Hotter Subaru Forester in the works?

Scooby fans down under might get the first look at an STI version of the Subaru Forester meant for global markets. It’s only speculation at this point, but Subaru has said it will bring a “sporty SUV,” and the Sydney Morning Herald figures an additionally boosted Forester makes the most sense.

Regardless of whether such a beast would wear an STI badge – if it exists at all – the theory goes that it would get an STI-like jump in power above the turbocharged Forester currently on sale in Australia. The JDM version of the Forester STI, on sale for five years, puts down 322 horsepower – that’s 26 more ponies than are available in the Aussie WRX STI.

The Forester is already the top-selling compact SUV in Australia. Right now the most powerful version is the 227-hp XT model, so a boost in gumption would place it incontestably above the 268-hp Toyota RAV4 and 235-hp Mazda CX-7. Subaru won’t confirm anything else about what will be revealed, except that it could go worldwide.

2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Taming the Mt. Washington Auto Road

In our last long term update, I mentioned that my wife and I took the 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT on a two-week road trip up to New England. Our ultimate destination was Bar Harbor, Maine, though a stop in New Hampshire on the way home became our most memorable vacation moment of all time.

After spending Fourth of July at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, we decided to drive up Mount Washington and visit the Mt. Washington Observatory at its summit on our way out of town. I knew little about Mt. Washington, but my wife had visited this tallest peak in New England as a child and claimed she and her family had hiked up to the summit.

The story goes her father had convinced them all to hoof it up to the top rather than hitch a ride on the mountain’s Cog Railway by offering them each the price of the train ticket as bribe money. Sounding like something my father-in-law would do, I trusted my wife’s memory was accurate and imagined a post card-quality bluff, easily scalable by a trio of children and their persuasive father.

Report: Recall, stop-sale issued on 2010-11 Subaru Outback and Legacy models over gearbox flaw

Once again, Subaru’s mainstay models, the Outback and Legacy, appear to be girding for a recall. Both models have already faced callbacks for leaky CVT hoses and wiring issues, but according to Inside Line, a new issue affecting a number of manual transmission-equipped 2010 and 2011 models will not only precipitate another recall, but also a stop-sale on all potentially-affected vehicles.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the oil lubrication hole in the six-speed manual transmission has not been drilled on the affected vehicles, which can cause gears to break. NHTSA issued a statement, saying:

“If the transmission gears are not properly lubricated, a groaning sound may begin to develop, alerting the driver to a problem. If this sound is ignored and no action is taken, the gears will eventually break and this condition will lead to vehicle power loss, possibly resulting in a crash.”

Vehicles will be repaired, free of charge, at any Subaru dealer in America. Most will simply have an oil lubrication hole drilled, though the automaker has informed its dealer network that vehicles with 6,250 miles or more will require the replacement of the third through sixth gearsets, as well as the main shaft.

A total of 809 Outback and Legacy models are affected by this recall, which is expected to officially go into effect on August 6. In the meantime, owners are urged to contact their local dealers as soon as possible to have this problem corrected.

First Drive: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Return of the wing

By most accounts, something went awry while Subaru was baking the last generation Impreza WRX STI. Maybe someone slipped in an extra cup of civility or forgot to add enough dashes of hardcore, but what was once little more than a thinly-disguised rally stage escapee had come out of the oven a little weaker than its predecessor. Subaru itself diplomatically admits that the priorities for the last generation STI were somewhat different from the 2011 model. The company stripped the line down to just the five-door hatchback in 2008, stressing functionality over style, and the whole recipe simply felt less focused than what we had come to expect from Japan’s all-wheel drive hero.

But that was then, and this is now. The company assures us that for 2011, we can expect a return to the fundamentals that helped establish the STI as a force to be reckoned with. Though the drivetrain remains unchanged, a slew of suspension adjustments and a lower stance have given the STI the ability to hoover up tarmac and gravel stages indiscriminately once again. It isn’t a completely new generation – more like a much needed do-over – but the changes are enough to make the 2011 model instantly recognizable from behind the wheel.

If that’s not enough to convince you, allow us to direct your attention to the rear of the resurrected four-door body style, dominated once again by the kind of spoiler that could double as a civil engineering exercise. Yeah, baby. The STI is back, and on more than just a wing and a prayer.

Subaru WRX STI gets five-speed automatic option… Down Under

If you’re in the market for an all-wheel drive hatchback with 300 horsepower and an extensive track pedigree, you’re probably looking for a Subaru WRX STI. Hope you know how to drive a stick, though, because the only available transmission here in the States is a six-speed manual. If you’re thinking “good!” we’re most definitely with you, but if you’re interested in a slush box you’re going to have to pass on the STI all-together. Unless you live in Australia.

Subaru is offering a five-speed automatic for the Australian market, apparently because of high demand. Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia says in the post-jump press release that the company has had “increasing inquires about an auto over the last two years and we’re delighted to be able to deliver what a significant number of customers have requested.” Senior added that the five-speed slush box will reflect the hatchback’s athletic nature while appealing to a wider audience.

We’re all for car-buyers getting whatever they want, as long as a proper manual transmission is also offered. Keep in mind that the automatic tranny is only being announced for the Australian market, and there is no indication that we’ll see a five-speed slusher in the States. We wouldn’t be surprised if we did, though, considering Americans’ love for the automatic, coupled with the fact that the Land Down Under is such a small market.

STI-tuned Subaru Legacy B4 2.5GT tS released in Japan

We’ve grown quite fond of our long-term 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT over the past few months, but we can’t help but be somewhat jealous of the STI-tuned Legacy that’s just been released in Japan. Subaru’s in-house tuning department has laid hands on the new-for-2010 Legacy sedan (and the not-for-U.S. wagon!) to create the B4 2.5GT tS, which features a host of cosmetic and dynamic enhancements, even though the turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer remains unchanged.

Visually, the tS (which stands for “Tuned by STI”) gets a new front lip spoiler, as well as a subtle deckled spoiler out back (fixed to the roof on wagon models). New 18-inch alloys wrapped in 225/45-series rubber sit at the corners and appropriate badging is applied all around. Inside, there’s a revised instrument cluster, sport seats, carbon trim, a leather-wrapped STI steering wheel and, of course, STI branding on the shifter and floor mats.

Where the tS gets good, however, is in its performance upgrades, which include a sport exhaust system, a more robust Bilstein suspension, and new strut tower bars. Because the turbocharged flat-four keeps its stock output – 265 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque – this hotted-up Legacy won’t be any quicker on the street. The other tweaks should make it even more poised during sporty driving, though.

While this may seem like just another juicy piece of Forbidden Fruit, we’re sure that STI has upgrades for the U.S.-spec Legacy in the pipeline. (Please!) Scroll through the gallery below to see the Legacy tS’s upgrades in detail.

2011 WRX STI sedan runs ‘Ring in 7:55, quickest ever for Subaru

Quick: What’s the fastest production sedan in the world? Does it wear a Mercedes-Benz, Audi or BMWbadge? What about the Porsche Panamera Turbo or the Cadillac CTS-V? There’s no doubt that each of these vehicular behemoths is capable of ripping off some fast times on a race track near you, but Subaru is out to prove that its new 2011 WRX STI sedan has the chops to keep pace with the best from the rest of the world.

To prove its point, Subaru recently sent test driver and four-time World Rally Champion Tommi Mäkinen out to the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife course in Germany with a 2011 STI test car. According to reports, the vehicle used in this testing was equipped with a few significant upgrades including a larger turbocharger that normally sees duty in the Japanese R205 model and some lightweight aluminum bits, but one thing is for certain: the 7:55 lap time is a mighty impressive result.

For those keeping track of such things, the previous best lap set by a Subaru WRX STI was in 2004 at 7:59.41 and the new mark set by Subaru – albeit with a prototype, not a production car – is quicker than any of the aforementioned competition. Best of all, there’s a video of one entire lap around the ‘Ring and you can find the in-car footage after the break.

Subaru announces pricing and tweaks to 2011 Outback, Legacy models

Subaru has priced the 2011 versions of two vehicles leading its continuing sales charge, the Legacy and Outback. All of the Legacy models bar the Limited trim version have stood pat on MSRP, from the base 2.5i at $19,995 to the 3.6R at $24,995. The Limited models go up by $300 to cover folding exterior mirrors, harman/kardon audio, and XM satellite radio.

The 2011 Legacy 2.5GT will only be offered in Limited guise, and its price goes up by $405 to $31,395. Replacing its woodgrain with faux carbon-fiber dashboard trim and adding brightwork in the form of aluminum pedals and contrasting seat stitching addresses two of the few gripes we’ve had with our 2.5GT long term test car.

The Outback gets the smallest hike, just $200, going to $23,195 for the 2.5i, $24,495 for the 2.5i Premium, and $28,495 for the 2.5i Limited with CVT. Opt for the Power Moonroof Package for an additional $450, and you’ll get a new rear-view camera with a 3.3-inch display in the auto-dimming mirror with Homelink thrown on Premium and Limited models. Follow the jump for the rest of the details on the 2011 Legacy and Outback – with this kind of pricing restraint, we expect them to keep selling well.

Subaru to Start Selling Cars in South Korea

Even though Kia and Hyundai are present in most countries around the world, you’ll be surprised of the number of automakers that are absent from the South Korean market for one reason (import taxes) or another (legislation).

Subaru is one of them, but that’s going to change soon as the Japanese automaker announced today that it is joining Toyota in South Korea’s recovering market for imported cars. The company said that that sales of Subaru-brand vehicles will start from April in the country working through its local distributor, Subaru Korea Co., Ltd.

The automaker’s range will initially comprise of the Legacy, Outback and Forester. Unfortunately for Subaru fans in South Korea, the Impreza series, and by that, we actually mean the WRX and STI, won’t be offered.

Subaru’s newly formed Korean division said that it has set an initial sales target of a mere 600 units in the first year but aims to increase that number to 3,000 units by 2015.