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Zipcar adds roof racks for nature loving urbanites

Hauling a bicycle, surfboard, snowboard, or a pair of skis can be a pain. Their size makes them awkward to carry, and a good roof rack can be expensive and cumbersome to install. If a thief decides that they need the rack (or what's on it) more than you, you're looking at a loss of several hundred dollars, or at the very least damage to your car a comprehensive insurance claim. Ask me how I know. Zipcar has the solution. The car sharing company has teamed up with rack and cargo manufacturer Yakima to supply roof rack equipped rentals in 17 North American markets. In the US, Zipcar customers will have the option between a Subaru Impreza or a Subaru XV Crosstrek equipped with a Yakima roof rack. Canadian customers can rent a Hyundai Elantra. Fine choices, but it seems like a missed opportunity to revive the old Volkswagen Jetta Trek edition. The Yakima mounts on the cars are adjustable and can hold two bikes, six skis or four snowboards, or two surfboards or paddleboards. Rates, as always, vary based on use. This isn't the first time Zipcar has offered Yakima bike racks for their vehicles for those outdoor enthusiasts that choose to live car free. Back in 2011, the company outfitted a number of vehicles in its New York City fleet with complimentary racks and New York State park passes. Related Video: News Source: Zipcar Green Hyundai Subaru Transportation Alternatives ridesharing zipcar

Subaru STI Performance Concept previews a bright BRZ future [w/video]

Subaru unveiled its STI Performance Concept car today at the New York Auto Show, a BRZ-based corner carver that says as much about the future of STI in America as it does about the future of the BRZ. And while this marks the world's first official look at the STI concept, Subaru gave me a preview of the car, and a long description of its significance, on a trip to Japan last month. The Performance Concept sends a tangible message about the motorsports heritage and engineering capability of Subaru Tecnica International. STI started life as the motorsports arm of Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries. Appropriately, the concept car uses a racing powerplant. Under the hood is the same turbocharged, 2.0-liter boxer-four that powers the BRZ GT300 from Japan's Super GT series, estimated at around 300 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. But the STI concept is more like the ultimate road version of the BRZ instead of a recapitulation of an existing racecar. Chassis, suspension and braking components can all be found on the Japanese Domestic Market's road-going BRZ tS, for instance. Subaru invited me to drive the tS on that same trip, so stay tuned for a report on that experience later this week. It will pain Subaru fans to hear that this concept is not a defacto preview of a forthcoming turbocharged BRZ STI, at least not in the immediate future. STI has been charged with expanding its presence and reach in the North American market, but the process is going to roll out slowly without jumping straight to a fully realized production vehicle. Stage one of the STI expansion will be a consolidation of parts and aftermarket support in the US. Subaru has offered a pastiche of performance products through its dealerships up to today, including the US-only Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) parts. In the near term, the company will phase out SPT in favor of STI parts and accessories, meaning you'll be able to purchase a lot of the stuff that the Japanese market has today. And we're talking about parts that actually impact performance, not just STI-badged shift-lever knobs or gas caps. The STI Performance Concept does show that Subaru sees a future for its rear-drive coupe in the American market, and that it wants to cater to enthusiasts. Stage two, which will happen in roughly the next year and a half, is to bring an STI-tuned version of the BRZ to the US, not unlike the JDM BRZ tS.

Subaru WRX STI Diamond Edition is the most powerful ever offered

The U.S. is no stranger to seeing Subaru create special-edition WRX STI models that are significantly more potent than what it sells here. Just in the last few years, we saw the W208 and the Type RA-R with over 320 horsepower, compared to the 300 in the standard American STI. That latter one particularly stung, since our Type RA just had 310 horsepower. But what we're not accustomed to seeing is Subaru's home market of Japan being cut out of a special-edition STI, which is exactly the case with the 2018 Subaru WRX STI Diamond Edition. This special STI was developed by Subaru South Africa of all places. And it's a serious machine. It makes a whopping 349 horsepower and 342 pound-feet of torque, which means it's the most powerful WRX STI offered by Subaru to the public. The car also features Brembo brakes with 6-piston calipers up front and 2-piston calipers in the back. The car stands out from regular STIs with its florescent yellow body kit. The car was created by Subaru South Africa to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Subaru Technica International, the company we all know as STI. Because of that, the Subaru branch is only offering 30 for sale. Prospective customers can register for a chance to have one of the cars at this official website. Also interesting is that this isn't the only ultra-limited edition STI from Subaru South Africa. The company did the same thing for the fifteenth anniversary, and only sold 15 examples of that car. It had a remarkable pun for the name: Subaru Impreza WRX STI STImulating Edition. Really, we're not making that up. Related Video: