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Travis Pastrana's new Gymkhana Subaru billed as 'wildest WRX STI ever'

This black Subaru WRX STI is going to be the next fireball of a racecar to be featured in Hoonigan’s Gymkhana video series. ItÂ’s billed as the “wildest WRX STI ever” by Subaru, and weÂ’re not going to argue with that claim. Just look at it. The raw carbon body looks like an actual cheese grater. You could throw a whole chicken at the front fender as it drives by and end up with shredded BBQ. Its hood-exit flame-spitting exhaust will even give the bird a nice char as it passes over the front of the car. And no, we canÂ’t see any flames in the photos here, but Subaru promises that it does produce fire. The wacky aero was apparently developed in a wind tunnel. And if you havenÂ’t guessed by now, this car was designed with zero restrictions for anything. ItÂ’s not competing in any competition, so everything was optimized for the best possible performance. ItÂ’s packing a custom-made boxer engine, but Subaru isnÂ’t providing any numbers for us yet. We can guarantee that itÂ’s making bonkers power, through, as the extra smoky photos would suggest. The car also has a long travel suspension and “race-ready interior.” Travis Pastrana will be behind the wheel in this 2020 Gymkhana series that is promised to be even bigger and better than the Gymkhana videos before it. PastranaÂ’s history of rally and rallycross driving should help him provide the same level of entertainment that Ken Block provided in Subarus of the past.   This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Travis PastranaÂ’s NEW Subaru STI Gymkhana Car: First Ever Tire Test (In All Raw Carbon!) “This STI is unbelievable!” Travis Pastrana, said. “WeÂ’ve never had the opportunity to do this before, to build a car with no restrictions. Engine, suspension, aero — everything is unlimited, clean sheet. ItÂ’s crazy fast, easy to control and get sideways and it was perfect out of the box in testing. Gymkhana is a new challenge for me but I want to raise the bar, and this is the car to do it.” The car itself is a collaboration between Subaru and partner Vermont SportsCar. It did start as a production STI, but it looks nothing like it now. WeÂ’re hoping to learn more about the car soon — new Gymkhana videos canÂ’t come soon enough. Related Video:

Subaru executive casts doubt on manual transmission future

Some disconcerting news for Subaru fans has come out from the Geneva Motor Show. Subaru's U.K. managing director told Auto Express that he doesn't see the manual transmission as having a future at the automaker. He explained that the company is really focusing on safety, and in turn Subaru's Eyesight technology. As a refresher, that system uses stereo cameras to enable features such as automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. The feature isn't currently available on manual-equipped Subarus, and the executive said he wasn't sure if the system was compatible. And with Subaru's push for safety and Eyesight, he said that continuing to offer manual cars without the system could undermine that push. This sounds dire at first, but we shouldn't panic yet. First, this is just an executive for Subaru's U.K. branch, not for the global company or the U.S., and car companies don't have the same offerings everywhere. For example, the Crosstrek is only offered with a CVT in Europe, but here in America – land of the free, home of the clutch – Subaru offers a six-speed manual. So, while it is possible that certain regions will have reduced or no manual options, that doesn't mean it would be across the board. View 22 Photos And even if Subaru decided it would phase out manual transmissions on most of its mainline cars, as it did with the Legacy, we can't imagine the company abandoning the transmission for its performance cars. WRX and STI fans would riot in the streets, possibly on their way to buy a next-generation Focus RS or Golf R, and the BRZ, a car built around the idea of driver engagement, wouldn't survive in a market with the Miata. Subaru may want to improve safety, but they're still a for-profit company, and sales of its performance cars would surely tank without a manual option. One more reason not to fret is that, while Subaru doesn't currently have a manual-compatible suite of semi-autonomous safety features, that doesn't mean it's impossible. As it so happens, Mazda offers low-speed automatic emergency braking as a standard feature on all its models in every trim. Mazda also has higher-speed emergency braking, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control as options, and they are compatible with manual transmission cars. You can order up a top trim Mazda3 Grand Touring with a manual transmission right now. Keeping all this in mind, we think it's highly unlikely that Subaru will abandon the manual transmission.

2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI pair updated looks with performance upgrades

For 2018, Subaru has given the WRX and WRX STI a mild refresh on the outside, and a few significant tweaks under the skin. Starting with the exterior, the lower grille openings on both models have been enlarged and given a bit of extra black trim for a more aggressive look. In fact, the change is a bit reminiscent of the dearly departed Mitsubishi Evo, with the black trim of the lower center grille extending to the bottom of the bumper. The WRX Limited and all STI models also get turning LED headlights, and the STI gets bigger 19-inch wheels. The interior also features subtle tweaks including a larger screen in the instrument panel for all models, as well as thicker door glass and foam in the windshield header to the make the car quieter. Both models also now come with roof rack mounting brackets, a new rear armrest with cupholders, and, according to Subaru, improved interior materials. And the WRX and STI are also now available with eight-way power adjustable Recaro seats. The Recaros are standard on the top trim STI, optional on the standard STI, and available in the new Performance Package for WRX models. This brings us to perhaps the biggest update, that aforementioned WRX Performance Package. In addition to the Recaro seats, it comes with upgraded brake pads covered in bright red calipers. The package also eliminates the moonroof, which hardcore enthusiasts know will save weight up high. The STI gets a notable brake upgrade. New Brembo brakes feature six-piston calipers at the front, and two-piston units at the back, and they're all painted a vivid yellow hue. Those calipers act on bigger, drilled rotors using equally enlarged brake pads. Subaru also retuned the car's Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD). Both the WRX and STI also have retuned suspension all around. If this all sounds great to you, you should be able to pick one up at your local Subaru dealer this spring. Related Video: