Auto car sports

Subaru's UK arm has decided to make the WRX STI its own standalone model for 2011, dropping the " Impreza " reference from the road-going rally car's name. As in other markets, the UK's STI will again be available in sedan and five-door hatch variants and pack a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine making 300 horsepower and 407 Nm / 300 lb ft of torque. For 2011, the UK's STI will get Subaru's "spec. C" suspension setup featuring a lower ride and wider tires wrapped around lighter wheels. Other than that, the car hits 100 km/h [62 mph] from standstill in 5.2 seconds, has a top speed of 158 mph [254 km/h] in sedan form, and meets Euro 5 emissions standards. In Britain, the 2011 WRX STI will begin adding options at £32,995 for either the 4- or 5-door version. We're not sure yet if the "Impreza" name will be dropped from Subaru's halo car in other markets, but it could be a possibility as Fuji Heavy Industries' all-...

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), Subaru's parent company, has released details on its third-generation four-cylinder boxer engine that will be available in 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter displacements. This is the first overall renewal since the second generation was introduced in 1989. The horizontally opposed flat 4 has been a mainstay of Subaru's Impreza, Forrester and Legacy models for some time. Subaru claims that fuel efficiency is up by 10%, thanks to a compacter combustion chamber and longer stroke, variable-valve timing (which Subaru calls Active Valve Control System) on both the intake and exhaust valves, lighter pistons and connection rods, a more efficient and compact oil pump and separate engine cooling circuitry for both the block and head. Power for the 2.0 L engine remains the same at 109kw / 150HP, while torque is up 5 Nm to 196. The new boxer engine has a slightly higher compression ratio of 10.5 (up from 10.2), a shorter bore (84 mm, down from 92) and longer strok...

Besides adding its upcoming unnamed coupe to the lineup, Subaru will be working to get a little pep back in its step by bringing out some new designs over the next few years. What can we expect from the all-wheel drive anti-SUV brand? Autoweek had an interesting article charting the upcoming changes in Subaru's lineup. Starting with the chunky-monkey Legacy and Outback models that are relatively new, the only update to be expected is a mild refresh/facelift coming in the next three or four years. Hopefully Subaru will decide on a corporate face that doesn't look like 'meh' and throw it on those two, because right now they're as beige as a Camry. I mean, if Volvo and Audi could make their crossover cars (the Cross Country and Allroad) look cool, why can't Subaru? Next is the Forester ; if all goes according to plan, this fall will see the 2011 Forester available with Subaru's more efficient next-gen 2.5-liter boxer engine. We can expect major styling update...