2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Subaru WRX STI Type RA NBR Special is nearly as fast as a Porsche 918 Spyder at the Nurburgring

Subaru now claims to have the fastest sedan to circle the Nurburgring. Its (deep breath) WRX STI Type RA NBR Special finished a lap of the famed German racetrack in an incredibly fast 6:57.5. That's just half a second behind the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar. Of course, this WRX STI is a specially-built racecar, a rather distant cousin of the WRX STI Type RA production car that takes its name from this race car. The Type RA NBR Special is an upgraded version of the car Subaru took to the Isle of Man time trial last year, where it broke Subaru's old record. The car was built by Prodrive, and it features a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four made for rally use. It now makes over 600 horsepower at 8,500 rpm, which is 50 more than it made last year. The aerodynamic aids have been updated, and they provide 650 pounds of downforce at the car's top speed. The car still has the power-adjustable rear wing from last year. At the press of a button, the driver can change the angle of the rear wing to reduce drag and increase speed on straights. Supporting the power and aerodynamic upgrades are 9-inch wide slick tires at each corner, and a rally-spec sequential transmission that can shift gears in 20 to 25 milliseconds. Related Video:

Toyota FT-86 Open Concept leaves us feeling flushed

When last we checked in on our topless would-be hero, the Toyota FT-86 convertible had been reportedly placed on "indefinite hold." That was back in early October, not long after Toyota had trotted out the rear-wheel-drive canvasback to Scion dealers as a possible future product carrot if they decided not to turn in their franchises. And yet, we're here at the Tokyo Motor Show, where Toyota has taken the time to at least repaint the FT-86 Open Concept in "Flash Red," if not build a whole other car (the original Geneva showcar was white). It's enough to make our heads spin like a teenager on the verge of a breakup. Will they? Won't they?
At this point, we still don't know any more than you do - the last word we heard out of Toyota was not encouraging, although the story was that the program could still be fast-tracked if management had a change of heart. As the car has never been seen before in Japan, perhaps Toyota is merely extending its domestic audience a courtesy view before it lines this showcar in mothballs, or maybe they're still trying to make a decision on its fate and gauging public reaction on the homefront.
Interestingly, in a new story published today, Automotive News quotes Subaru brand boss Yasuyuki Yoshinaga downplaying the likelihood of a production model, saying flatly "We make the car, so if we don't make it, it can't happen." The executive went on to note, "Our engineering department told me that losing the entire roof requires a complete redesign of the structure. It would need a big change." Given that such a car would probably trade in rather small volumes, that sounds like a significant hurtle.

Buy a Toyota GT86 and your wife will hate you

Marketing can be a very strange business. Convincing a man or woman (or child, really) that they absolutely cannot live without the latest, greatest new bit of technology oftentimes takes a unique approach. In the "online film promoting the Toyota GT86" you'll see below, created by agency Happiness Brussels, men are reverse-psychologied into thinking a new sports coupe will make them more masculine by getting their loved ones to hate them. Or something like that. We think.
In any case, we suggest you watch the video below to see how much fun men can have with a GT86 - or Scion FR-S or Subaru BRZ, presumably - at the expense of their significant others. Fair warning: There's a potential Not Safe For Work moment in the ad: beware of a brief male butt shot about 44 seconds in.
Marketing. Gotta love it. Unless you're married to a man. Or something like that. We think. Whatever, just watch.