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Drive-up bank robbery perpetrated with Cayenne and WRX

Thieves carried out what appears to be a movie-script-perfect robbery of a bank in Sydney, Australia early on Friday morning, using two stolen high-performance vehicles in the process.
At around 11:15 AM local time, in near mid-day light, reports say that two men in masks smashed into the side of a Westpac bank in a confirmed-stolen black Porsche Cayenne. The perpetrators were armed with sledgehammers according to witness reports, and took only about five minutes to take what they were after inside of the bank.
The rapid getaway was executed in a Subaru WRX, also confirmed as a stolen vehicle, while witnesses snapped camera phone images of the illicit goings on. One Twitter user posted a few of the images to his social media feed; you can take a look at them in our small gallery below. Follow on down for the full video report, from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Subaru allegedly developing mid-engine hybrid sports coupe

A mid-engine, hybrid sports coupe could give Subaru a high-performance halo model in the coming years. According to Car and Driver, "a source close to Subaru" let slip the company has been testing the prototype powertrain underneath a BRZ at its proving grounds in Japan. "Whether the end result will be a two-door sports coupe or some kind of sports crossover/CUV is still in the evaluation stage," the anonymous source told Car and Driver. "A coupe seems more likely, though." The vehicle's layout allegedly uses a mid-mounted 1.6-liter turbocharged boxer engine with hybrid assist to spin the rear wheels, and two electric motors at the front would power that end. The resulting all-wheel drive powertrain would have about 330 horsepower or more, Car and Driver claims. If a production version happens, it would use the upcoming Subaru Global Platform. Rumors about Subaru's increased development of hybrids offer some support for this alleged sports coupe. The company reportedly might use electrification to boost the next-gen STI. In 2014, a story also suggested the automaker could revive the SVX as a performance-oriented hybrid shooting brake. More recently, even its Viziv GT Vision Gran Turismo concept combined a turbocharged boxer with three electric motors. While a Subaru sports coupe piques our interest, we are taking the prospect with a grain of salt for now. The Japanese brand has a tendency of teasing performance models but not actually delivering on them – like the STI Performance Concept (above) or the aggressive styling of the last WRX Concept. There could also be a long wait before we see what the company is developing. According to Car and Driver, a concept is at least two years away. Then it would take even more time for execs to okay production. Related Video:

You can own this legendary Subaru rally car

Why would you want to buy a 19-year old Subaru? Because racecar. The '90s was the heyday of Subaru and Mitsubishi rally cars, a heritage the WRX and Evo still carry. A matching '97 WRC car cost $123,000 back in 2009, but this new listing does not name a price. If ex-Colin McRae cars are any yardstick, expect to write a check for more than $200,000 to get this in your garage. A competition-built car lives a hard life from the moment it's unleashed on its first rally stage. The fate of this Subaru is no exception, as the 1997 Monte Carlo Rally, its first outing, was cut short due to an accident. McRae, known for his vigorous driving style, slid the Impreza into the woods in a right-hand corner of the wintery stage and mangled the right rear corner: the rear wheel wouldn't even turn as he limped the car back to the pits. Subaru did claim a win from Monte Carlo thanks to Pedro Liatti's efforts, beating Carlos Sainz's Ford Escort WRC by nearly a minute. The next year, the repaired Impreza saw use by the Polish rally driver Krzysztof Holowczyc in a handful of WRC events. During the following decade the car went from one private team to another and ended up being completely restored between 2008 and 2009 – probably a well-deserved overhaul at that point. It hasn't seen a rally stage since, as it's been in collector hands and remains in perfect technical condition. For anyone who grew up either watching Subarus like this conquering rally stage after another, or having wrestled them on virtual gravel with video game controller in hand, this car is one of the essential 1990s motorsport machines. It would serve it right to be bought by someone who used to have a Subaru WRC poster on their bedroom wall 20 years ago. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.