Subaru RC Cars - 2019 Livery

When Subaru released their Higgins and Pastrana RC Rally Cars, response from fans was swift!  A surefire sellout of these neat All-Wheel Drive remote controlled replicas of the rally beasts seen in the forest stages was inevitable, but now there's another run of them.  And this time they're wearing the new colors... and by that, of course I mean the throwback blue and gold!

These cars are pretty robust, as I've run mine through the ringer more than once.  Plus, since they're waterproof, you can run em outside without issue just as the Rally Gods intended.

Visit SubaruGear.com to order yours!

Add in the "FREEOVER50" code, and shipping is taken care of, too.  These sold out quickly when they were initially released, so it's best to jump on this sooner than later if you don't want to miss out!

The Internet < Real Life

I've been driving Subarus since 2012 and have loved the experience thoroughly.  However, it isn't just the cars themselves that I enjoy.  A stand-out feature of owning a Subaru, to me, is the community that's around them.  From street racers to soccer moms to adventure-seekers to everything in-between, there's a lot of ways people enjoy these cars.  I'm a firm believer that the people who enjoy Subaru most are those that are actually going out there and enjoying them with their fellow owners... not sitting on their phones picking out the coolest instagram filter to use. 

All too often I meet people that own Subarus that, like a lot of other cars, are enjoyed for a short time and then they just move on to the next best thing.  People tend to go through cars like they do cell phones and I think that's because they haven't experienced a connection with them beyond the steering wheel.  The diverse community around Subaru grants owners plentiful opportunities to go out and experience things outside of their daily 9-5 grind, but that's only if they seek it out or even know that such a thing exists in the first place. 

These days Social media has granted us the potential to connect more with those communities, but all too often, we limit that to online interactions only instead of going out and meeting these people face to face.  Whatever the reason, people seldom take the plunge to go out and meet their fellow owners to go out and enjoy these cars together... and this is the key problem I see all too often.  The increasingly negative tone of sarcastic comments, snide remarks, and general trolling online isn't befitting of a "community" at all, but these people wouldn't be acting like this if they actually knew their fellow owners in person.  It's too easy to hide behind the anonymity of the internet that enables lofty keyboard warriors an indispensable amount of opportunity to wreak havoc however they see fit.  It's a damn shame.

The right way to approach it, in my opinion, is to utilize Social Media to SOCIALIZE and connect with your community!  Meet your fellow owners at events, go to car shows and community outings together, use that common ground of the enjoyment you get out of these cars as a baseline to engage with others and let it grow from there.  And with the All-weather nature of Subaru, we should be able to do that year-round... not just waiting for "Car Show Season".  Do  donuts in the snow in the winter with your buddies!  Go Karting together during the spring rainy season!  Squad up and go to car events together in the summer!  Take a scenic route through some twisty roads in the crisp fall air!  There's things to do with great people if you just take that first step and engage with your community.

The internet can be a great tool to connect people, but it doesn't mean nearly as much to actually make those connections.  I emplore you, if you haven't done so already, to go out and discover this community that is here waiting for you.

APR Brake Cooling Kit for Subaru STI

As I venture futher into motorsports with my 2016 Subaru WRX STI, I try to find modifications that will help improve areas of performance to help reign in this car a little more.  Most of my modifications have been centered around improving engine performance and handling characteristics but I decided to tackle braking performance this time.  My car is still on stock STI Brembo 4-Piston Calipers with OEM brake pads but I decided to help those out with this APR Brake Cooking Kit for the 2015-2017 WRX STI.


The kit replaces the plastic fog light bezels in the front bumper with carbon fiber panels.  These special panels retain the stock Fog Light and Turn Signals in the bumper while adding a funnel that channels air through the bumper into a hose that redirects that air to the backing plate/dust guard on the back side of the brake rotors to cool them down while driving.  The idea is simple, but the execution is a little tricky.  Even with the supplied instructions, things weren't as cut-and-dry as I was expecting.

Fitment of the Carbon Fiber bezels was not perfect but, thanks to three bolts that anchor it in place, they were solid once they were fitted properly.  There are still a few minor gaps and areas that I had not expected, but they're not noticeable.  Also, the instructions and templates for trimming the bumper cover and crash bar were mostly correct, but additional trimming was needed to get things to fit properly.  No instructions were included to explain how the ducting should be routed or where to attach things beyond the Carbon Fiber inlets, so we had to get a little creative.  This was especially true for the drivers side as the windshield washer fluid reservoir was in the way.  Still, we managed to get around this on our own, though I would've preferred additional instructions to rely on.

Still, once everything was installed securely, things stayed in place and they've been working great so far.  No other fitment issues, rubbing, or quality issues have come up and the whole kit seems to be quite robust while still being lightweight thanks to the carbon fiber used for the inlet and outlet construction.  I'm quite happy with the end result and can't wait to push this car further!

The Return of the XT

The Subaru lineup used to offer a turbocharged option in nearly every model line at one point.  The Impreza had the WRX, the Legacy had the Legacy GT, even the Baja that only lasted for 4 model years had a turbocharged option.  But in the last decade, Subaru had seemingly watered down their more "performance oriented" options and left us with more economy-centered naturally aspirated options (with the exception of the WRX and WRX STI obviously).  The winds of change are in motion with Subaru, and we could be headed back to a the days when every Subaru has some turbocharged oomph offered under the hood.

The Return of the XT

Subaru has used the "XT" badge on several cars over the years.  From the XT Turbo Coupe in the 80s to the Forester XT offered from 2004-2018, this designation was usually a sign of a good time.  In 2019, Subaru said goodbye to the Forester XT option and I had wondered if this badge would be lost forever.  However, when the 2020 Outback and Legacy made their auto show debuts this year, both cars had replaced their 6-Cylinder Boxer engine options with a 2.4 liter turbocharged Boxer engine and, as such, brought the XT badge back with them.  In the Legacy, customers can opt for a XT model in the Limited and Touring.  In the Outback, the option for a turbo lies with the Limited, Touring, and the all-new Onyx level.  

At the heart of the new XT models lies a 2.4 liter twin-scroll turbocharged boxer engine with direct fuel injection making 260 horsepower and 277 for torque.  If those numbers sound familiar, that's because this is the same powerplant in the Subaru Ascent that came out last year.  This engine already delivers plenty of power in the Ascent, but with the lighter weight Outback and even lighter Legacy, that power is much more noticeable!  They deliver a much more invigorating punch than the previously offered 6-cylinder and can still use regular unleaded fuel.  On top of that, the new Outback and Legacy are built upon Subaru's new Global Platform design which improves safety, decreases noise and vibrations in the cabin, and sharpens handling.  When paired with the new turbocharged engine, this makes for a much more engaging driving experience that's especially fun in the Legacy.  

Subaru is taking strides towards making the Legacy and Outback more appealing to a younger audience, and these sporty engines could be the key to that.  While the Outback Onyx XT is geared more towards an adventurous audience, the "Legacy Sport" trim level in the lacks the XT geddup and go.  Customers can only get that turbo in the Limited and Touring levels for some reason.  Perhaps if the new turbocharged offerings from Subaru are well received, we could see the Legacy Sport earn it's badge. 

As with all of the 2020 Legacy and Outback models, these will feature an Auto Start/Stop system for the engine.  The 2.5 Liter Boxer Engine is the same as that in the 2019 Forester, which already has this system in place.  Tweaks have been made to the 2.4 Liter Turbocharged Boxer Engine to work with this system, as the Subaru Ascent did not have this feature.  The system can be disabled, but now that feature is tucked in the massive 11.6 Inch touchscreen on the new Legacy and Outback.  In fact, many features that were once physical buttons scattered throughout the interior before have now been organized within the new touchscreen.  That may be worrying news to those who have had issues with recent touchscreen glitches and software issues, but the new system has been completely redesigned and has much more processing power than the previous generation.  Subaru has worked with Denso to create the new radio and there are separate systems to handle infotainment and car features so they can run simultaneously without issues.

Probably the most unique of the XT offerings is the Onyx Edition.  Aimed at a younger more adventurous owner, the 2020 Subaru Outback Onyx XT features new "StarTex" upholstery with bright green stitched seams that’s water-repellent and hard-wearing to survive the adventures afoot.  There's also a front-facing camera to help with visibility in off-road conditions and a full-sized spare tire when things get gnarly.  While the Onyx XT lies between the Premium and Limited trim levels, the pricetag is no slouch, starting at $35,905, so it'll be interesting to see how many younger buyers will be able to afford such a rig. 

If you're a fan of turbocharged Subarus, there's a lot more options suddenly.  Of the models offered, the WRX, WRX STI, Legacy, Outback, and Ascent all have some power to lend their drivers, which accounts for over half of the models in Subaru's lineup of vehicles.  There's still hope for the Forester to be added to that lineup, but it'd likely be in the form of a STI-specific model if that does happen.  Whether you're just looking for more power in your next car or you're an enthusiast looking to make use of tuning and aftermarket parts in the pursuit of speed, there's a wider range of options to choose from in the Subaru stable.

Series.White WRX and WRX STI for 2020

On the one hand, fans expecting the 2020 WRX and WRX STI to be on the new Global Platform will have to wait one more year before that.  On the other hand, Subaru is releasing one more Special Edition for the 4th Generation platform before the switch is made next year.  This latest offering is a color variation, much like the Series.HyperBlue and Series.Gray special edition models released before.

The 2020 Subaru WRX Series.White and 2020 Subaru WRX STI Series.White will feature a new shade exclusive to this version: Ceramic White.  Unlike the Crystal White Pearl that has been offered since the 4th Generation WRX came out as a 2015 model, Ceramic White will be more of a pure color with no metallic or pearl in the paint.  Black details on badges, mirrors, and other accents will set off the Ceramic White exterior on both models.  In addition, these models will have bronze-finished wheels.  Other details have not been confirmed yet, but it's safe to assume that Subaru will follow their formula used on the 2019 Series.Gray WRX and WRX STI models.  That would mean the WRX would be built around the "Performance Package" option with a few extras and the WRX STI would be built around the RECARO option package and, likely, have improved suspension.

2020 will also mark the release of the Subaru WRX STI S209, but that car has already been confirmed to wear the existing shade of white (pictured here).  The 2020 Model Year will mark the end of the 6-year-long run of the 4th Generation WRX platform, so the tried-and-true EJ257 under the hood of the WRX STI will hang on until the 5th Generation 2021 gives it a new FA-series-based engine.

The 2020 WRX and WRX STI will go on sale in the US in Fall of 2019, so expect the Series.White models to be available shortly after that.  Updated information will be shared here as it becomes available, so stay tuned!

So you want a STI S209?

In recent years, Subaru has been releasing more special edition cars in the US market.  From unique colors to heritage-laden badges, a noticeable increase in cars geared towards enthusiasts have been making their way across the pond.  Unveiled at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, the Subaru WRX STI S209 is the latest of these to finally come to US shores for enthusiasts of STI to enjoy.

Released in limited quantities, the S209 will come in White with Gold wheels and World Rally Blue with Gray wheels.  At the very same auto show, the 2019 WRX STI Rally Car for Vermont Sportscar was unveiled showcasing World Rally Blue and Gold wheels, but the S209 likely skipped this to avoid confusion with the recently released 2018 WRX STI Type RA.

An extremely limited run of only 200 units are slated to be for sale, but no price was announced.  With even more features than the $50k Type RA released last year, don't be surprised to see a hefty pricetag for this monster.  However, the S209 is not all show and no go.  It packs 341 Horsepower into the final iteration of the classic EJ257 Turbocharged Boxer 4 Engine.  There's more changes under the hood to accomodate this power, including an upgraded turbocharger, forged pistons and connecting rods, and other intake and exhaust upgrades to make this the fastest STI to be unleashed on American soil.

The odd thing with the S209 is timing.  With many fans in the US expecting the 5th Generation WRX and WRX STI as a 2020 model to be released sometime this year, the S209 was announced to be released late in 2019.  It would be odd for dealers to be receiving 2019 WRX STI S209 Models potentially after the 2020 WRX and WRX STI start to arrive.

So how do you get one?

Normally you'd think you can just stroll up to the dealership and reserve one, but this won't be that simple.  In Japan, the S209 isn't just limited in production numbers.  Purchasing an "S" model is different, especially considering that it's technically not even a Subaru model.

"As an S-line product, the STI S209 encompasses upgrades in power, handling, aerodynamics and driver engagement, and undergoes final assembly in Kiryu, Japan, where it receives engine modifications and bodywork alterations that in total require it to be homologated for the U.S. by STI; thus, the S209 is considered the first “STI-built” Subaru sold in the U.S."

Previous "S" models that had been sold in Japan were sold via a lottery to figure out who gets one, so don't be surprised if it takes more than just a willing enthusiast with a wad of cash to buy one.  Those lucky enough to afford one will need to be lucky enough to be selected to own a STI S209.

Stay tuned for more information on the S209!

http://media.subaru.com/pressrelease/1388/1/subaru-tecnica-international-unleashes-most-powerful-model-ever