2014 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited on 2040-cars

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2015 Subaru BRZ tS First Drive [w/video]

The Subaru BRZ is a brilliant driver's car: lightweight, rear-wheel-drive, tactile, nimble and fluid at speed. In terms of qualities that allow for dazzling point-to-point performance, it lacks only power and intense mechanical grip. In the US, options for tuning the BRZ to amplify its strengths or diminish its weaknesses are mostly found in the aftermarket. In Japan, meanwhile, driving enthusiasts can start with the factory-tuned model you see above: the BRZ tS. Designed and built with the engineering prowess of Subaru Tecnica International, the limited-edition tS is tuned for track competence over and above that of the base model. The intent of the tS wasn't lost on me as I stared over the front fender towards Turn 1 at Japan's Suzuka Circuit. Not just a proper place to test STI's claims of increased handling brilliance for its BRZ tune, but a perfect one. Suzuka is challenging – fast and technical in equal measure – and a playground for sorting out the margin of improvement from the standard that BRZ I know so well. Wait, Why Am I Here? Of course, Subaru didn't invite me and a half-dozen other motoring journalists to Japan for an academic exercise in JDM hotness. We were there at the behest of STI, as a first step in what will undoubtedly be a deliciously drawn-out expansion of the performance brand in North America. STI started life as the motorsports division for Subaru-parent Fuji Heavy Industries. But chances are good that you, like me, first encountered the three-letter-logo as a Cherry Blossom Red punctuation mark at the end of a WRX road or rally car. The world came to know STI through Subaru's 1990s WRC dominance and prominence in the Gran Turismo franchise. But outside of Japan the significance of the initials was known more as the designation of the top-dog Impreza, rather than a motorsport and performance engineering unit. The company is set on changing that and building STI into a performance brand that's as easily recognizable in America as M and AMG are today. That message was delivered a body in the STI Concept car at the New York Auto Show earlier this week, but as I mentioned then, we don't expect Subaru to turn up with a production-ready BRZ STI next year. First STI will deploy its parts catalog to the US, removing the half-hearted Subaru Performance Tuning parts business in the process. Next, according to a vague timeline presented in Japan, Subaru will offer a car like the tS to US customers in approximately 18 months.

2015 Subaru WRX and WRX STI configurator comes online

Subaru fans, get your clicking fingers ready - the configurator for both the 2015 WRX and the WRX STI are live on the company's consumer website.
With three trims of the standard WRX and two of the WRX STI available, customers can price out their ideal rally rocket. Aside from choosing a trim level, there's not a whole lot for dreamers to do here. A single interior trim (black) can be paired with a decent spectrum of colors. Each trim level only comes with one optional package, which ranges from $2,000 to $2,500 and includes some combination of navigation, a Harmon/Kardon stereo or push-button start. There are also a number of dealer-installed accessories available, as well.
Hop on over to Subaru's US consumer page, and start building your perfect road-legal rally car.

A stylish Subaru? Viziv Adrenaline previews next-gen Crosstrek

We're big fans of the Subaru Crosstrek — the lifted version of the Impreza hatchback — especially the new plug-in hybrid variant. So much so that one of us spent our hard-earned money on one. The rugged styling and extra ground clearance give it a little more character than the average hatchback. The second-gen model made its debut two years ago at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. At this year's show, Subaru revealed the new Viziv Adrenaline concept, a good preview of what the next Crosstrek might look like. Subaru says the Viziv Adrenaline uses the company's new "BOLDER" design philosophy. It's still obviously a Subaru, but the lines are sharper than what you see on the current production model. The Viziv Adrenaline packs LED lighting both front and rear, including six-dot fog lights that are mirrored on the rear bumper. White accents on the wheels and roof give it a handsome two-tone look, something that's becoming popular on compact crossovers like the Volvo XC40 and Toyota C-HR. The idea is to make the models even more distinct than they currently are. Some have criticized the new Forester and Ascent for being a little too conservative. We don't know for sure that this is what the next-gen Crosstrek might look like, but based on the size and styling, it's hard to imagine that this is anything else. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Subaru Crossover Hatchback Concept Cars subaru crosstrek