Subaru Straightline Archives

Subaru announced today that it will show a new production version of the Impreza at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. Called the Subaru Impreza XV, it will be offered with Subaru's boxer diesel four-cylinder (or a gas engine) and go on sale in Europe this summer.

The engine meets the Euro 5 standard, but don't start getting hopeful about a diesel Impreza, or a diesel anything else, coming to the United States. Subaru would need to contract with an AdBlue system supplier and then figure out how to still make money on the car.

Based on the current five-door hatchback, the Subaru Impreza XV is said to offer "crossover styling" with special detailing on the fascia and wheel arches, plus a standard roof rack. So it could be a diesel Outback Sport then. Which means it probably won't be pretty.

Not that we know for sure, though. Subaru has released no photos of the XV hatch, just a couple computer renderings of its Geneva booth layout. As you can see, the Impreza XV will share the stage with the Hybrid Tourer unveiled in Tokyo.

Categories: Diesels,Geneva Motor Show,Hatchbacks,Subaru

We hope you haven't tired of seeing video of Travis Pastrana's heroically insane jump from the Long Beach Pier, because this latest video from Red Bull is easily the best yet. You get to watch the jump from three different POV cameras:

(1) One is mounted atop Pastrana's Subaru WRX STI and pointed behind it. You'll watch the jump ramp and water fall away as Pastrana takes the car airborne.

(2) Another is mounted in the undercarriage of the STI.

(3) And, best of all is the one mounted in the hatch and aimed at the cockpit. Here you see how utterly relaxed Pastrana is as he yanks the handbrake in midair and slides the car to a hard stop after landing.

"Woo-hoo. That was sick!" Yep, you'll hear that three times as well.

Categories: Celebrities,Hatchbacks,Motorsports,Subaru

Red Bull edited together a compilation video of Travis Pastrana's New Year's Eve jump (and the days leading up to it) in his Subaru WRX STI rally car and released it while were all busy with the Detroit Auto Show.

It's worth a watch for two reasons:

(1) The "crash" during practice looks pretty authentic -- whether it was planned or not.

(2) There's on-board footage from Pastrana's sideways, slide-into-the-wall landing on the barge.

Categories: Celebrities,Hatchbacks,Motorsports,Subaru

Subaru released officials photos and details on the 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI R205. Of course, you should contain your enthusiasm as this most elite of STIs is only for Japan. The R205 goes on sale there today, and Subaru will build 400. The MSRP is 4,510,000 yen, which by today's exchange rate, is about $48,325.

Subaru says much of the go-even-faster hardware on the STI R205 was vetted on the STI that competed in the 2009 Nurburgring 24 Hours race. (Photos of that car are here.)

Key upgrades over the STI Spec C start under the hood. The turbocharger is a more durable ball-bearing design (apparently more so than the one in the Spec C), while the Subaru Tecnica International engineers squeezed out more power (316 horsepower at 6,400 rpm versus 304) and more torque (318 versus 311) at a lower rpm (4,000 versus 4,400), by remapping the 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder's ECU and installing a new exhaust with reduced back-pressure.

The R205's lightweight 18-inch cast wheels are wrapped in 245/40R18 Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires. The car has grooved and ventilated brake rotors at all four corners with six-piston fixed Brembo calipers up front and a four-pot set in back.

Other details on the R205 include a standard flexible strut tower brace (already something you can order from the STI catalog in Japan) and upgraded stabilizer bars. The R205 also has a unique lower front lip spoiler and rear diffuser. Inside, the expected JDM Recaro seats are fitted, but the only rear difference is the addition of an individually numbered plaque and R205 door sill logos.

More photos after the jump.

Continue reading 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI R205: Photos and Details.

Categories: Hatchbacks,Sports Cars,Subaru

The association between Ken Block and Subaru is stronger than, well, anything except Travis Pastrana and Subaru (...or Ken Block and DC Shoes). But Block wants to drive in WRC. And Ford wants some help in marketing the Fiesta and the next-generation Focus to you, so well, Block has a deal with Ford now. And Monster.

It's not yet clear exactly how much Block will get to drive during the 2010 WRC season (or whether he might get his feet wet in the P-WRC or J-WRC classes), but he will drive a Focus rally car in some capacity. A USA Today story reports that Rally Mexico on March 7 will be his first race.

"This is the toughest rally championship in the world," Block told USA Today. "It's a big leap, and 2010 is a development year. I'd be in fantasyland to think there'd be a chance of rushing onto any podiums." He then went on to say, though, that he's hoping to be "near or on the podium" by the end of 2011.

Block will also continue in the Rally America series, but this time driving a Ford Fiesta. Come 2011, of course, the World Rally Championship will switch over to the Fiesta, too.

In honor of Block's move to Ford, we've posted our favorite Block video of 2009 after the jump -- the one in which he drives a rear-drive Escort with Chris Atkinson.

IL News: Ford Hooks Up With Rally Driver Ken Block

USA Today via World Rally Sport

WRC

Continue reading Ken Block Leaves Subaru for Ford -- and WRC.

Categories: Ford,Motorsports,Subaru

Ken Block might not have had his best year in the Rally America championship in 2009 (he finished fourth), but nobody, and we mean nobody, produced a better highlight reel. This video proves it with four minutes and forty one seconds of the most striking car-sliding-sideways images we've seen since the original gymkhana video.

Nice work, Mr. Block.

Categories: Motorsports,Subaru

Over in Japan, there's a Subaru WRX STI above the already hard-core STI Spec C: It's called the R205. And like the S202, S203 and S204 before it, it's the most elite of the factory-built STIs.

We don't know a great many details about this car, other than in all likelihood, it will never be imported to U.S. But the good folks at NASIOC have tracked down a Japanese brochure, a few early photos and a Japanese-language spec sheet.

The first thing you notice are the engine details, as the R205 makes more power and torque than the normal JDM STI and Spec C. Its turbocharged, 2.0-liter boxer-4 develops 316 horsepower at 6,400 rpm (versus 304 at 6,400) and delivers a bit more torque (318 versus 311) at a lower rpm (4,000 versus 4,400). The car also has better brakes than any of the other STIs and a silver-painted, four-pot caliper is evident in one of the photos on NASIOC.

Dragicon, the dispenser of the information, suggests that what were thought to be early spy photos and video of the current STI Spec C were perhaps in fact the STI R205, which appears to have the same wheels and rear diffuser as the spy car. We've posted our video after the jump for the eagle-eyed to compare.

NASIOC

Continue reading Japan: First Glimpse at the R205, the WRX STI Above the Spec C.

Categories: Subaru

You've seen the video of Pastrana jumping a Subaru WRX STI rally car 269 feet. Now here's an after-dinner drink: This very enlargeable photo of his jump trajectory.

Categories: Celebrities,Hatchbacks,Motorsports,Subaru

It was one of the most anticipated rally car jumps of the year, and only Travis Pastrana could pull it off. At least that's what the ESPN commentators said prior to the big leap off the Pine Street Pier in Long Beach, CA.

He was shooting for 250 feet - over water - and anything other than a perfect jump would pretty much put him somewhere in Long Beach harbor. Not a bad trick for New Year's Eve, see it for yourself below.

Categories: Celebrities,Hatchbacks,Motorsports,Subaru

Updated: Final practice video added after the jump. Warning: It's a bit of a tease.

Unless you're afraid of flying cars or really hate energy drinks, you're understandably excited about watching Travis Pastrana attempt to jump a Subaru WRX STI rally car from the Pine Street Pier in Long Beach, California, out onto a barge floating in the harbor on New Year's Eve. That's tomorrow. Today we took a few minutes to talk to Pastrana and his top tech, Gregg Hamilton, who formerly wrenched for the Subaru WRC team. We also looked at the cars (there are 2) and walked part of the jump ramp. And we learned it's 240 feet from the end of the pier to the barge.

The STI on the right in the above photo is the primary jump car, because "it's the most expendable," says Hamilton. This is the car that is said to have "crashed" in practice, though whatever happened, the damage was only cosmetic, Hamilton told us. In addition, this STI was driven by Dave Mirra in the X Games. The second STI is a back-up in the event of a mechanical failure.

Evidently, the cars are exactly like any other Subaru Rally Team USA car, though a different, less restrictive restrictor plate lets the 2.2-liter boxer four-cylinder make more power -- about 400 horsepower and 451 pound-feet of torque. Unnecessary stuff like the navigator's seat, the spare tires and the underbody protection have been deleted to lighten the car to 3,000 pounds from 3,400. The windshield is plastic.

Additionally, the front aero package has been removed to enable Pastrana to better "fly" the car...

Lots more photos and info after the jump.

Continue reading New Year's Eve Jump Preview: Pastrana Talks Flying Cars, We Walk the Ramp.

Categories: Celebrities,Hatchbacks,Motorsports,Subaru,Trends

Maybe Travis Pastrana doesn't need to bother with his Red Bull-sanctioned New Year's Eve jump attempt at the Long Beach Harbor. Johnny Greaves looks to have already broken Ken Block's 171-foot jump record with this apparent 301-foot jump.

Of course, Greaves drives a TORC Pro 2WD Toyota truck, rather than a rally car, and he's sponsored by the "other" energy drink company. Plus, the measuring protocol in the video shows a level of precision not seen outside an elementary school playground.

After the jump, watch a video of what's said to be the longest ever jump by a semi truck. We hear Johnny Walker was the sponsor on that jump attempt.

Autoblog

Continue reading Video: Energy Drinks War Over the Longest Jump.

Categories: Motorsports,Subaru,Toyota,Trends,Trucks

The current Subaru Impreza WRX STI has been criticized for having too pedestrian a character for a 300-horsepower rally car. A 22-year-old graphic artist, "Pete," has set about to remedy that in Photoshop. Now it's a three-door with the engine moved to the back just because.

Digimods via Carscoop

Categories: Hatchbacks,Subaru

This semi-regular column is written (in his own blood) by an automotive sage and noted malcontent, known as The Mechanic. Mercilessly beaten as a child with rolled-up back issues of old car magazines, our free-spoken hero developed a unique "for your own good" take on cars and the auto industry, along with an unfortunate habit of setting himself ablaze. Later, after a distinguished career as an automotive journalist and magazine editor, he cast off the reins of his musty oppressors, carved out his superego with a plastic spork and became The Mechanic.

As 2009 hits the Great Dumpster of Memory, I've decided to binge on the wife's hard egg nog, reflect on what I've learned over the last 12 months and tell you what it all means for our future. Your future. Now self-reflection doesn't come easily to me, so when I do reflect I don't get nostalgic or weepy. I usually just get pissed off all over again.

Not that 2010 isn't going to be a great year. It is. But it ain't all going to be beers on the beach either. In fact, the auto industry has a critical 365 days ahead of it. It's sink or swim time for everybody.

Anyway, here's what I see clogging our automotive sewer line over the next 12 months. Happy New Year.  

Continue reading The Mechanic's Fearless Forecast for 2010.

Categories: Acura,Auto Industry,BMW,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Coupes,Crossovers,Ford,Future Vehicles,General Motors,Hatchbacks,Honda,Hybrids,Hyundai,Lincoln,Luxury Cars,Mercury,SUVs,Sedans,Sports Cars,Subaru,The Mechanic,Trends

Here's a video about the very Subaru Impreza WRX STI that Travis Pastrana will use for his record jump attempt. Maybe the most interesting revelation? The Japanese-spec 2.0-liter boxer-4 was apparently the starting point under the hood, rather than the 2.5-liter used in U.S.-spec Subarus. Of course, the engine in the jump car has been bored and stroked.

Only one week left until Pastrana's jump attempt, so we'll only expect a dozen more pre-jump videos from Red Bull.

Categories: Celebrities,Hatchbacks,Motorsports,Subaru

Ken Block was at it again last summer in his gymkhana-spec Subaru WRX STI, and the result was Gymkhana 2. Now Block and DC Shoes have come up with the "My egg nog has been spiked and I'm getting really, really scared..." remix of Gymkhana 2.

The original Gymkhana 2 is after the jump. Watch 'em both and give your review.

Continue reading Ken Block's "Gymkhana 2" Video Remixed.

Categories: Celebrities,Hatchbacks,Subaru