2003 Subaru Outback Base Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Toyota GT86, Scion FR-S sales disappointing worldwide?

Okay, folks - it appears we've got a problem. The Toyota GT86, Europe's counterpart to our own beloved Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S coupes, is apparently not selling too well. This, according to Toyota's European Vice President of Research and Development, Gerald Killman, is what's limiting plans for additional variants of the rear-drive coupe.
"A faster version of that car would be at the top of most people's wish lists, but like the cabriolet, it is hard to justify a business case to push either model into production based on the current sales," Killman told AutoExpress. "Personally, I think that engine could use a little bit more," he added.
More troubling is that slow sales aren't limited to the Euro-spec car, with Killman claiming that the GT86 have been missing sales targets in major markets around the globe. It may not be that the US is one of those major markets, though. Scion's Vice President, Doug Murtha, tells Autoblog that his brand is happy with the sales of its version of the GT86, the FR-S. 18,000 units were sold last year, which Murtha says is "generally in line with original expectations for the car."

Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

Watch a Subaru BRZ nail world-record tightest 360 spin

How much space do you need to execute a full 360? Less than two car lengths, as it turns out. But you'd need to be someone like Alastair Moffatt to pull it off. The British stunt driver added another Guinness-certified world record at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, England, the other day when he executed a complete 360-degree turn in just 21.3 feet. 14 of those feet were taken by the Subaru BRZ he drove to accomplish the feat – naturally with the ABS and traction control disengaged. That left just 7.4 feet (2.25 meters) of clearance to flip the car all the way around, which bagged him the record for the world's tightest 360-degree spin that previously stood at 8.2 feet (2.5 meters). He didn't manage the feat just once: after extensive practicing, Moffatt performed the stunt in front of a cheering crowd, and then repeated it under tightly controlled conditions for the record adjudicators. This isn't the first such world-record stunt that Moffatt has pulled off, either. He previously scored the records for the tightest parallel parking job and for the same in reverse. Watch him accomplish his latest in the video above. SUBARU BRZ GETS IN A SPIN FOR GUINNESS WORLD RECORD - Rear-wheel drive Subaru BRZ sets new world record for tightest 360° spin - Stunt driver Alastair Moffatt secures record at 2016 Autosport Show Subaru has again demonstrated the agility and precision handling prowess of its rear-wheel drive BRZ sportscar by securing the Guinness World Record for the 'Tightest 360° spin'. The record was secured at the Autosport International Show over the weekend, with the BRZ in capable hands of former world record holder Alastair Moffat. Stunt-driver ace Alastair Moffatt broke the previous 2.5-metre Guinness World Record, which was achieved in 2014, by flicking the BRZ into a 360° spin between two obstacles in Autosport International's Live Action Arena. Moffatt has previous experience setting daring Guinness World Records, including 'Tightest Reverse Parallel Park' and 'Tightest Parallel Park', the latter established at the 2015 Autosport show. The 4.24-metre-long Subaru BRZ is renowned for its low centre of gravity – lower than many high-end supercars – and naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre 'Boxer' engine, making the BRZ one of the most exciting and engaging cars on the road In order for Alastair to have maximise control over the car throughout the manoeuvre, the traction control was switched off and ABS disengaged.