Drive magazine has taken a look at some of the best vehicles for the snow, but which have enough city and off-road features to keep people happy, and looking good in both urban and and off-road settings.

Some of the usual “lifestyle” vehicles and faux off-road models such as the Audi Q5, Renault Koleos, Land Rover Freelander or Volvo XC60 may suit for snow and ice driving condictions. Audi and Volvo often come across with some of the best AWD options, having sedans, hatchbacks, wagons and offroads throughout the range which can give you all the four wheel effect you want.

But which are the cars that really stand out? There are a few surprises in the list, which includes: the Mazda3 (for its stability control), the Nissan Dualis, Volkswagen Tiguan and the Subaru Liberty/Outback. In fact, given Subaru has all wheel drive across its range, any old one will do. The Audi A6 allroad wagon gets itself on the list, as does the Volvo XC60 and the Lexus RX350.

For full details, see Drive.com.au.

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Ken Block and the Subaru Impreza look like quite a lethal combination in this video. In a display of pure Impreza acrobatics, we see the Subaru Impreza STI prepared by Crowford at 566 hp in a little industrial set rally car drive. With plenty of wheel spin and drifting going on, the top-notch video editing is part of the package. It looks like hard work though…

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The news that Subaru has withdrawn from the world rally championships is truly incredible, in fact it’s almost shocking. The image of the Japanese company is so linked to rally competition it’s hard to imagine a WRC without a Subaru Impreza whipping its way around the tracks.

The reason for the withdrawal has been put down to the world economic crisis which is currently having an effect beyond expectations if companies like Subaru pull out of their flagship racing competitions. In the words of Prodrive chairman, David Richards: “Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over.”

Let’s hope the crisis gets itself over with and we can see Subaru back in the dirt, showing what rally car driving is all about.

Source | Gazzetta
and The Independent

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In this video, the 800 hours required to transform a Subaru Impreza STi into a WRC are summed up in three minutes. In this case we see Travis Pastrana’s car that races in the US, sent to us by the guys at Motorsportblog.it.

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Less than two weeks ago, we reported on the imminent arrival of the new Subaru Impreza WRX and GT, and now we see all the photos and official specs on these new versions.

The WRX has made a good step ahead compared to the previous generaiton: with more power, more driving feel and mean look, it has really turned itself into a sports car. The Impreza GT is decidedly more laid back, with a four speed automatic transmission.

The new WRX will have all of 265hp at 6000 revs/min, 40 more than the previous version. The net power gain has been obtained thanks to the work of a bigger turbocharger, larger exhaust and a more permissive cataliser. The contraposed cylinders are combined with a five speed manual transmission. The GT’s 2.5 boxer turbocompressed engine has an output of 225hp at 5,200 revs, the same power as the previous WRX.

Subaru Impreza WRX and Impreza GT

Continue reading: New Subaru Impreza WRX and GT: official pics

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The Suburau Spec C is going retro and we can’t understand why you’d want to limit comfort and technical aspects when you could easily increase engine capacity. But anyway, Subaru is presenting three versions of the Impreza at the London motor show, two of which are already available for purchase, and the third, the most powerful, is still in the twilight zone.

The more easygoing version (in blue in the photos) carries the WRX-S letters where the “S” shows a 20hp increase to 255 and an improvement in performance: accleration from 0-100km now occurs in only 5.5 seconds.

The intermediate model is the STI 330S where the number represents output expressed in relative terms. Avoiding marketing babble, this car has 325 hp, a nine centimetre exhaust and a Prodrive ECU. Prodrive were consultants on all three models.

Continue reading: London 2008: Subaru Impreza WRX-S, STI 330S and STI 380S

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The Subaru Impreza Model Year 2009 will benefit from a series of important updates that won’t be limited just to the look of the car. According to a document that has escaped from under company lock and key, in addition to the improvements in performance on the current series, we could also see a new version, called Impreza GT that will be equipped with the 2.5 turbo from the WRX STI in a real power step from the 225 hp.

This version will be equipped with automatic transmission, different from the WRX MY 2009, although the latter will see a jumpo in power, gaining 40 hp and therefore reaching a total of 265hp all up.

The renews WRX will see some improvements in the suspension, a look inspired by the WRX STI, a new aerodynamic kit and dedicated wheels. The intention behind these two sports versions is to provide some competition for the Lancer Ralliart Sportback, which will be presented at the the Paris show.

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Commercialisation of the Subaru Exiga starts today in Japan, a kind of crossover between a station wagon and a people mover with the company’s celebrated all-wheel drive.

For the moment the range includes two engines, a 2.0 aspirated one at 150 hp, and a 2.0 turbo with 225 hp destined for the Exiga GT. As promised, to spoil the occupants and underline its grand tourer personality, a series of panoramic roofs will be available, which should enrich the already refined and spacious interior.

Regarding the look of the car, judgement remains subjective, though we can say that harmonious proportios are not really the strong point of this Subaru.

Subaru Exiga

Continue reading: Subaru Exiga officially revealed

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While we’re expecting its release sometime this month, the Subaru Exiga has been snapped in the course of a series of tests under the Californian sun.

As you can see in the photo, this is not a particularly conventional car, at least as far as the bodywork is concerned. A long bonnet with large air vent right in the middle, low seating, reduced height and the style of the rear doors distinguish this car.

The sporty style continues to the rear with a small spoiler and double exhaust, while inside the space is dedicated to versatility and comfort. The interior has been particularly designed for passenger comfort including panoramic roof, television screens in the head rests and fold-away tables.

Continue reading: Subaru Exiga: a sport seven-seat people mover

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Subaru has in store a nasty version of the Impreza, equipped with a diesel engine capable of 200 hp output, which is 50 more than the more normal boxer presented recently.

Prodrive of Banbury is behind the development, according to reports from Channel4Car. The Japanese hatchback has a strong point in its sporty attributes (225 km/hr, 0-60 mph in less than seven seconds), with performance and consumption comparable to the best common rail examples currently available.

The name will probably remain as RS so as not to infringe on the WRX STI range. Unfortunately we will have to wait until next year for sales. Until 2009, as regards a diesel, we will have to satisfy ourselves with the powerstep at 150 hp.

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