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2019 Subaru STI S209 Drivers' Notes | An old-school sports sedan unites two of our editors

The 2019 Subaru STI S209 is peak Subaru for America. It’s the most powerful and most expensive vehicle with the Subaru badge on it, and there will only ever be 209 of them sold. ItÂ’s put together in STIÂ’s small shop in Kiryu, Japan, where workers build approximately 2-3 cars per day.  SubaruÂ’s long-used 2.5-liter EJ25 turbocharged flat-four is back for another round, but itÂ’s been modified to make more power than a regular WRX STI. The redesigned intake, larger HKS turbocharger and better-flowing exhaust system ramp output up to 341 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, gains of 31 and 40 respectively over a regular STI. It can hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and tops out at 162 mph. A huge number of changes were made to the suspension, steering, aero and brakes to make the S209 drive better and produce quicker lap times on track. You can read a full deep dive into all of the intricate changes in our First Drive story here. A couple of Autoblog staffers, News Editor Joel Stocksdale and Senior Producer Chris McGraw, happened to spend some time in S209s in their respective portions of the country. Check out their thoughts in the discussion below. Chris McGraw: So how was the 2019 Subaru STI S209? Joel Stocksdale: When the S209 showed up, I was excited to drive such a special car, but I was also unsure I would like it. It's massively expensive, and I already had mixed feelings about STIs to begin with. They have an ornery, old-school nature that has frustrated me before, especially the slow-spooling engines. But man, I'm in love with this thing.  CM: That's interesting to hear. For those who don't know, you and I rarely see eye to eye when it comes to cars, so I was eager to hear your thoughts on the S209. I drove this back in early November, and it had been awhile since I had driven an STI in general. The frustrating, ornery, old school nature is something I love about the STI, and I adored driving it from the start, especially in the mountains. Though I wish it had been on winter tires for the cold weather at the time.  JS: That's totally understandable. The summer tires on this thing are not happy with snow and cold. But thankfully it's been dry and warm enough here that they're still good. And that's one of the things I love about this car. Between the tires and the all-wheel drive, it has astounding grip. Turn the wheel, put the hammer down, and let it claw you around corners.

The List #0178: Attend Rally School

Jessi and Patrick attend Team O'Neil Rally School in Dalton, NH, to learn how to shred in the snow. Veteran instructor and school founder Tim O'Neil demonstrates left-foot braking, slalom techniques, turning, proper ways to blip the throttle and more in this episode. They get behind the wheel of modern Ford Fiestas with front-wheel drive and a vintage Audi Quattro with all-wheel drive. They catch on quickly, and O'Neil tells Patrick: "Tell your grandchildren you are a rally driver." Watch as our hosts check "attend rally school" off their list. Have an RSS feed? Click here to add The List. Click here to subscribe to The List in iTunes. Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick. Audi Ford Subaru The List Videos rally quattro

2015 Subaru Outback wading into NY show fray

The current-generation Subaru Outback was never going to win any beauty contests with its blend of rugged SUV looks and station wagon design. Still, it's found lots of fans - even five years after its launch, the Outback was Subaru's second-highest selling model in 2013. With the reveal of the next-generation 2015 Legacy at the Chicago Auto Show, it should be no surprise that Car and Driver says Subaru will reveal the next Outback at the New York Auto Show in April.
If previous generations are any indication, the next Outback will likely borrow liberally from the new Legacy, including its platform and engines. In addition to its five-door, station wagon design, the Outback will almost assuredly feature added body cladding and a higher ride height than the Legacy. Subaru's big push with the new Legacy will be to improve interior quality and comfort with liquid-filled engine mounts, an acoustic glass windshield, increased sound deadening, new infotainment systems and new safety tech. All of these will probably appear in the Outback as well.
After its rumored New York reveal, the 2015 Outback is expected to go on sale around the same time as the new Legacy in the summer of 2014.