feature was previously exclusive to the turbocharged Forester 2.0XT. The package also comes on the heels of the 2018 model introduction. There aren't many notable updates to this year's Forester, however. All trim levels except Touring increase in price by $200. All Touring models jump by $1,795. The Touring's large price jump comes with now-standard reverse automatic emergency braking and high-beam assist. The 2.0XT Touring also now has torque vectoring similar to that in the WRX line. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Subaru Forester Black Edition Image Credit: Subaru Subaru Crossover Economy Cars