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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.

Catch the rally bug in one easy step at Wales Rally GB

You should go watch a rally. Yes, you. And by "a rally," I mean pretty much anything that could be considered a rally. Is there a grassroots rallycross event near you featuring some $500 beater Subarus mucking about in a field? Go to that. Or a full-blown WRC event. Set your coffeemaker to kick out some extra-potent brew, because you'll probably have to wake up early and drive for a bit to see something. But trust me, it'll be worth it. In Europe, with hundreds of events concentrated in a relatively small geographical area, in all sorts of environments (snow, forest, dirt, you name it), this is a lot easier. North America is huge. Your TV is closer, your couch is comfortable. That's the challenge for hooking new rally fans in America. So, why get off your tail? I travelled to Wales, the tiny windswept country on the western edge of Great Britain, to find out. First, we stopped by David Higgins' rally school, parked at the top of a sheep-studded ridge in the middle of nowhere. This was a two-part trip. The first bit was a visit to David Higgins' rally school, parked at the top of a sheep-studded ridge in the middle of nowhere. The second part was the main event: watching the headline rally event in the UK – WRC Wales Rally GB – in what amounted to a tropical storm at winter temperatures. Despite the challenges, it was one of those trips that left me smiling the whole time. At the Higgins Rally School, we had a very abbreviated experience, essentially the highlights of a multi-day course condensed into a few short hours. The first was learning how to do J-turns on mud, in an old UK-market Ford Escort ... with right-hand drive, and so, a left-hand manual shift, which made it much harder to nail the technique with the "wrong" hand. Then, it was off for a lap with an instructor in the passenger seat in a rear-drive-converted Subaru Impreza WRX – flying through gravel, mud, within spitting distance of piles of logs. That was exhilarating. Or at least, it was, until the ride-alongs with the pros. Jimmy McRae, a storied driver and father to the late and even more storied Colin McRae, was behind the wheel. The car was an early 1990s Prodrive-built Legacy, a real works car, and it made demonic noises as McRae flew through the woods, mostly sideways.

California adapts ZEV mandate with PHEVs for smaller automakers

California is the nation's largest market for zero-emissions vehicles with over 100,000 of them estimated to be on the roads there. The state's goal is to keep that number growing every year. To that end, the California Air Resources Board is now tweaking its rules in a way that might not boost ZEVs but could mean more plug-in hybrids for the Golden State. Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Volvo asked for an exemption to the state's zero-emissions vehicle mandate last year due to their relatively small development budgets compared to larger automakers. CARB denied their request but did craft a compromise, according to Automotive News. Rather than being required to offer a ZEV in the state, companies with an annual global revenue of less than $40 billion, like those in this group, may instead sell plug-in hybrids to earn ZEV credits. The companies aren't completely off the hook, though. If these plug-in hybrids don't earn enough credits, the corporations must buy them on the market to make up the difference. Automakers with popular electric models like Nissan and Tesla have made a big business through this trading system by selling their surplus to rivals. Tesla alone pocketed $51 million in the first quarter from this part of its business, according to Automotive News. The changes to the regulations also aren't set in stone, yet. CARB is meeting in 2016 and could adjust things further at that time. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Government/Legal Green Jaguar Land Rover Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Volvo Emissions Electric Hybrid California zev credits zero emissions vehicle