2006 Subaru Baja Turbo Truck. Serviced. 5 Speed Manual. 67,800 Miles! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2019 Subaru STI S209 is a burbling blue beast

The 2019 Subaru STI S209 is a celebration of everything that made the STI and Impreza WRX STI line so popular with car enthusiasts. It has extreme body work, a heavily boosted flat-four that slams you in your seat, performance gizmos such as a center differential controller and an intercooler sprayer, as well as impressive handling and grip, in part due to its all-wheel drive. And of course, it has that signature boxer engine rumble, which has been accentuated with this model's exhaust system. We wanted to share that sound so captured some footage of the car on start-up, gentle acceleration, full throttle acceleration, and some free-revving, in that order. It's a mellow sound, one that occasionally sounds like a motorcycle, but a bit smoother. And while it's noticeable at lower speeds, it's tuned such that it's extremely quiet at cruising speeds, and doesn't become massively louder at full throttle. In fact, you'll notice that the road noise and the wind rushing out of the exhaust ends up overwhelming the rumble at some points. It's something that both Senior Producer Chris McGraw and I noticed in our drives of the super Subaru. If it seems like it's too quiet, we're sure the aftermarket can solve the volume issue for you.

Nissan exec Andy Palmer derides Toyobaru coupes as 'midlife crisis' cars

Andy Palmer, Nissan's executive vice president, does not like the Scion FR-S or Subaru BRZ. To us, that's like saying you enjoy barbecuing puppies, but we'll let him slide, because his statements about the Toyobaru twins are much, much more than just idle trash talk.
Speaking to Motor Trend's Nate Martinez, Palmer said, "Do we have any competitors [in the small, rear-drive coupe segment]? Are you talking about the Subaru [BRZ]? It was a car designed for a 50-year-old. It's for a midlife crisis. That's not what we do." Strong words, but what followed was even better.
"Are you coming to the Tokyo Motor Show? You'll see the answer to the midlife crisis. Except it won't be for the midlife crisis." So, if you were wondering whether Nissan is working on a competitor to the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ, the answer seems to be a resounding "yes."

2021 Subaru Crosstrek is finally getting a more powerful engine

Subaru will address one of the Crosstrek's biggest shortcomings by making a 2.5-liter flat-four engine available in time for the 2021 model year. It will power the range-topping Limited trim and a new Sport-badged model. You asked, and the Japanese company is listening. Tom Doll, the CEO of Subaru's American division, told industry trade journal Automotive News that many customers have complained about the 152-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that has powered the current-generation Crosstrek since its launch. Put bluntly: It's slow.  "One of the things that our customers were telling us about the Crosstrek was it was maybe a little underpowered with the 2.0-liter engine. Well, the 2.5-liter engine will solve that problem," he announced at a dealer meeting. While he stopped short of divulging technical details, Subaru has a pair of 2.5-liter flat-fours to choose from in its parts bin. The first is a turbocharged unit rated at 310 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque when it's thumping under the WRX STI's hood. Don't get your hopes up — that's not what's going in the Crosstrek, sadly. Nothing is official, but it's reasonable to assume Doll was referring to the naturally-aspirated four available in the Forester, the Outback, and the Legacy. It delivers 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque in all three applications. Subaru will usher the 2.5-liter into the Crosstrek range by expanding it with a new trim level called Sport. The range-topping Limited will also be offered with the bigger engine. Pricing information hasn't been announced yet, and neither has availability, but the peppier Crosstrek will likely arrive later in 2020 as a 2021 model. The Crosstrek is a jacked-up Impreza with a more rugged design, so it stands to reason the 2.5-liter fits in both models. There's no word yet on whether the equally underpowered Impreza will receive it. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.