2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited on 2040-cars

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The Subaru BRZ tS is back for 2020 — most of it, anyway

We had a feeling the Subaru BRZ tS was coming back not too long ago, and now it’s officially available again for the 2020 model year. This time Subaru is limiting production to 300 units, instead of the 500 we saw built for the 2018 model year. The price is also $1,960 cheaper than the 2018 car, listed for $32,395. That makes it only $650 more than a BRZ in Limited trim. So really, itÂ’s looking a fair bit more attractive than it ever has.  Subaru did take one thing away, though. The 2020 tS eliminated the massive dry carbon adjustable rear wing, replacing it with a shorty spoiler of sorts. WeÂ’re guessing the carbon fiber wing was a rather expensive piece. Everything else carries over, so that means you get the STI-tuned Sachs dampers and springs, STI engine V-brace, draw stiffeners in the chassis and subframe, plus larger Brembo brakes (four-piston in front, two-piston in rear). Michelin Pilot Sport tires wrap 18-inch bronze wheels, and itÂ’s only available in a new Ceramic White paint — the previous tS offered three colors. We also received word of small changes coming to the 2020 WRX and STI. The performance package for the WRX has been massaged a bit, and it adds a big Brembo brake package (as opposed to just high-performance pads) to the list of equipment included. The Recaro buckets, power-driver seat and moonroof delete are still included, but the package costs $2,850 now, versus the $2,050 price for 2019. If an STI is more your flavor, know that it gains keyless entry and push-button start for 2020. Subaru also redesigned the engine bay cooling ducts for better cooling, and added a new dark gray wheel option. The cheapest WRX comes to $28,395 now and the cheapest STI will run you $37,895. Those prices constitute modest bumps of $300 and $400 respectively when compared to the 2019 model year cars.

This Subaru BRZ has a snowmobile engine and gets 104 mpg

A hybrid powertrain didn't win the Honda CR-Z numerous fans, but it might be the magic ingredient in making the Subaru BRZ more potent. This is the "Car of the Future" as envisioned by Mississippi State University's Center of Advanced Vehicular Systems – the result of a two-year project, which married a front-mounted 850 cc snowmobile engine with two electric motors powering the rear wheels. The battery pack accounts for 12.7 kWh, which enables the car to go 50 miles on just electric juice. The two-liter boxer engine is no more, but what the car loses in cubic inches it gains in MPG. According to MSU engineers, the re-engineered car gets 104 mpg equivalent, and it only weighs 2,904 lbs: about 60 lbs more than an unmodified Sportshift BRZ. It clocks a 0-60 mph run at around 5.7 seconds, too, which beats a stock automatic BRZ by a second. The electric brain of the car improves the range by calculating optimizing algorithms, based on earlier driving. The guys from MSU's Bagley College of Engineering call this Predictive Engine Control. The most likable thing about this project might be that it's still clothed in a sports car body. Future-proof car designs are often focused on mobility instead of the driver, and choosing a BRZ as the basis shows how there's still room for petrolheads in the future.

Prodrive builds new Isle of Man Subaru for record attempt

Prodrive have released photos of their new weapon for the Isle of Man TT Course. The three-time British Rally Champion Mark Higgins has set a number of records driving a Subaru on the famed Manx course throughout the years, and this time Subaru Technica International and Higgins are teaming up with Prodrive. Prodrive are famous for building Subaru's rally cars in the past, from 1990 to 2008, so the joining of forces gives the Isle of Man TT car an extra helping of motorsport magic. These days, Prodrive is also known for rally-prepared Minis and for building Aston Martin racing cars. They've had their share in giving UK-specification customer cars more power as well, along with creating a one-off, Subaru-based P2 sportscar to showcase their engineering skills and close ties with the Japanese manufacturer. This year's motorcycle event takes place on the treacherous 37-mile circuit in the end of May and early June. Past years' record drives have been especially memorable, and Higgins has been at it since 2011, first dipping under 20 minutes with a 19-minute, 56.7-second run five years ago – besting Tony Pond's 1990 laptime by over two minutes. The latest time for Higgins is 19 minutes and 15 seconds, so it will be interesting to see if the new car does it in less than 19 minutes. Related Video: Featured Gallery Subaru Prodrive Isle of Man Motorsports Subaru Racing Vehicles isle of man tt mark higgins road racing