2009 Subaru Impreza Gt Turbo on 2040-cars

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2015 Subaru WRX: Accident, wheels and tires

I'm sure this thing is going to be a total hoot in the snow. I am not a morning person. At all. Thankfully, the Autoblog team knows this – I rarely get bothered before 8:30 AM unless it's seriously important. So when associate multimedia producer Chris McGraw started blowing up my phone at 6:45 AM on a Thursday, I knew it wasn't going to be good. "I got rear-ended in the WRX," McGraw informed me, a shaken-up tone emanating from the other end of the line. Poor guy was on his way to the gym, for his pre-office morning workout, and an older gentleman in a Chevrolet S-10 struck the back of the Subie while trudging through a traffic jam on I-696 just northeast of Detroit. Everyone was fine, and McGraw says that the dude's pickup was in significantly worse shape than our dear Subaru. But the WRX was still pretty banged up, and later that day, it was delivered to the body shop for what turned out to be a lengthy repair process. What you're looking at is $4,620.83 worth of damage. What you're looking at is $4,620.83 worth of damage, but thanks to Autoblog parent company AOL's fleet insurance policy, we were only on the hook for our $1,000 deductible. Nearly all of the rear body panels had to be replaced, as did the bumper and taillight assembly, and after several weeks of being put under the knife at Suburban Collision in Troy, MI, our Subaru has mercifully emerged good as new. The day after the 'Rex came home, I dropped it off at our trusty Subaru dealer – Hodges, in Ferndale, MI – for some routine maintenance, including finally getting its broken fuel door repaired. The whole pull-the-door-open-with-your-fingernails thing had become increasingly annoying, and I'm happy to report that everything now works as it should. And since it was part of a technical service bulletin, no money changed hands for this service. If there are any 2015 WRX owners in the greater Autoblog commentariat, I'd love to know if your cars have experienced the same issue. While at the dealer, I also signed the WRX up for one very special, very important update: the fitment of winter tires and – yes! – gold wheels. I have a strong personal belief that WR-Blue Subarus should come standard with gold wheels from the factory (like the Launch Edition STI), but since the Japanese automaker doesn't even offer these rollers on anything but the aforementioned, limited-edition STI, I took matters into my own hands.

Subaru Ascent three-row SUV set for 2018 launch

Subaru revealed a three-row SUV concept Wednesday at the New York Auto Show in a surprise move that signals its return to the large utility segment in 2018. Called the Ascent concept, the show car had a turbocharged boxer 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and will be revealed in production trim next fall at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Ascent will be built in Lafayette, Ind., and is exclusive to the North American market. It will have room for up to eight passengers, offer all-wheel drive, and will be based on a modified version of Subaru's latest global platform. A hybrid is possible on those underpinnings, but a Subaru spokesman wouldn't comment on that prospect. Subaru has not had a three-row ute since the Tribeca was killed off in 2014. View 17 Photos With Volkswagen adding the Atlas and existing SUV makers like Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and others all putting greater emphasis on the large utility segment, Subaru felt compelled to respond. The company also expects the Millennial generation to make up a significant portion of Ascent buyers. "This is a product that allows that generation that grew up liking Subaru to stay with us," Subaru of America president Tom Doll said at the show. The Ascent concept's styling cues have evolved from the previous Visiv-7 concept and offer a better look at what the production model will look like. The Ascent concept measures 198.8 inches long, 78.3 inches wide and 72.4 inches tall. The wheelbase is 117 inches - signaling Subaru is serious about competing with large SUV producers. Subaru is spending $140 million and adding more 1,200 jobs at Lafayette to support the Ascent and bolster its US manufacturing footprint. Related Video:

2015 Subaru WRX STI goes for the gold [w/video]

If the all-new 2015 Subaru WRX has taken a good thing and made it great, then this should be, well, greater. Meet the range-topping WRX STI, packing more power, a decidedly more aggressive suspension tune, beefier looks, a giant wing and (woo!) gold wheels.
Those spiffy BBS wheels and WRC rally-ready matching WR Blue paint won't necessarily be around forever, though - Subaru is offering this package (along with unique interior trim) on the STI Launch Edition, limited to just 1,000 units. And cool as it may look, there's far more to love about the new STI package.
Power comes from a 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, sending 305 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. (Launch Edition models even get a short-throw shift kit, which will likely be available as a dealer-installed accessory thereafter). Unlike the standard WRX, a do-it-yourself 'box will be the only transmission available. Subaru is employing its new - *ahem* - Multi-Mode Driver Controlled Center Differential version of the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, which, in addition to a standard 41/59 torque split, uses things like torque vectoring, and, when put in manual mode, allows the driver to select one of six center differential locking levels. In other words, the STI should be incredibly sharp on the road - sharper than ever before.