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Subaru mulls motorsports return, nixes small CUV plans

The Subaru WRX STI breaking the automotive lap record at the Isle of Man might be just the beginning of the headlines trumpeting a Subaru racecar. According to the latest rumors, the Japanese brand is looking at taking motorsports more seriously in the future. That could possibly even mean endurance racing at Le Mans.
According to Auto Express, the brand is mulling a greater participation in motorsport, but the big question is where. The World Rally Championship isn't a certainty because it now favors smaller cars like the Volkswagen Polo. Subaru still competes in series like Rally America and Global Rallycross, but there are bigger stages to play on.
What's interesting, is that this commitment to motorsports comes right as the automaker is denying plans to build a small CUV for its passenger car lineup. According to Auto Express, the company has no intention of developing a crossover smaller than the current XV Crosstrek. Even if the sales are there, it would just cost too much to develop. In the US, at least, the XV is doing great with sales up 42 percent in July.

Russian videographer nails this real-life 'Need for Speed' recreation

Aaron Paul and Kid Cudi tried. They really did. They put forth a decent acting effort, played with some incredible replica supercars, and filmed at some remarkable settings. But it's 2019, and 2014's "Need for Speed" sits at a 6.5/10 on IMDB, a 39 on Metacritic, and a 57% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The studio attempt to bring "Need for Speed" to life was lukewarm, so a Russian videographer took a shot at the idea with this impressive digital short. Unearthed by Reddit user, AbuDab1, the clip is the work of Russia-based videographer @Chekunov_v. Clearly a fan of all things fast and fancy, as seen by his Instagram, Chekunov recreated the start screen, the garage with car and mod selection, and the race sequences from the video game. The video starts with an Acura RSX Type-S (labeled as the Integra Type R) with familiar theme music playing in the background. Accompanied by video game sound effects, the spotlight switches between a Toyota Celica, a Toyota Supra and a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. The Supra and Evo are locked, so the user settles on the Celica. He goes on to select mods, including a new spoiler, new wheels and a new color, again to the tune of the proper sound effects, menus and camera views. The car exits the garage and rolls onto the road, where the screen now shows a tachometer and an N2O gauge. The Celica is met with a race challenge, and the car lines up with a Mazda RX-8, an Acura RSX Type-S and a Subaru WRX STI. After a terrible launch, the Celica uses some NOS and takes the victory. Unfortunately, the video is a bit 2 fast, 2 short for our taste. It's well done, has some unique video work, and takes us back into one of our favorite video game series. Maybe this guy can direct the studio sequel.

2014 Subaru Forester scores 5 stars in NHTSA crash test [w/video]

Having aced the crash test from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and earning the highest rating of Top Safety Pick+, the 2014 Subaru Forester headed over to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a date with destruction. In the barrage of NHTSA tests, the new Forester met similar results as it did with the IIHS, earning a five-star overall crash rating.
Comparing these number to the previous model, which carried a four-star rating in all areas, the new Forester did much better in the side-impact test to earn a full five stars; frontal and rollover ratings were still at four stars like the old model, but the improved side crashworthiness was enough to gain the NHTSA's highest overall rating. The frontal impact video is posted below, but all the various test videos can be seen on NHTSA's website.