2004 Subaru Impreza Wrx Sti Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

2016 Subaru WRX and STI get new safety, tech equipment

The Subaru WRX and STI were just thoroughly revamped, but the Japanese brand has decided to tweak the offerings slightly for the 2016 model year. The changes include some upgraded safety systems, and as a possible blasphemy to fans, a smaller wing is being offered on the STI. The latest versions should hit dealers in the summer, but prices grow slightly. A base WRX is $300 more than last year at at $26,595 (plus $795 destination on all of them), and the cheapest STI is $34,695, a $200 increase. The WRX is undoubtedly fun to drive already, but the Premium and Limited trims now ride on standard 18-inch wheels with summer performance tires. For added in-car entertainment, Subaru is giving all models, including the STI, its 6.2-inch Starlink infotainment system that includes a rearview camera. Vehicles with navigation get a seven-inch version. Driving a WRX might be just a little safer too because Subaru is offering its EyeSight system with adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist as an option on the Limited with the CVT. It's packaged with things like the nav system, upgraded radio, keyless start, and steering-responsive foglights for $4,095. The same trim with the six-speed manual gets a similar bundle but replaces some of the safety tech with just blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert for $3,100. In perhaps the most contentious change, the STI Limited trim is now available with a tiny, trunk lip spoiler as a no-cost option. Seeing the aggressive sedan without the big wing certainly looks odd in photos, and it's still available for buyers who want it. Related Video: April 23, 2015 SUBARU INTRODUCES 2016 WRX® AND WRX STI® MODELS, OFFERING EYESIGHT® DRIVER ASSIST TECHNOLOGY AND SUBARU STARLINK™ INFOTAINMENT EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology, now with Lane Keep Assist, available for WRX with Sport Lineartronic™ transmission Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert available for some models Subaru STARLINK™ Multimedia Touch Screen Infotainment in all trim levels Standard 18-inch wheels and summer performance tires on WRX Premium and Limited WRX STI Limited now available with low-profile rear trunk spoiler WRX models begin at $26,595 and WRX STI at $34,695 Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc.

2015 Subaru WRX caught testing in US on Mulholland

In April, we got our first glimpse at the 2015 2015 Subaru WRX - the car was caught in STI form in photos and in motion running around Germany's infamous Nürburgring. That's all well and good, but obviously Subaru will sell a good number of the hotter Impreza models here in the United States, and thus, it's nice to now see a video of the next WRX testing out in California, albeit in what looks to be non-STI form.
Originally posted on the Subaru Owners Club website, this video comes from YouTube user 31200MulhollandHwy. And that's quite appropriate, since the video clearly shows the now de-winged WRX prototype testing on the well-known - you guessed it - Mulholland Highway. Just like before, we're disappointed that the prototypes spotted testing don't appear to be as bold and beautiful as the WRX Concept that Subaru brought to this year's New York Auto Show. Nevertheless, we'll hold our final judgments until the camouflage is peeled away.
Have a look below to see (and hear!) the 2015 WRX running up Mulholland.