Ken Block, the razor sharp accurate WRX driving internet phenomenon, is back with a new motorkhana video. And this time the commercial opportunities are being exploited to the max with his DC Shoes company taking centre stage. So, kick back and enjoy Kenny’s awesome skillz yo as he rips it up along the Port of Los Angeles.
For more info check out the DC Shoes microsite. Another YouTube clip showing the build process of Block’s WRX can be seen after the jump.
Subaru is taking a factory team to the Nürburgring 24 hour race this year (21-24 May). They will be entering a single Impreza WRX STi and have stated they are chasing a class win (SP3T).
Check out AUSringers.com for more detail.
Six of the best hot hatches. An empty aerodrome all to yourself. How could you say no? Chris Harris from Drivers Republic certainly couldn’t, and he took the opportunity to see what’s what in the world of hot hatchery. The car’s on offer were impressive—Honda Civic Type R, Renault Megane R26.R, Ford Focus ST (XR5), Subaru Impreza WRX S, Vauxhall Astra VXR Triple Eight and a MINI Cooper S JCW.
So, which car came up trumps? The cars were taken to Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome to find out. You can watch video footage after the jump, or read the article in full HERE.
Subaru Australia Managing Director, Nick Senior, took the stand to reveal the new EXIGA and Stella plug-in models.
The EXIGA will be on sale in Australia by November, the first market outside of Japan to receive the model. [Ed: Singapore currently has the Exiga on sale, see comments section below.] While the little Stella is a few years away yet.
My first impressions of the EXIGA were that it looks better with cover still on, but maybe my thoughts will change over time. What do you think?
Audio of Senior’s speech and images available below.
[audio:http://www.ausmotive.com/audio/MIMS09-Subaru.mp3]
That’s not a word play in the article title, its a statement of fact! Looks as though April Fool’s Day has come early at Subaru. At least I hope it has.
I really don’t know what to say. Sorry, I know I should try and add something informative, but I am gobsmacked. Truly gobsmacked.
If you do wish to find more information on this Subaru Legacy Concept, then, take a deep breath, and check out motorauthority.com.
Warning: some readers may find the following scenes disturbing.
This clip from the Bettega Memorial, held during the Bologna Motor Show, captures a rather embarrassing moment for former WRC champion Petter Solberg. The event was run in mid-December, and the news was about to get a whole lot worse for Petter and Subaru.
(Thanks to Tiaan for the tip.)
More news to shock to the motorsport world with confirmation that Subaru has pulled out of the World Rally Championship, with immediate effect.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Executive of Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru’s owner), Ikuo Mori said, “Our business environment has changed dramatically due to the rapid deterioration of the global economy.”
“In order to optimise the management resources and to strengthen the Subaru brand further, Fuji Heavy decided to withdraw from WRC activities at the earliest time,” an emotional Mori explained.
Subaru’s latest rally car only made its debut in May, at the Acropolis Rally in Greece. The company has a strong and loyal following in the WRC and it draws heavily on its rallying heritage to promote its brand. Subaru’s withdrawal leaves just two major manufacturers chasing the world title in 2009. Suzuki also quit the WRC earlier this week. Now, only Citroen and Ford remain with factory backed teams. It will be fascinating to see how the WRC copes with these latest developments.
Australia’s Chris Atkinson now joins Jenson Button in looking for a drive, after Honda’s withdrawal from Formula One.
Factory backed racing teams seem to be dropping like nine pins. With the US Government keeping its auto industry on life support, it begs the question, will Ford be next?
UPDATE: Statement from SWRT website can be read below.
UPDATE (17 December): Statement from Subaru Australia has been added to the end of this article.
Source: Reuters & Subaru World Rally Team
Well, maybe that shoud read ‘Subaru to give Impreza a boot’. Or so the lads at CarAdvice reckon, and they have the pics to prove it as well. They say the entry level pricing will come in under $25K and by the sounds of it we could see booted Imprezas on the road before Christmas now, apparently (thanks Revhed!).
As noted in Revhed’s comment below, check out the Subaru website for more details.
Source: CarAdvice.com.au
Subaru has unveiled its new generation All-Wheel Drive Impreza World Rally Car 2008, in time for its competitive debut at this month’s Acropolis Rally in Greece.
For the first time, Subaru World Rally Team will use a hatchback design. Following a successful research, development and testing phase, the Impreza WRC 2008 will be driven by Australia’s Chris Atkinson and Norwegian Petter Solberg in the Acropolis Rally starting 29 May.
The Herald Sun is reporting a story about Victoria’s fastest recorded speeding driver. Justin Pickering, a 20 year old P-plater driving a Subaru WRX STi, was clocked at 255km/h near Seymour, about an hour north of Melbourne—or a mere thirty minutes if you drive like the young bloke! But that’s not all, Pickering had been recorded at speeds of over 200km/h the previous day near Holbrook in NSW. The speed freak, already with multiple traffic offences to his name, took things a step further when he was initially stopped by NSW Police and he cheekily sped off as the Police officer got out of his car to approach Pickering. He was finally apprehended by Victorian Police in Melbourne’s outer suburbs the following day. He’s definitely not the messiah, and is definitely a very naughty boy. The offences took place in August 2007 and his sentence was handed down earlier today. Along with his jail term Mr Pickering will be without a licence for 5 long years. Will that be long enough?
Read the full Herald Sun article HERE.
Subaru Australia has released a statement announcing that abnormal wear on conrod big end bearings and could affect over 1200 Australian delivered vehicles, of which 171 have already been sold to local customers. The cars affected are all fitted with the 2.5 litre turbo engine. Further, production and sale of all vehicles with this engine has been suspended by the Japanese manufacturer. This comes as a bitter blow to Subaru, just weeks after their new Forester range and WRX STi have gone on sale.
Australian delivered cars affected are as follows:
Source: GoAuto