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Daily Driver: Long-Term 2015 Subaru WRX

In successive weeks the middle west and eastern coast of our country were blanketed in snow. Thankfully for my fellow Michigan-based Autoblog editors and I, our long-term 2015 Subaru WRX was fitted with Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D tires before the first flake even fell. I stole the keys and ran out of the office was loaned the WRX for a week recently, and made good use of a sunny Saturday to take the car out for a proper, winding road drive. In the video you see here, I happened to have great weather and dry roads for the test, but rest assured that it had been snowy and gross up to that point. We're going to have lots more to say about our gold-footed 'Rex before we give it back, but in the meantime believe me when I say that the car is well-sorted for the worst that Winter '15 will throw at it.

Factory Five's Subaru WRX-based 818 kit now on sale [w/video]

The Subaru WRX has always needed a dash more style, and the do-it-yourself carmakers at Factory Five are looking to accomplish a lot more than that with their new mid-engine, rear-wheel drive 818. The sports car started with a contest in 2011 to create the shape for the company's next vehicle, while sticking within certain limits. A designer named Nouphone Bansasi had his entry chosen, and first cars were completed last year.
The 818 is named after its target weight of 818 kilograms (1,803 pounds), and it's offered in two forms. The S starts at $9,990 and is meant for street use, with two seats and a basic interior. The R model for $10,990 is more track-focused and features a tiny windshield and full roll cage. The company claims that complete cars can be built for around $15,000, after factoring in the donor Subaru. Performance is very brisk, with acceleration to 60 miles per hour in under four seconds, according to Motor Authority.
The kits are meant to be something that even a relative novice could put together. All the builder needs to provide is a 2002-2007 Impreza or WRX. The car donates its turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, transmission, axles, brakes, steering and other major components. Factory Five supplies the spaceframe, body, suspension, lights, windshield and some interior trim. It doesn't even need paint, thanks to its gel-coated fiberglass body panels. The company also offers a laundry list of options, including carbon fiber aero components, upgraded suspension parts, improved brakes and more. Kits can be ordered in either left- or right-hand drive.

Subaru plans commemorative 50th-anniversary editions of each vehicle in 2018

Subaru will release limited-edition commemorative models of each of its vehicles next year as a way to mark its 50th anniversary in the U.S. on Feb. 15, the company said. Each edition will get a new, common color based on a high-level trim and special badging, with more details to come at the Chicago Auto Show in February. The company famous for its all-wheel-drive vehicles, boxer engines and being popular among the granola set teased plans for its anniversary celebration year back in February, saying it would also make a special donation of "50 cars for 50 years" to benefit an as-yet unnamed national charity. Subaru of America was founded on Feb. 15, 1968 in a small rental unit in Balboa Park, Calif. by American businessmen Malcolm Bricklin and Harvey Lamm as a way to sell Subaru dealer franchises. Soon after, the company relocated to Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and it has remained in the Delaware River valley ever since. It was acquired by Fuji Heavy Industries in 1990. The parent company, now known as Subaru Corp., launched in 1953 and under the core Subaru-named auto business in 1958. Its first vehicle on the U.S. market arrived in 1968 as the 360, a clear competitor to the Volkswagen Beetle that was $300 cheaper and 1,000 pounds lighter. Its sales suffered after Consumer Reports rated it as "unacceptable." Its FF-1 arrived in the U.S. in 1970 and represented the first Japanese car to feature front-wheel-drive and to have a horizontally opposed boxer engine. The company's first all-wheel-drive station wagon came to the U.S. in 1975. Subaru plans to reveal its new three-row Ascent crossover next week at the L.A. Auto Show. Last month it unveiled special JDM model versions of the BRZ and WRX STI at the Tokyo Motor Show. In October the company announced it would cease production of industrial products after 60 years in order to focus on making automobiles. Subaru of America is developing a new headquarters complex in Camden, N.J., which it expects to open early next year.Related Video: Featured Gallery Subaru 50 years of cars View 22 Photos Image Credit: Subaru Subaru Hatchback SUV Wagon Sedan station wagon subaru ascent