2011 Subaru Impreza Wrx Sti Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

New Subaru concept crossover EV shown in walkaround video

Subaru held a technology briefing this week in Tokyo where it announced ambitious sustainability goals, but nearly lost amid the discussion of converting its fleet over to electricity was the unveiling of what appears to be an early concept version of a forthcoming battery-electric crossover. Thanks to the Japanese YouTube account LoveCars!TV!, we get a walkaround look. It appears to be Subaru’s version of the crossover EV it is jointly developing with Toyota, to be built atop a flexible platform that can accommodate multiple production vehicles from both brands. What weÂ’re shown is an athletic-looking crossover with its wheels pushed to the corners that borrows design elements, for better or for worse, from Cadillac, the Pontiac Aztek and the Tesla Cybertruck. Up front, the crossover borrows and exaggerates CadillacÂ’s signature squared-off corners and deep fog-light scoops that also reminds us of InfinitiÂ’s Q Inspiration concept from the 2018 Detroit auto show. It opts for narrow LED headlamps, and it notably omits any aesthetic concession to even a faux grille, save for a hexagonal shape outlined by the panel seams. Coupled with the black cladding on the lower bumper, the crossover's face has a certain Batman-logo shape to it. Moving around to the side, we see heavy black cladding — it doesn't appear to be standard plastic, since it reflects light — around the wheel wells, lending them a semi-octagonal shape that evokes the strongest comparison to the polarizing Cybertruck. Coupled with some interesting side creases, the cladding also gives the appearance that the wheel wells bulge out, and that the doors pinch inward, more than they probably do in reality. There are also no door handles or brakes, the side mirrors are rearview cameras and the windows are blacked out, so thereÂ’s nothing to divine about the interior and how far along that is in conceptualization. In back is where things get especially weird and Aztek-like, with a blunt and upright rectangular body panel making up the tailgate underneath a generously long, sloping rear window. ItÂ’s beveled at the top to tuck underneath the rear LED light bar, which stretches the length of the glass, and curved on each end to integrate with the sides. The LED treatment also dives down 90 degrees from the horizontal rear bar and then makes another sharp 90-degree jag to bracket the rear panel in hard-angled brake lights.

Impreza 5-door concept headlines Subaru's Tokyo lineup

Subaru is planning a whole raft of new debuts for the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. One of them we've already seen in the updated Forester crossover. But that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to Fuji Heavy Industries' plans for the Japanese expo. Leading the lineup will be two brand-new concepts. Subaru will be showcasing a conceptual preview of the next-generation Impreza. The five-door hatchback is so far only being shown in sleek and shapely design renderings, so we'll have to wait as the show approaches to see more. But from what little we can see so far, the hatchback looks promising. Along with the Impreza is the hybrid Viziv Future concept, which builds on previous Viziv design studies in a crossover form that just might preview the upcoming replacement for the Tribeca. The sporty crossover concept is rendered in a muscular-looking take on typical Subaru style, in white with metallic and orange accents inside and out. A full glass sunroof lets the light into the thoroughly modern cockpit, with a large dashboard monitor and four individual bucket seats accessed by conventional front doors and what look like van-like, pillar-less sliding rear door like you might see on a Ford B-Max. The concept is fitted with a bike rack, automated driving is provided by the next-generation EyeSight system, and motivation comes from a turbocharged hybrid setup. This being a Subaru, it naturally features all-wheel traction, but it's provided through the road thanks to the electric motor on the rear axle. Other features of the Subaru pavilion in Tokyo include a luxed-up version of the WRX S4 dubbed SporVita, with an Italian leather interior. Other interior trim, 18-inch wheels, and a raft of otherwise optional equipment comes part of the package which will also bee seen on the Legacy. There'll be a few more new debuts – including new versions of the XV, Levorg, and WRX STI S207 – to be revealed later this month, along with the BRZ GT300 that Subaru fields in the Super GT series. Related Video: Subaru Exhibition Outline of the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015 October 7, 2015 Tokyo, October 7, 2015 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, will unveil two new concept cars at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015 (Press Days: October 28 and 29; General Public: October 30 to November 8).