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Nov 08

Subaru trots out Forester XTI concept and tweaked WRX

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Even though our lust for Japan’s forbidden fruit has been sated by three generations of the Subaru STI and Mitsubishi EVO – and now, the Nissan GT-R – one guilty pleasure is still out of reach. The Subaru Forester STI has always held a special place in our hearts, combining a healthy dose of practicality with a dash of rally-bred performance, and that’s carried over to the Forester XTI concept. Packing the WRX STI’s turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder putting out 315 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, a cat-back exhaust, reworked suspension, STI wheels and a deep red/black paint job, the Forester XTI is begging to go into production. Here’s hoping Subaru wises up and gives it the green light.

Joining the Forester on the show stand is a five-door 2009 WRX tweaked by Subaru Performance Tuning (left) with a cat-back exhaust, short-throw shifter, OZ Botticelli III 19-inch wheels, a lower chassis brace and strut tower brace. The 2.5-liter four has gotten a 10-hp boost in output (from 265 to 275 hp) and an additional seven lb-ft of torque, and sitting beside that guy is the STI that’s making its big screen debut in the next installment of the Fast and Furious franchise.

Nov 07

Save us Subaru Mountain Rescue Vehicle!

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Leave the Saint Bernards at home, honey, we’ve got something better. The Subaru Mountain Rescue Vehicle was made for the National Ski Patrol — an organization we had never heard of until we saw this truck. On its tiptoes it has 35cm of clearance, and the staid passenger car driving compartment is balanced by the diamond plate floor and steel walls in the rear. Its got more flashing lights than K-Mart, and a 4,300kg winch in case you need to rescue snowcats. And apparently, when ski time is over, you can hop in the toboggan that’s mounted on the roof. Or you can put injured people in it. Your choice. Have a look at the mighty mountain rescue ranger vehicle in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Nov 06

Subaru to show off Forester XTI and Mountain Rescue Vehicle

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Subaru’s Forester has long been considered one of the few sporting ‘utes, and the automaker is ready to build on that image with a new Forester XTI concept, set to debut at the SEMA Show. Those interested in outward appearances will note the “Atmospheric Re-Entry paint scheme” (their words, not ours), JDM body kit, lower front spoiler and mesh front grille. It’s the underpinnings that get us really excited, though. Under the skin, the Forester XTI gets the full Subaru Technica International treatment from the firm’s amazing WRX STI, including its 2.5-liter turbocharged and intercooled boxer four powerplant, mated to a six speed manual transmission and, of course, all-wheel-drive. A cat-back exhaust helps bump out to 315 hp and torque to 300 lb-ft, meaningful improvements over the stock engine’s ratings of 300-horsepower and 290 lb-ft. We’d love to see this one make it to the showroom floor.

Accompanying the XTI at Subie’s booth is the Mountain Rescue Vehicle, which was purpose-built for the National Ski Patrol, of which Subaru is the Official Vehicle. Custom touches include an adjustable Air Lift suspension that allows for a maximum of 14-inches of ground clearance. Under the wheel arches sit 30×9.5-in. Yokohama Geolandar MTS tires on custom 15-in. reversed near-zero offset steel wheels. Skid plates and a winch complete the off-road modifications and are accompanied by a bevy of lights and a near glow-in-the-dark hue. The drivetrain doesn’t see any modifications, but the stock turbo-mill ought to be up to the task anyway. 

Oct 31

The 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5 GT 5-Door

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It says something when an automaker sees fit to give the tachometer a place of prominence in the gauge cluster. “We’re serious,” it implies. Unamused sports cars like the Porsche 911 assign the rev counter a level of gravity beyond being a glorified “engine is running” idiot light. Fortunately, the Paprika Red Subaru Impreza GT 5-door that recently arrived in the Autoblog Garage stated its intentions clearly by placing this most important gauge in its “proper” place. New to the Impreza range, the GT model is a chafing dish full of original WRX simmering through an automatic transmission. An autobox may seem anathema to the 224 horsepower turbo-fed boxer, but we were pleased to discover that all the fun is not sopped up by a spongy tranny.

Oct 28

Shell phases out V-Power Racing fuel (100 RON)

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From July 21st, Shell began phasing out Shell V-Power RACING fuel from 46 Coles Express sites in QLD, NSW, ACT and VIC. Availability of normal Shell V-Power (98 RON) is not impacted by this change.

Shell Australia Media Release:

ShellThe phase out of Shell V-Power RACING was a carefully considered decision. We took into account a number of considerations, including the need to meet changing market requirements.

Moving forward, Shell V-Power will be Shell’s premium performance fuel, available at selected Coles Express sites in Qld, NSW, VIC and SA. Shell V-Power is developed with Ferrari and is designed to improve the performance of many modern engines. Shell V-Power’s Friction Modification Technology (FMT) aids this. FMT is designed to help the engine turn more freely, and so help transfer energy from the fuel to the wheels more efficiently.

To help with the transition please refer to the question and answers below. For further information on this change, please contact Shell on 13 16 18.