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Junkyard Gem: 1982 Subaru BRAT

Like the AMC Eagle, the Subaru BRAT was a big sales hit in Colorado, much more than in the rest of North America, and you still see plenty of examples of both vehicles on Colorado streets ... and in Colorado wrecking yards. Here's a 1982 BRAT with camper shell that made it to age 35 before being forcibly retired. Based on the Subaru Leone (which was sold in the United States as "The Subaru"), the BRAT was a lightweight, four-wheel-drive truck that could slog through mud and snow, but didn't slurp gas quite as hard as other 4WD trucks. They rusted instantly in the Midwest and Northeast, but held together pretty well in the West. This one has the "Twin-Halo" sunroof setup. How much power do you need in a pickup? In 1982, 72 horses, from this 1,781cc boxer-four engine, were enough for BRAT buyers. Subaru evaded paying the Chicken Tax on early BRATs by installing jumpseats in the bed, which (legally speaking) made the BRAT a four-seat passenger car; like most BRATs that end up in junkyards, the jumpseats are long gone from this one. Many personal-injury lawsuits later, the jumpseats were nixed and BRAT buyers had to pay the tax. Note the Subaru-owner-stereotype-defying bumper stickers on the back window. It's faded and bent and worn out, but will provide parts for the many BRATs (and Leones) still roaming Colorado streets and trails. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In Australia, this truck was called the Brumby. Happy with the ride, Porky? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In the United States, Ruth Gordon pitched the BRAT. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1982 Subaru BRAT View 14 Photos Auto News Subaru Automotive History Truck subaru brat

We race a 2019 Subaru WRX STI up the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb

SHELSLEY WALSH, U.K. — Keep your foot down, I tell myself. Easier said than done in a 2019 Subaru WRX STI on the narrow and treacherous Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb. Right away, thereÂ’s a very hairy fast left sweeper the STI takes in third gear, leading into another left that requires even more bravery: lifting just before entry without braking. The STIÂ’s all-wheel drive helps to pull us up and out of the corner, on the way to the fast straightaway up a steep hill. Abrupt berms, vegetation and walls line the right side, while the left has a poor excuse for a guardrail and a long drop past that. The road itself is extremely narrow – only big enough for one STI at a time – but smooth, picturesque. The prototypical meandering British B-road. An obligatory herd of sheep mill about in the distance partway up the hill, and a few cows watch the STI careen over the finish line.  This is the essence of the British hillclimb, an archaic form of motorsport that has survived to this day. In this pastoral setting, Shelsley Walsh happens to be the oldest continuously running (well, save a break for two world wars) hill climb event in the world, with the first official event being held August 12, 1905. It is, like many British hillclimb courses, almost comically short – just over half a mile, so thereÂ’s not much to memorize. Cars from the early 1900s (when it was still paved with stone) struggled to even make it to the top. Part of that struggle can be attributed to the rule that you must race with a full car of passengers, no less than the number of seats available. Besides that, cars just werenÂ’t very powerful back then, and Shelsley is a steep course. It peaks at a 16 percent grade. The course record belongs to a Gould GR55 NME open-wheel single-seater racecar at just 22.58 seconds. I managed to break into the mid 37s for my fastest run in the STI, but there was still a fair bit of time to be had in the course. Car preservation was much more important than chasing lap records — it was an hour drive back to our lodging that night, and the STI was our ride. There were two flavors of Subarus available to us for the hillclimb, and motoring around the British countryside after. One was the regular WRX STI, and the other was the shockingly expensive (and limited to 500 examples, long sold by now) Type RA. All the minor tweaks and upgrades made a tiny, tangible difference in my hill climb times.

Subaru pairs with Liberty Mutual for built-in driving monitor app

A new app for Subaru's Starlink infotainment will give owners easy access to Liberty Mutual's RightTrack usage-based insurance program later in the year, and those that take part will be able to save up to 30 percent off their bill. Users will also get nearly realtime feedback about their driving that could make them safer behind the wheel. "RightTrack is designed to benefit drivers," Jeff Wright, vice president of usage-based insurance at Liberty Mutual, said to Autoblog. The program monitors a participating driver's behavior and looks for factors like hard acceleration or deceleration, the number of miles driven, and a journey's time of day. Users then receive a report after a trip on their smartphone or the infotainment screen about these events behind the wheel. Everyone gets a five-percent discount just for signing up for the usage-based insurance, but after 90 days the safest drivers can get the maximum discount. Liberty Mutual also doesn't increase RightTrack client's insurance rates. "This partnership combines Liberty Mutual's extensive experience and reach in usage-based insurance with Subaru and Clarion's cutting-edge connected car technology to bring RightTrack savings to consumers in new ways," Hamid Mirza, auto product manager at Liberty Mutual Insurance, said in the announcement. A 2015 study indicated that 27 percent of older drivers had privacy concerns about usage-based insurance programs, but younger people had a growing willingness to try them. The industry says that showing clients how they drive can make them safer because folks realize what they're doing wrong. Plus, many people are attracted to the potential monthly savings. The RightTrack app should be available in late spring on any Subaru with the Starlink infotainment system, company spokesman Anthony Landamia told Autoblog. Liberty Mutual plans eventually to update the software to support other helpful features like severe weather alerts, accident scene assistance, and roadside assistance. Liberty Mutual Insurance and Subaru Introduce New Technology to Promote Safe Driving and Savings on Auto Insurance RightTrack® in-vehicle app powered by Clarion Smart Access™ features new innovation in usage-based insurance for SUBARU STARLINK™ Cloud app suite BOSTON – January 4, 2016 – From commuting to work to shuttling the kids, how safe of a driver are you?