2024 Subaru Forester Limited on 2040-cars

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Jalopnik and Consumer Reports see who can pull off the best snow drift

The weather throughout much of the United States is pretty awful at the moment with some combination of extremely low temperatures, inches of snow and maybe some ice underneath it all. The folks at Jalopnik and Consumer Reports are making the absolute best out of a difficult situation by heading to CR's snow-covered test track and attempting to make the longest drift in a quartet of very different performance vehicles. Jalopnik brought along a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S Wagon, a Subaru WRX STI, a BMW 228i and a 1973 Volkswagen Baja Bug (heck yeah!) for the challenge. Also, the track was perfect for this group, with a mix of packed snow in places and still a few inches of unsullied powder in spots too. Ostensibly the goal was to get the tail to step out through a particular corner, but in reality this was more about having hilarious fun in the snow with fast cars. The result just looks like the best time humanly possible in this weather.

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.

Mazda CX-5 named Japan's Car of The Year, Subaru BR-Z wins "Special Award"

The Mazda CX-5 stamped its Kodo design and SkyActiv technology authority all over the Japan Car of the Year awards, taking the top prize ahead of the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT 86. It is Mazda's second victory in the last ten years, the 2005 MX-5 claiming the same trophy, and the fourth time the Hiroshima company has won.
The award is decided by 60 local "automotive experts and journalists," and open to any passenger car released in Japan from November 1, 2011 to October 31, 2012 that has sold more than 500 units. Each judge gets 25 votes, his or her top vote getting 10 points, the rest of the points being spread among the judge's choice for the next best four cars.
The second-place getters were the Toyobaru twins with 318 votes, the surprise being they didn't beat or get any closer to the crossover. The Subaru BRZ did claw some mojo back, earning the Special Award given to cars that have made "an exceptional impact." The BMW 3 Series was third overall and won the Import Car of the Year award with plenty of room between it and the second place Range Rover Evoque.