2007 Subaru Forester - 1 Owner on 2040-cars

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Custom-built Subaru Impreza is set to break Isle of Man record

Last week Prodrive showed off the 2016 Subaru WRX STI it built for a record attempt at the Isle of Man TT's Snaefell Mountain Course. And now Subaru is officially going back to the Isle of Man to break its own record. Once again Mark Higgins will drive the Impreza around the 37.7-mile road course. Higgens piloted record runs in 2011 and 2014. The most recent run established the current 19-minute, 15.9-second best time. This new car "will be considerably faster than the previous car," according to Dominick Infante, Manager of Product Communications for Subaru America. That's because the previous attempts were in mostly-stock versions of the Impreza WRX STI. The new car is a completely rebuilt, track-only special. Details on the engine and other specifics like aerodynamic tweaks are being held until the car's official launch. The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is an annual time-attack motorcycle race on the small island located between the United Kingdom and Ireland. This year the event runs from May 28 to June 10. There are no sanctioned automotive races on the Isle of Man, so Subaru is essentially running the course for our entertainment. And as you can see in the video below from last year, it's riveting. We can't wait to see if the new car will break the 19-minute barrier. Subaru Racing Vehicles mark higgins

West Coast labor dispute hampers Japanese automakers' US plants

The ongoing labor dispute between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and port owners along the West Coast is starting to affect more Japanese automakers building vehicles in the US. The issue already forced Honda and Subaru to take the expensive option of airlifting some parts into the US weeks ago, and according to USA Today, Toyota and Nissan have begun doing so, as well. The choice hasn't been cheap, though, and Subaru's chief financial officer estimated that the decision cost around $60 million more per month than sending components by cargo ship. The effects continue to radiate, according to USA Today, and shortages of some models are possible. Honda is slowing production at its factories in Ohio, Indiana and Canada because the automaker doesn't have enough transmissions and electronics for some vehicles. Toyota already cut back on overtime at some factories. Nissan has only seen a small effect from the issue, though, because of its local suppliers. Dock workers and port owners have been negotiating on a new contract since last year, and the union has organized work slowdowns in response. According to USA Today, the automakers could move shipments to Canada or Mexico, but it would take longer for parts to arrive. News Source: USA TodayImage Credit: Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images Earnings/Financials Plants/Manufacturing UAW/Unions Honda Nissan Subaru Toyota shipping port labor dispute

Subarus, straits, a shipwreck, and the end of the world

We've got one more short video glimpse at our Patagonia adventure before the big, final feature video goes live early next month. This time, it's a view of the end of our journey – and the end of the world. Crossing the Straits of Magellan took about two hours on our car ferry, and we saw penguins, orcas, and dolphins, which made the journey way more interesting. From there, we drove through Chile and crossed back into Argentina, stopped by the Desdemona – a 30-year-old shipwreck – and finally spent the night in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world (Antarctica only has bases, not cities). The next morning, our caravan ventured to Tierra del Fuego National Park, and we stood, as a group, at the end of the world – the farthest south any of us will probably venture for the rest of our lives. Have a look at our final, short video above. And again, stay tuned for the full experience film, which we'll bring you (along with hundreds of epic photos) early next month. Auto News Subaru Videos Original Video chile autoblog in patagonia