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Subaru offers 50th-anniversary edition versions of all its cars

Subaru is celebrating its 50th year in the U.S., and like so many automakers, its doing so by rolling out some special edition models. What's a bit unique about Subaru's approach is that the anniversary editions are available on every single model in the lineup. That includes Impreza, Crosstrek, Forester, Outback, Legacy, WRX, WRX STI and BRZ. The only exception is the Ascent, which isn't yet on sale in any form. What distinguishes the 50th anniversary edition Subarus are really just cosmetic things. They're all painted in an exclusive "Heritage Blue" and accented with satin chrome trim. Naturally they have "50th Anniversary" badges, too. Inside, they're all equipped with black leather featuring embroidered "50th Anniversary" logos and contrast silver stitching. The seatbelts are also silver. These special Subarus are limited production vehicles. The company will build 1,050 each of the Impreza, Crosstrek, Forester, Outback and Legacy. The WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ will comprise 1,050 cars with 600 WRXs, 250 BRZs and 200 STIs. Every example is also the highest trim level, and models that offer more than one engine will be split such that there will be fewer of the high-horsepower versions. All of the anniversary edition cars are now on sale. View 15 Photos Related Gallery 2018 Subaru 50th Anniversary Editions View 9 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Chicago Auto Show Subaru Coupe Crossover Hatchback SUV Sedan 2018 Chicago Auto Show

Subaru turns a WRX STI into a bobsled and (barely) makes it work

When asked how confident he felt of a successful full run down the St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun in his specially prepared Subaru WRX STI, professional rally and stunt driver Mark Higgins responded, "50/50." In reality, he was probably being generous. It wasn't supposed to be so death-defying. In fact, Subaru's original plan was to have Higgins make several runs down the icy slope, some with journalists in the passenger seat. We were among those who traveled all the way to Switzerland for the chance to experience an automotive bobsled ride. One look at the run's famous Horseshoe Corner was all it took for us to second-guess that idea. Well, that and our pesky sense of self preservation. Higgins, though, is one of those rare humans to have been born without that fear-of-death gene. Not only is the Manx driver a professional stuntman – his resume includes sequences for Daniel Craig's James Bond – he also won the British Rally Championship three times and is the four-wheeled record holder at the famed Isle of Man Snaefell Mountain Course. So, when Higgins says some sort of vehicular stunt has only half a chance at success, well, let's just say that most mortals would say something more akin to "a snowball's chance in hell." On the topic of snow and balls, it's worth noting that the timing of Subaru's bobsled run wasn't set by choice. The Olympic Bobrun hosts regular events every winter through late February or early March. Since the track at St. Moritz is the only run in the world without an artificial cooling system, warm weather means no sledding. Combine those two facts and you end up with a very narrow window in which Subaru could go about making the modified track and a WRX STI actually fit together. Enter the boffins at Prodrive. The British engineering firm first started modifying vehicles for racing in 1984. By 1990, Prodrive was focused on turning turbocharged Imprezas into championship winners for the likes of Colin McRae, Richard Burns, and Petter Solberg. So it comes as little surprise that Subaru turned back to Prodrive to figure out how to modify a 2015 WRX STI in a way that would make it survive the pounding it would sustain on a bob run. For the record, this isn't just any 2015 WRX STI. It's actually the same car Higgins used in 2014 to set a lap record at the Isle of Man.

UK designer to make WRX Concept-aping body kit for production Subaru

Remember the Subaru WRX Concept shown at the 2013 New York Auto Show, the one almost everyone loved but no one expected Subaru to make? Indeed, that Parnassian "design statement" led to a production design that came from a good middle class neighborhood known for its office parks and pasture land. UK designer Michael Bond is offering to change that, the man behind the yet-to-be-produced Rumbler "Superhero Utility Vehicle" touting the Subaru WRX Concept 13, which would take a customer's new WRX and turn it into something pretty close to the original concept.
That means new front and rear clips, including a redesigned rear diffuser to increase downforce, but a spoiler can be installed if the buyer decides that what he wants. The car won't be an exact replica of the NYIAS concept since that would infringe on Subaru's intellectual property, but it isn't clear yet how the design would be altered. Bond's site says that once he gets 50 confirmed orders, his team will order a WRX and begin the process of creating the new bodywork. It is claimed that once work begins, it will be four to six months to "[present] a completed model for public view."
Bond says the price will come down depending on the number of orders beyond 50, but doesn't give any indication of how much those first 50 cars could cost. If you're keen, though, head over to the site and fill out the enquiry form. Who knows if the Concept 13 will happen, but so far this is the best chance you have of getting what could have been.