The current Subaru WRX and WRX STI have been with us for a good long while now—seven model years, to be exact. Over the course of this time, we’ve seen a number of special editions, including the all-conquering S209 (the formerly JDM-only special). But the base cars themselves have been given only incremental improvements—not to mention a small facelift for 2018. For 2021, the WRX and WRX STI live on for what should amount to their final lap around the sun. All-new iterations of the Subaru performance sedans are expected to arrive for the 2022 model year.
The only change to the 2021 WRX is the addition of a standard proximity key with push-button start on Premium trims. Aside from that one small change, the rest of the WRX line is indiscernible from its 2020 counterpart. As a result of this change, the 2021 WRX Premium price rises to $30,970—a small $250 price hike compared [...]
There’s a whole lot we don’t know about Hyundai’s upcoming Ioniq 5, and the Korean company’s teaser for the new electric vehicle doesn’t lend much in the way of new or exciting info. What’s its driving range? How much will it cost? Will there be an N version (a pipe dream)? All these questions and more remain unanswered. Heck, we don’t even know what the thing will look like. The only real tidbit this video reveals is that the Ioniq 5 is due to break cover early in 2021.
You can watch the 30-second teaser video below, but be forewarned, there isn’t much there.
Instead of teasing anything about the car, we get a load of snappy catchphrases. This includes: “Extra power for life”, “[e]xtra time for you”, and “[e]xtraordinary experience.” Well, Hyundai, we’d really like a bit of extra info on the Ioniq 5. Still, that’s not stopping us from looking into our [...]
Where’s Sean Evans, host of Hot Ones, when you need him? Because Travis Pastrana’s latest Subaru WRX STI track toy is both hot and loaded with wings. Built by Subaru and Vermont SportsCar for Pastrana’s upcoming turn at the helm of Hoonigan Racing Division’s Gymkhana series, this Subie sedan trades all pretense of practicality for additional performance heat. In other words, this is the Carolina Reaper–dosed chicken wing of WRX STIs.
Admittedly, its multitude of wings—of the aerodynamic, not chicken, variety—may look a little silly, but this WRX STI puts function over form. In fact, Subaru notes the car’s exposed carbon-fiber body [...]
NOTE: This story first appeared in the June 1986 edition of MotorTrend
Comparisons are inevitable. It’s human nature to want to know how yours stacks up against theirs. Sitting around waiting for Rocky V the other day, we were speculating about the similarities between ultra-high-performance aircraft and cars. Someone suggested a comparison test between an outstanding example of both disciplines. The car half would be easy—sitting in our garage at the time was one of Chevrolet Engineering’s twin-turbo Corvettes, inarguably an ultra performer in light of its tire-smoking acceleration and true 200-mph top-speed capability. Finding the equivalent airborne hot-rod—and someone to fly it—would be a little more difficult.
It seemed quite natural to us; if you want a hot-rod airplane, call the Air Force. They have all those great jets and jet jocks, right? Wrong. After some lengthy correspondence, the USAF decided their involvement would imply endorsement of a product—the Corvette—and they could not—or at [...]
“If it were me out here wheeling with our crew,” I said to the Ford employees perched on the hillside beside me, “I wouldn’t have even tried that with a stock crossover.”
I wasn’t stroking any egos; I meant it. I’ve brought enough trucks and SUVs back with body damage (or worse) to know which obstacles are asking for trouble. Two hours into wheeling the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport up a reasonably tough trail and already seriously impressed with what the little rig could do, I still wouldn’t have bothered with that obstacle. The initial approach was steep enough to effectively be a stair step. The gully it was in was narrow enough that the only driving line was to take it head-on, straddling the deep, V-shaped ditch running down the middle. Eyeballing it, I figured you’d run the bumper into the step before you got the tires up to the obstacle. I was wrong.
[...]
