2021 Subaru Outback Onyx Edition Xt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Refreshed Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ spied running around the Nurburgring

The Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ are officially confirmed for a second generation, but it looks like this current car will not go softly into the night. One of our spy photographers just caught a camo’d up BRZ/86 pounding around the Nurburgring with a few changes in store. This tester only has camouflage on the front and rear of the car, indicating a light refresh is the extent of the styling changes. In examining the car as a whole, itÂ’s a rather conflicting tester. Both the grille and headlights tell us itÂ’s an 86, but the badge on the rear clearly says “BRZ.”  The Toyota 86 has a different grille than the BRZ, and we can see that style grille flanked by some massaged vents on both sides. Toyota uses a different style of headlight for the 86, and these look similar to those used in the current car. New front-design features are covered up by the camouflage, but the sheet metal doesnÂ’t appear to be changing. Another area of potential change is at the rear of the car. More camouflage on the trunk lid covers the obvious BRZ badge and the taillights. We donÂ’t see much in the way of differences between the taillights on this model and the current BRZ/86 twins, but the manufacturer obviously wants to keep something secret back there. What weÂ’re most excited about is seeing the extra vent behind the front wheels. Current BRZ and 86 trims donÂ’t feature such intense cooling additions. Above it sits what appears to be a badge or protrusion of some sort. The window-level badging is still visible under the wrapping, but the tire-level badge is a new one — itÂ’s similar to the design we see on the WRX and WRX STI.  All things considered, this one is a little confusing. Subaru could be adopting a more Toyota 86-esque design, but we suspect a special edition is in the works. Hopefully it involves more than just design tweaks, and gives this model a hearty send-off before the new generation arrives.

Subaru's latest infotainment update is for birdwatchers (and the rest of us)

Subaru definitely knows its audience, as evidenced by its dog-centric commercials and charitable contributions. So we weren't shocked to learn that its latest infotainment upgrade allows drivers to better track bird sightings from behind the wheel, but we are a bit curious. The eBird integration is one of eight new cloud-based apps being added to the Starlink infotainment system for 2017. Subaru drivers can use the infotainment system to display info from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology through eBird, info on sightings and an interactive coach to help get to where the birds are. (There's a cloud-based joke in there somewhere.) Most of the other new apps involve location tracking or proximity to some degree as well, including Yelp (to find food and business reviews), Glympse (which lets you share your location with friends), Best Parking (to find somewhere to put your car), RightTrack (a product from Liberty Mutual to track drivers for insurance discounts), eventseeker (which steers you toward local happenings), and Magellan NAVI (a cloud-based navigation system). There's also a digital version of the car's owner's manual available in the Quick Guide app. All are free to use, with the exception of the Magellan app, which is included free with the 2017 Impreza for three years. That car's infotainment system comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability, so unless you really prefer the Magellan interface, it's probably best to stick with whatever's on your phone. The new Starlink apps are available on 2017 Imprezas as well as 2016 and 2017 BRZ models, and they'll show up on other Subaru models soon. The functionality requires an iOS or Android phone running Subaru's Starlink app and paired with the vehicle to provide the data connection. Put it all together and you can find some birds, get a parking spot nearby, let your friends know where you've gone off to, grab a bite to eat nearby (not poultry, of course), attend a local event, then hop back in the car and figure out how to tune the radio and find your way home, all the while lowering your insurance payment. Isn't the connected world wonderful? Related Video:

Everything we know about the Subaru BRZ STI

May 30, 2017: It seems an STI-tuned Subaru BRZ was even closer than we thought. Subaru posted to its official Twitter page a teaser image of the upcoming car. It's a shot of the trunk lid with a big STI logo on the endplates. If that weren't enough confirmation of the car, the tweet included the hashtag "#STI." The only other information given was the date of June 8, 2017, and the promise of more information. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. May 23, 2017: Spy shots reveal our first look at a new STI-tuned Subaru BRZ, and it will likely come to the US. The reason we say this is that the car was spotted near a Subaru office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We also know this is an STI badge because we can make out the distinctive logo underneath pieces of tape at the front and back. It features a huge wing that isn't found on any other BRZ, though the body kit appears to be the optional one available on regular models. There aren't any obvious signs of forced induction on the car either. No top-mounted intercooler scoops or front-mounted intercoolers are visible anywhere. We hope Subaru will give this car more power, but we're not optimistic, especially when the last STI-badged BRZ for Japan didn't get any power upgrades. April 1, 2015: Subaru reveals an amazing STI-tuned BRZ concept. Like the Subaru BRZ tS by STI, this STI Performance Concept has a huge rear wing, and subtle, functional-looking aerodynamic parts. Most importantly for BRZ fans, it also has a more powerful engine. Under the hood is a turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four used by the GT300-class race car. It makes about 300 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. However, Subaru said that it's unlikely a turbocharged model like this will come out soon. We expect that Subaru will first launch a tS-style BRZ in the near future, and possibly introduce a turbocharged BRZ variant with a new generation of the car. Subaru STI Performance Concept | 2015 NYIAS View 24 Photos April 19, 2013: Subaru announces the first STI-tuned BRZ, and it's not quite what we were hoping for. It's called the Subaru BRZ tS, and it has the same naturally aspirated engine, and thus, the same amount of horsepower. It's furnished with suspension upgrades, Brembo brakes, a front spoiler, and on the GT model, a big rear wing. Only 500 units will be made - and they're all for Japan. View 27 Photos