2012 Subaru Impreza Wrx Sti Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The super-sized Atlas isn't the three-row VW should build

In the late '50s and early '60s the Volkswagen Beetle wasn't ubiquitous in my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, but it came pretty damn close. Fords and Chevys dominated, but beyond the occasional MG, Triumph, or Renault the import scene was essentially a VW scene. When my folks finally pulled the trigger on a second car they bought a Beetle, and that shopping process was my first exposure to a Volkswagen showroom. For our family VW love wasn't a cult, but our '66 model spoke – as did all Volkswagens and most imports at the time – of a return to common sense in your transportation choice. As VW's own marketing so wonderfully communicated, you didn't need big fins or annual model changes to go grab that carton of milk. Or, for that matter, to grab a week's worth of family holiday. In the wretched excess that was most of Motown at the time, the Beetle, Combi, Squareback, and even Karmann Ghia spoke to a minimal – but never plain – take on transportation as personal expression. Fifty years after that initial Beetle exposure, and as a fan of imports for what I believe to be all of the right reasons, the introduction of Volkswagen's Atlas to the world market is akin to a sociological gut punch. How is it that a brand whose modus operandi was to be the anti-Detroit could find itself warmly embracing Detroit and the excess it has historically embodied? Don't tell me it's because VW's Americanization of the Passat is going so well. To be fair, the domestic do-over of import brands didn't begin with the new Atlas crossover. Imports have been growing fat almost as long as Americans have, and it's a global trend. An early 911 is a veritable wisp when compared to its current counterpart, which constitutes – coincidentally – a 50-year gestation. In comparing today's BMW 3 Series to its' '77 predecessor, I see a 5 Series footprint. And how did four adults go to lunch in the early 3 Series? It is so much smaller than what we've become accustomed to today; the current 2 Series is more substantial. My empty-nester-view of three-row crossovers is true for most shoppers: If you need three rows of passenger capacity no more than two or three times a year – and most don't – rent it forgawdsake. If you do need the space more often, consider a minivan, which goes about its three-row mission with far more utility (and humility) than any SUV.

Autoblog Podcast #399

Episode #398 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Brandon Turkus, and Rob Sass of Hagerty Classic Cars Magazine talk about Cadillac's move to Manhattan and new naming convention, preview the Paris Motor Show, and finish up with the 3 Guys, 3 Grand Classic Car challenge. Also included is an interview with Tom Tjaarda, prolific designer of vehicles including the DeTomaso Pantera. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #399: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Cadillac relocates to NYC and changes its model names Paris Motor Show preview Tom Tjaarda interview $3,000 classic cars In The Autoblog Garage: 2015 BMW 428i Gran Coupe 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid Jensen Interceptor Hosts: Dan Roth, Michael Harley, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:47:56 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Cadillac Move - 24:02 Paris Motor Show - 39:22 Tom Tjaarda - 52:12 Hagerty $3000 Classics - 01:15:43 Q&A - 01:27:45 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Paris Motor Show BMW Cadillac Subaru Classics cadillac ct6 rob sass cadillac lts

Subaru will show a WRX STI Type RA, possibly with a BRZ STI, on June 8

Subaru just released another teaser photo today of a World Rally Blue STI model, and they also provided us with some information about what the car is. Apparently it is a new WRX STI Type RA, a name that Subaru fans will recognize as an indication of an ultra-hardcore version of the all-wheel-drive legend. As you can see from the teaser photo, this Type RA will have a carbon fiber roof without a sunroof. This WRX STI has more than that, though. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. According to Subaru, the rear wing will also be carbon fiber, and the car will have gold-colored forged BBS wheels measuring 19 inches in diameter. Inside, occupants will find Recaro seats. Mechanically, the suspension has been updated and now features Bilstein shock absorbers. The engine and transmission also see updates, but Subaru wouldn't give specifics at this time. Expect all the details to be revealed on June 8, the date Subaru has been teasing on Twitter. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Now with this new teaser image and confirmation of a Type RA, one might think that the previous teaser of a winged blue Subaru was of this special WRX STI. However, we're not so sure. We've been studying the trunk lid of the car in the Twitter teaser alongside those of production BRZs and WRXs. If you look closely, there's a long arching crease in the trunk lid of the teaser car and a production BRZ, but it doesn't appear on the WRX. The WRX has a very flat trunk lid. As such, we believe the teaser image is still of a BRZ STI, and we suspect Subaru may reveal both it and the WRX STI Type RA on June 8. Related Video: Image Credit: Subaru Subaru Coupe Performance Sedan subaru brz sti