subaru

As so many of its competitors prepare to bring out vehicles with alternative power trains, Subaru has a major disadvantage. Its small size means it is a laggard in green technology.

There has been talk of a diesel based on the Subaru-developed, 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel sold in Europe. But the bigger questions are what kind of hybrid or pure electric technology will Subaru offer in the next decade, and when will it arrive?

Toyota holds the key. Toyota owns 16.8 percent of Fuji Heavy Industries, which builds Subaru vehicles. Toyota is working with Fuji Heavy on a hybrid system that executives say may be available by 2012. Details have not been disclosed.

"Neither the hybrid or diesel are committed," said a spokesman for Subaru of America. "We have not announced their status."

There are no plans to sell Subaru's subcompact cars in the United States. And there are no longer any plans for a premium sedan--an idea Subaru kicked around at the start of the decade. Instead, the automaker will concentrate on value, offering lots of standard features with each model. … Read more

When we tested the 2008 Subaru WRX STI last year, it seemed as if Subaru poured everything it could into this halo car. The STI is Subaru's signature rally car, competing with the Mitsubishi Evo for the hearts of gearheads around the world. But apparently Subaru was holding back, as it just released a limited run of 900 of a Spec C version of the WRX STI, this new car featuring even better performance than the standard STI.

Subaru managed to reduce friction in the STI's turbocharger through the clever use of ball bearings, which in turn let … Read more

There's a lot to like about Subaru cars. They tend to be very drivable, with small but reasonably powerful engines. Their standard all-wheel-drive gives confidence for extra-urban exploration in any season. The cabins feel well built and a step above your typical economy car. While these are all good points, Subaru only offers the minimum of cabin technology, ruining the experience. For example, in the 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5XT Limited we just reviewed, Subaru offers an optional navigation system and Bluetooth, but other automakers were using similar systems five years ago. The stereo in the Forester is also … Read more

Japan always gets the latest tech developments before the rest of the world, a fact reaffirmed by Subaru's move to sell an electric car this July in, you guessed it, Japan. This battery electric vehicle, built on Subaru's Stella mini car, doesn't sound particularly impressive from its specifications, but Subaru is the first major automaker bringing an electric car to market this decade, preceding the likes of Mitsubishi and Nissan in their efforts.

The Stella EV stores electricity in a lithium ion battery pack, powering a 47 kilowatt motor. Range is only about 56 miles, with a … Read more

We were impressed with Ken Block's first Segway-circling Gymkhana video. Well, he is back at it again in this new Subaru Impreza STI drift car for a new video: "Gymkhana Two, The Infomercial." Prepare to be amazed by more feats of drift-mastery and more oddball prop choices in the video below.

Warning: As the title hints, this video features pretty heavy product placement, including lots of DC Shoes apparel and balloons filled with Monster Energy drink.

I hope you've enjoyed all of this week's video of amazing World Rally Championship racing. I thought a good way to close this series would be this tribute video dedicated to the history of WRC and how it's changed throughout the years--how the cars have changed, and it even includes historical data at the end detailing what cars have won the title and in which year. It's great for knowledge hounds as well as anybody who just wants to see some fine automobiles kickin' up dust and sliding on the asphalt.

The kind folks at Eos Wireless sent me one of their wireless multiroom audio systems to test out a couple weeks ago, and after setting it up tonight, all I can say is that it made me long for the power and solidity of the Sonos system that I got to try out last December.

CNET's Jeff Bakalar already hit all the high and low points in last month's review, and my experience was much the same. I started by plugging my iPhone into the base station. Some of the promotional material for the system says the Eos … Read more

Every once in a while, we get a vehicle in the Car Tech garage that presents great potential, but poor execution. This was the case with the 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5GT that we took for a spin awhile back.

With DNA that includes traces of WRX and STI and a stout, turbocharged heart, we were quite disappointed with the 2.5GT's performance. We didn't get much relief in the cabin when faced with an extremely limited list of cabin tech options.

Once again, we're unable to leave well enough alone as we set about to right … Read more

Just when you think you've seen it all, someone shows up with a Subaru Impreza WRX with tank treads. The Impreza in question has all the markings and livery of Ken Block's Monster STI, so we think it's safe to assume that Ken is working on something special.

We've already seen what Ken can do on four wheels, so our imaginations are running wild with the idea of seeing him cut loose in such an unorthodox vehicle!