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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

Subaru, like Nissan, admits improper checks on Japan cars, expects recalls

TOKYO — Subaru on Friday said it had failed to follow proper inspection procedures for vehicles for the domestic market, an issue likely to result in a product recall and adding to a list of compliance problems at Japanese companies. The automaker said for more than 30 years, final inspections of new vehicles at its main Gunma complex north of Tokyo were sometimes conducted by inspectors who were not listed as certified technicians, violating transport ministry requirements. The automaker said it was therefore considering recalling about 255,000 vehicles including its Legacy, Forester and Impreza models produced at the complex and sold at home, at a cost of around 5 billion yen ($43.86 million). Chief Executive Officer Yasuyuki Yoshinaga at a news conference said inspectors in training for certification to sign off final checks had been approving the checks under the names of their trainers, a process the automaker followed for over 30 years without realizing it did not meet ministry requirements. "The final inspection process is very important and we acknowledge that we did not meet requirements," Yoshinaga said. "It's always been my goal to make this company good. This issue shows that we're not there yet." Subaru said it would report details of an internal investigation to the ministry on Monday, and that it needed to better communicate requirements to workers. "It's always been my goal to make this company good. This issue shows that we're not there yet." The revelation followed a similar oversight at Nissan, while Kobe Steel has been grappling with a data fabrication scandal, tarnishing Japan's reputation for quality control. Yoshinaga said the issue was discovered during an internal inspection ordered by the ministry after Nissan late last month revealed similar violations on inspections governing vehicles sold in Japan at its domestic factories. The ministry requires certified technicians to sign off on paperwork for final inspections for vehicles produced in Japan for the domestic market. The extra step does not affect product quality and is not needed for vehicles exported overseas. Toyota, Honda and other Japanese automakers on Friday said they have reported to the ministry that they found no issues with their respective inspections. Subaru shares closed down 2.6 percent on Friday after falling more than 3 percent following media reports of the improper inspections. The broader market rose 1.2 percent.

Mazda MX-5 Miata goes Head 2 Head with Subaru BRZ

It's a battle that's been in the making for some time now: the Subaru BRZ versus the Mazda MX-5 Miata. And now that the new Miata has arrived – and in Club spec to boot – that's exactly what Motor Trend has lined up for its latest episode of Head 2 Head. Now before you go screaming that one's a coupe and the other a convertible, take a few commonalities into account. Roofs aside, both feature a 2.0-liter four mounted up front, driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. Both are made by Japanese automakers and cost around $25-30k, give or take. Both produce around the same amount of torque, and while the Subaru may be more powerful, the Mazda's considerably lighter. To create a more even contest, then, you'd have to line a BRZ up against a Scion FR-S, or the MX-5 against the upcoming Fiat version of the same. Of course, being that close on paper doesn't mean that it's a draw. One has to come out on top. And after taking both along country roads and the Streets of Willow racing circuit, our friends at MT have picked one over the other. You'll want to watch the 22-minute video above (or at least skip ahead to the end) to see which came out on top, but if you're as enthused by a purist driver's car as we are, you'll enjoy every minute of it. News Source: Motor Trend via YouTube Mazda Subaru Convertible Coupe Economy Cars Performance Videos motor trend mazda mx-5 head 2 head