2004 Subaru Impreza Wrx Sti Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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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.

New Subaru Levorg teased ahead of Tokyo Motor Show

While we only get a sedan version of the Subaru WRX in the U.S., Japan has had a wagon version to go along with it called the Levorg. The Subaru Levorg is about to get a big update, too, since the company teased a new generation for the Tokyo Motor Show. Based on the teaser image and video, the new Levorg's styling will be evolutionary. The various creases along the side have a bit more curve to them to emphasize the bulging fenders. The lines also look similar to those of the Subaru Viziv Tourer concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show last year. The current Subaru Levorg is offered with either a 1.6-liter turbocharged flat-four or the WRX's turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. We wouldn't be surprised if those engines carry over to the new model with some minor changes. Curiously, the current model also only comes with a CVT, which will probably continue to be the only transmission option. We would be more disappointed by that if the Levorg had any chance of coming to America. That said, if there are any Subaru product planners reading, the Levorg might sell well here if it was given a small suspension lift and fender flares. Call it the Crosstrek+ or Crosstrek XL or something like that. The turbo 1.6-liter would be a nice upgrade over the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine. And there are probably some old WRX hatchback fans who would love the turbo 2.0-liter Levorg, provided a manual was made available.

Subaru says Japan car output halted due to defective part

TOKYO — Subaru Corp said its sole car factory in Japan accounting for roughly 60 percent of global production had halted output a week ago after it discovered a defect in a component procured from a supplier. The Asahi newspaper first reported the suspension at the Gunma plant on Wednesday, saying the defect was found in the power steering component. A spokesman for Subaru says the problem affecting Crosstreks and Foresters was discovered early. None of the affected vehicles had reached consumers, and won't until they've been repaired. Perhaps 10,000 cars, maybe fewer, were intended for the U.S. market. Subaru, which exports the majority of its domestically made cars, could not say when production would resume. Production at Subaru's plant in Indiana was unaffected.Related Video: Plants/Manufacturing Subaru