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2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA Drivers' Notes Review | Fun for the few

The 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA is a limited-edition version of the Japanese automaker's iconic rally-derived sports coupe. Only 500 units are headed to America, and, with a price tag just shy of $50,000, every single one is likely to be scooped up by true Subaru enthusiasts. The RA moniker stands for record attempt. The STI lapped the Nurburgring in fewer than seven minutes. The Type RA differs from the regular model in a few ways, most notably the lightweight and adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing. The car also uses carbon fiber on the roof to lower the center-of-gravity. Other changes include a 5-horsepower bump, 19-inch BBS wheels, Bilstein dampers and a few changes to interior and exterior trim. It doesn't transform so much as refine an already hot product. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: Rock-solid chassis. Hair-trigger clutch. Tight chassis. Heavy steering. Black coffee. No need for solid foods. This was my lunch on a gray Thursday as I whipped up and down Woodward Avenue in the Subaru WRX STI Type RA. It's a riot. This thing sounds like a hooligan and most of the time behaves like one, too. I spent a lot of time in second and third gears with the revs around 5,000, just because. Need to slow things down? The brakes are spot-on, with quick bite and little pedal travel. The seats are supportive and nicely bolstered. It's a little harsh at lower speeds — something I noticed as I cruised through the verdant Cranbrook campus in metro Detroit. So yeah, I like the STI. This one, done up in RA trim, is a limited-edition model with a carbon wing and roof. It's lighter and has five more horsepower. If you love the STI and the RA (for Record Attempt) has meaning to you, sure, try to get one of these unicorns. Only 500 will be made and they are not cheap — ours is 50 grand. Otherwise, just buy a regular STI. Or if it were me, a WRX. Still, I can see the allure of this rare Subaru. Parting shot: this car also reminds me how much fun sedans are. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: The Subaru STI is a riot to drive, and as a recently reformed WRX owner, it feels familiar every time I get in it. Such is the case with the Type RA, which I also had the pleasure of driving at the track at Thermal Club in California. It the real world, it's still fun. But overall, I'd not spend the extra money for the Type RA.

Scion FR-S Convertible (in Toyota GT86 form) spied in South Africa

Though the eventual existence of a convertible version of the Toyota GT86 (and its Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ versions for America) is a no-brainer, we've yet to get a glimpse of the real-deal car until now.
Spotted in Cape Town, South Africa, of all places, this completely undisguised GT86 convertible seems to be in a remarkably advanced state of development. The image seen here was obviously sniped from quite a distance and without the aid of a powerful lens, but we can still make out a production-ready looking piece of rear bodywork for the convertible top to hide away in, as well as a functioning trunk lid. It's hard to make out with any certainty, based on this evidence, but there does seem to be space retained behind the front seats for two, small rear chairs.
With the first car spotted, we'd expect to seem some more and better images of it flow through in the near future, and if not, Toyota has already confirmed a concept version for next month's Geneva Motor Show, dubbed FT-86 Open, so stay tuned. For now, click through to the FT86Club.com forum to have a slightly closer look at the images.

Subaru STI Performance Concept previews a bright BRZ future [w/video]

Subaru unveiled its STI Performance Concept car today at the New York Auto Show, a BRZ-based corner carver that says as much about the future of STI in America as it does about the future of the BRZ. And while this marks the world's first official look at the STI concept, Subaru gave me a preview of the car, and a long description of its significance, on a trip to Japan last month. The Performance Concept sends a tangible message about the motorsports heritage and engineering capability of Subaru Tecnica International. STI started life as the motorsports arm of Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries. Appropriately, the concept car uses a racing powerplant. Under the hood is the same turbocharged, 2.0-liter boxer-four that powers the BRZ GT300 from Japan's Super GT series, estimated at around 300 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. But the STI concept is more like the ultimate road version of the BRZ instead of a recapitulation of an existing racecar. Chassis, suspension and braking components can all be found on the Japanese Domestic Market's road-going BRZ tS, for instance. Subaru invited me to drive the tS on that same trip, so stay tuned for a report on that experience later this week. It will pain Subaru fans to hear that this concept is not a defacto preview of a forthcoming turbocharged BRZ STI, at least not in the immediate future. STI has been charged with expanding its presence and reach in the North American market, but the process is going to roll out slowly without jumping straight to a fully realized production vehicle. Stage one of the STI expansion will be a consolidation of parts and aftermarket support in the US. Subaru has offered a pastiche of performance products through its dealerships up to today, including the US-only Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) parts. In the near term, the company will phase out SPT in favor of STI parts and accessories, meaning you'll be able to purchase a lot of the stuff that the Japanese market has today. And we're talking about parts that actually impact performance, not just STI-badged shift-lever knobs or gas caps. The STI Performance Concept does show that Subaru sees a future for its rear-drive coupe in the American market, and that it wants to cater to enthusiasts. Stage two, which will happen in roughly the next year and a half, is to bring an STI-tuned version of the BRZ to the US, not unlike the JDM BRZ tS.