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To the end of the world in a Subaru

On a quiet beach in southern Argentina, I stood in awe facing the Desdemona, a massive cargo ship that wrecked ashore in the mid-1980s and has remained untouched for the subsequent 30 years. In the intervening time, Desdemona was not vandalized, nobody broke her down and sold the parts for scrap, and unlike what you'd expect in the United States, no one set up shop to sell memorabilia in addition to a $5-beach entrance fee. This is only one of a thousand gorgeous vistas that make up Patagonia, the southernmost part of South America and, indeed, the end of the world. I was there to drive Subarus along dirt two-track roads and gravel highways on an epic journey from El Calafate to Ushuaia. Subaru would have you believe that this sort of rugged wilderness is the natural habitat for its cars. Whether or not that is a stretch, the Subies proved to be up to the task of trekking Patagonia. But I fully expected that from the get-go. What I didn't expect was how every part of this journey – the cars, the location, the people – would combine to form one of the greatest travel experiences of my life. View 85 Photos The end of the world. Patagonia is gorgeous, vast, brilliant. And those words don't even really do it justice. The plains, the lakes, the mountains, the forests all feel like every color is more vibrant, every detail is sharper. It's like looking at the world through an Instagram feed, and then realizing that every photo has the "no filter" hashtag. The journey started on Valentine's Day, with senior video producer Chris McGraw and I flying to Atlanta, followed by a 12-hour flight to Buenos Aires. That's where we met the rest of the group, and spent a day relaxing and exploring the Argentine streets and shops. "It's like looking at the world through an Instagram feed, and then realizing that every photo has the 'no filter' hashtag." But we still weren't at our start point. From Buenos Aires, we hopped a flight to El Calafate, about 1,500 miles southwest. It's a common entrance point to Patagonia for tourists and explorers because of its proximity to the Perito Moreno Glacier, a stunning site we visited the next day. Watch our earlier update video to see more about the glacier – an ice formation three times the size of Manhattan (and growing!). If Patagonia is on your bucket list of vacation destinations, this glacier is a mandatory stop. There's a boardwalk that runs along the lakes, leading right up to the face of the glacier.

Subaru getting creative in these two very different WRX STI viral videos

Subaru is getting into viral videos with two new, radically different shorts to promote the 2015 WRX STI; both are pretty entertaining. They are certainly more interesting, from an enthusiast perspective, than the company's dog-oriented advertising campaign and sponsorship of the Puppy Bowl.
The first promotes a new grindhouse-style short film that Subaru is launching, which is cheekily called The Ride of Her Life, and it previews the full deal due on March 13. While It's just a glimpse at the moment, if Subaru really leans into the cheesy, 1970s-style, then the full video could be really enjoyable.
The second video is a new take on an idea we've seen before but is still very cool. There might be some digital trickery going on in some of the "Stick bomb" shots, but the result is still exciting. Plus, the STI's Nürburgring livery is quite attractive. Scroll down to check them both out and tell us which you prefer in Comments.

Subaru recalling 32K Imprezas for potential airbag fault

Following a preliminary evaluation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in April 2015, Subaru is recalling 32,400 examples of the 2012 Impreza sedan and hatchback to repair the Occupant Detection System. The affected vehicles have production dates between April 21, 2011, and February 16, 2012. However, the WRX and STI are excluded from this campaign because they use a different part. The Impreza's problem concerns the front passenger seat's Occupant Detection System. In these models, the part uses capacitance to determine if someone is present and activates the airbag. According to the documents submitted to NHTSA (as a PDF), if the person sitting there uses a device plugged into the accessory outlet or touches an electrically grounded part like the metal seat adjuster, the ODS recognizes an increase in capacitance. It can then deactivate the airbag. Obviously, this could be a hazard in a crash, but there would be a warning light showing the safety device as off. To solve the problem, dealers will install a modified Occupant Control Unit. The initial investigation was prompted after 26 complaints to NHTSA about the ODS not working properly. In 2012, Subaru also issued a technical service bulletin that attempted to repair the issue. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Front Passenger Air Bag may not Deploy Report Receipt Date: JUL 01, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V419000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 32,400 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) SUBARU IMPREZA 2012 Details Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012 model year Subaru Impreza 4-Door and Station Wagon vehicles (except WRX/STI models) manufactured April 21, 2011, to February 16, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may deactivate if a front seat passenger operates a device that is plugged into the power outlet such as a music player or cell phone, or touches a metal part of the vehicle such as the forward/rearward seat adjuster lever. CONSEQUENCE: If the ODS deactivates, the front passenger air bag will be turned off and the front passenger air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant. REMEDY: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Occupant Control Unit with a modified one, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.