Posted Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 10:07pm
The first Subaru WRX STI debuted in 1994 and took a full decade to reach audiences in the United States. The last STI bowed in 2021 but is still greatly missed. Subaru does build the WRX in its current 271-hp form, and there’s a tS model with big Brembo brakes and Recaro seats, but we’re still waiting for a proper STI variant. Now, some tantalizing news out of Japan suggests such a car might be on the way, as reported by Car Watch.
The Super Taikyu racing series has several classes, from GT3 Mercedes and Ferraris down to a sub-1500-cc class. Subaru competes mid-pack, and at a recent media scrum at Fuji Raceway, Subaru’s chief technical officer confirmed that there is a new performance model bound to debut at this year’s Japan Mobility Show.
Posted Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 9:41pm
Subaru is a brand that’s known to do things a bit differently than other mainstream car manufacturers. All but one of its cars come with standard all-wheel-drive, it has a historic commitment to occupant protection, and all of its internal combustion-engined cars feature a unique horizontally opposed engine layout. These horizontally opposed engines are called “boxer engines,” and they are oriented differently than every other engine configuration on the market.
You probably already know that V8 engines are V-shaped, and inline-6 engines are oriented in a straight line, but what about a flat-4, horizontally opposed boxer engine? Boxer engines earn their namesake because their pistons are laid out flat, and when they move as the engine runs, their motion mimics a boxer punching their fists together. Subaru is the only mass-market automaker that uses boxer engines, though the Subaru/ Toyota partnership that resulted in the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ means Toyota technically has one boxer-engined car too, but it is primarily produced at Subaru’s Gunma, Japan manufacturing facility. Porsche is the only other carmaker that currently uses boxer engines, but it only uses them in its 911 and 718 sports cars at the moment.
Posted Monday, May 26, 2025 at 9:16pm
Numbers and perceptions are big motivators for how we see things and the world, and it’s the same in the automotive world. But when a carmaker sells 10 million units every year, it’s easy to say that there is no competition and that no one else can hold a candle. Because bigger is always better, right? Toyota is a global leader when it comes to vehicle sales and the sheer… Read More →
Posted Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 9:00pm
If our staff is any indication, the Venn diagram of automotive enthusiasts and photography/video nerds overlaps in a major way. Maybe it’s the emphasis on design in the car industry, or that the same person who finds joy behind the wheel also finds a kind of mechanical satisfaction in using a good camera. Or maybe people just love cars and want to immortalize their memories and share them with others.… Read More →
Posted Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 10:49pm
Subarus and I go way back. I learned how to drive at age 11 on a GL wagon in the woods in Maine. Later, I built my own rally course out there and borrowed a cast-off Fast & Furious WRX STI to relive my childhood (but better). I’ve ridden with rally god Petter Solberg in Spain and driven the current WRX TR on the Targa Florio roads in Sicily. So,… Read More →
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