2011 Subaru Forester X Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Motor Trend pits Subaru WRX vs. Ford Focus ST

The Ford Focus ST has enjoyed a relatively calm, if brief, reign in the world of hot hatches. With nothing else in the class (in the States, at least) but the aging Mazdaspeed3 and Subaru Impreza WRX and the slow-selling Volkswagen Golf R, the Blue Oval's 252-horsepower five door has been the go-to vehicle for those that don't need the high-octane lunacy (and expense) of the rally bred Subaru Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
Now, though, as the new Subaru WRX (it's not an Impreza anymore, though, neither is it a hatchback...) starts to arrive at dealers, the Focus ST appears to be under threat for the first time. Naturally, Motor Trend is here to figure out which one is the best, with another one of its Head 2 Head videos. Host Jonny Lieberman puts both cars through their paces, going above and beyond, quite literally, at the very end of the video.
Have a look below and let us know what you think of MT's verdict in Comments.

Hotter Subaru WRX STI teased for Detroit, probably the S209

We reported yesterday about Subaru filing an application to trademark the name "S209" for the U.S. Today, Subaru released a teaser video for what we think is that exact car: the WRX STI S209. In a video titled "From Japan with Love," Subaru is seen lapping Virginia International Raceway in a slightly-hotter-than-normal, camouflaged STI. At first glance, it's easy to see it as the STI Type RA from earlier this year. However, looking closer at the aero package reveals a little bit more. A side-by-side comparison between this car and the Type RA reveals prominent canards in front of the wheels, exclusive to what we'll call the S209. No such pieces exist on the Type RA. To make those canards flow into the bodywork, it looks like Subaru tacked on some fender flares surrounding the front and rear wheels. It's noticeably different from other STI variations, so we'll see if Subie keeps them for the production car. Beyond that, it's hardly any different than the Type RA in appearance. The gigantic wing is accounted for, as are the gorgeous gold wheels. Another reason we think this is the S209 is Subaru's video description. It reads, "Something special from Subaru Tecnica International is coming to America for the first time ever." The S20(X) series that started in 2000 with the S201 has been never come stateside before. This series has traditionally produced STIs that have more power, suspension and aero than your regular STI. Most recently, the S208 used a 2.0-liter turbo flat-four that put out 329 horsepower and 319 pound-feet of torque. Of course, the U.S. is still dealing with Subaru's Byzantine-era EJ25 2.5-liter flat-four. More power can be had past that engine's 305 horses it makes here now, so we'll see if that's the route Subaru plans to take. Subaru ended by saying it'll be revealing the car at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The wait won't be long for what we imagine will be the new king of Subarus in the U.S. Related video:

How Subaru saved itself by marketing to the gay community

Almost everyone who's in the car community, and even people that aren't, have probably heard the stereotype that lesbians drive Subarus. What you may not realize is that stereotype was fostered by Subaru, and it helped make the company relevant again in the '90s. This is the story told by NPR's Planet Money podcast. Apparently, as the company was trying to figure out who was buying its cars, the marketing folks discovered that gay and lesbian people were a large segment – along with all those outdoorsy types. The discovery led to subtle advertising directed specifically at what we now refer to as the LGBT community, which in turn led to more sales to gay and lesbian consumers. There were other components to Subaru's sales strategy in the '90s, but this particular campaign was an important part and quite successful. Thanks to that success, today we still have Subaru around building reliable, all-wheel-drive transportation, as well as rally-inspired sport compacts. There are of course many more details, but we don't want to spoil them for you. For the whole story, you need to head over to the Planet Money site and listen in. Related Video: News Source: NPR / Planet MoneyImage Credit: Copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / AOL Marketing/Advertising Read This Subaru lgbt