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Autoblog goes on an African safari, Subaru-Style

... And Learns To Love The Ostrich
Subaru may be the ostrich of the Japanese auto industry.
When one thinks of a safari, they naturally draw pictures in their mind's eye of wild animals, like lions, elephants and giraffes. I'm no different, and it was with visions of long telephoto lenses over vast runes and dunes that I embarked on a 19-hour plane ride from Phoenix, Arizona to Plettenberg Bay in South Africa, camera gear in tow.

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Subaru SVX

Subaru is doing quite well these days with its formula of selling a combination of sensible pavement-optional commuters and rally-inspired performance cars, but go back a quarter-century or so and many of the cars with the Pleiades badges were known more for futuristic jet-fighter-style cockpits and weird gadgetry. This philosophy reached its peak with the brilliant, bizarre Subaru SVX, sold in North America for the 1992 through 1995 model years. Here's a well-preserved purple SVX I spotted a few days ago in a Denver self-service yard. Just look at the side glass! It's impossible to not love the way this car looks. The design of the SVX's exterior was the creation of Giorgetto Giugiaro. The SVX had a DOHC flat-six displacing 3.3 liters, the largest street engine Subaru had built up to that point. It made 231 horsepower, which was respectable for the era. Unfortunately, Subaru didn't have a manual transmission that could handle that kind of engine power, so every SVX came with a four-speed automatic... which (in addition to being way less fun than a manual) also couldn't handle the EG33's output. For this reason, you see SVXs in fairly decent condition at junkyards all the time; a good-running, clean example is worth good money, but one with a bad transmission is worth its weight in scrap. Related Video:

Cosworth announces Power Packages for Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S with up to 380 hp [w/video]

Cosworth stands on the list of the most famous engine tuners in the world with its DFV engine engine dominating Formula One for a time in the '70s. So when it teases plans to take on the FA20 engine from Subaru and Toyota found in the BRZ, Scion FR-S and Toyota GT86 abroad, our interest is indeed piqued. Cosworth is promising to take the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine from its current 200 horsepower all the way to 325 hp and even 380 hp in a future track version through a series of staged Power Packages. At the moment, only the first stage is available that takes the mill to a potent 230 hp.
Cosworth says that its new strategy is to offer its upgrades in kits rather than individually so that it can be sure that everything works and fits when owners receive it. The Stage 1 Power Package emphasizes helping the FA20 breathe better and includes a nearly complete replacement for the stock exhaust system. There is a sports exhaust with four-inch, diagonally cut, polished tips and Y-shaped muffler, an overpipe front pipe with a spherical resonator and a new manifold header that is 22 percent lighter the standard unit. In addition to that, the kit comes with a software reflash, low temperature thermostat, Cosworth badge and plaque.
The stage one kit is available now, and stages two and three go on sale later this summer, according to its website. Autoblog contacted Cosworth for pricing information for the kits. We will update this story, if we hear back. The company also released a video showing off the exhaust upgrades. Scroll down to watch it and read the full release, below.