New Video Footage of Subaru Impreza WRX STI’s Record Run at the Isle of Man TT

After seeing the growing the attention and interest on Mark Higgins' record lap time -and not to mention, a very close call with a wall during the practice runs- in a U.S. specification 2011 Impreza WRX STI 305HP at the historic Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, Subaru’s American arm issued a new video of the event.

The former British Rally Champion achieved speeds of up to 162 MPH (260 km/h) and a lap time of 19 minutes 37 seconds over the 37-mile track, which runs through several small towns with trees, stone walls, and buildings and includes more than 200 corners.

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Subaru Sets New Isle of Man Lap Record with Standard Impreza WRX STI

Subaru has managed to break the long-standing lap record for a production vehicle at the Isle of Man TT circuit set 21 years ago on June 6, 1990, by the late Tony Pond in a Rover 827 Vitesse, with a production-spec Subaru Impreza WRX STI saloon driven by former British Rally Champion Mark Higgins. Read more »

Too Close for Comfort: Subaru Impreza WRX Flips Over Right in Front of Spectators in Canada

A fun track day at the Toronto Motorsports Park near the town of Cayuga in Ontario, Canada, almost turned tragic for both the driver and many of the spectators gathered behind the safety wall when an older generation Subaru Impreza WRX flipped over after exiting a corner.

From the video, it looks like the driver of the Impreza took the corner wider and faster than he was ready for and as a result crashed into, or rather ran over, the safety haystack near the wall, which acted as a launching ramp lifting the car into the air only inches away from the spectators. The car then landed on its rooftop several feet away.

According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the Subaru, who was wearing a helmet, was shaken but...not stirred. But enough talking already. Follow the break to watch both the incident as it happened and the aftermath.

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Forza Motorsport 4: Here’s how they Record Car Engine Sounds

Long gone are the days when video game developers used simple electronic instruments to emulate car engine sounds for their racing games. Now, thanks to a dramatic increase in video games sales, which of course resulted in huge budgets, developers can justify the costs of recording the actual sounds of each car featured in their games.

For those of you wondering how it’s done, the tech-savvy crew over at Electricpig were invited to Redmond, Seattle by the creator of the Forza Motorsport gaming series, Turn 10 Studios, to witness the recording of a previous generation Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

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More Screaming Passengers from the 2011 Red Bull Car Drift Event in Lebanon

We don’t know about you, but we certainly enjoyed watching the video of a male passenger freaking out during a ride around a drift course, so we decided to do a little bit of online research to find out what it was all about. We discovered that the joy ride was part of the Red Bull Car Park Drift 2011 event and it took place in Lebanon.

The man behind the steering wheel of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI is 34-year-old Abdo Feghali from Lebanon. He is a professional rally driver who also participates in drift contests and events such as the one organized by Red Bull.

If you liked the first video we showed you, then follow the jump to watch the reactions of the same male passenger, this time sitting at the back between two women (oddly enough no one was wearing seat belts…), as well as some new footage of other people that took a ride including the beautiful lady you see pictured above.

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New Subaru Impreza WRX STI A-Line with Auto Box

An STI with an automatic transmission - what's the point in that? Well, while we may disagree with the option, Subaru apparently believes that there's a crowd out there that prefers the ease of automatic shifting. Badged the Impreza WRX STI A-Line, the latest addition to the current WRX STI model combines the 300-horsepower 2.5-litre turbocharged Boxer engine with a five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifts. The model goes on sale nationwide through Subaru dealerships today in Japan

In addition to the new tranny option, the WRX STI A-Line has received some refinements to enhance comfort as it is equipped with standard 8 way power adjustable front seats and a new body color while Subaru also presented a new "Satin White Pearl"

Specifications:

-Engine type: Horizontally-Opposed 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbocharged engine

-Displacement: 2457 cc

-Maximum output: 221kW (300 PS)/6200 rpm

-Maximum torque: 350 Nm (35.7 kgf·m)/2800～6000 rpm

-Turbo type: Single Scroll turbocharger

Subaru to Unveil Custom-Made Impreza WRX STI for Rally Champ, Travis Pastrana at Chicago Show

At this week's Chicago Auto Show that runs from February 13 to 22 at the McCormick Place, Subaru will reveal a one-off customized version of the Impreza WRX STI designed to commemorate its factory rally driver Travis Pastrana's third consecutive Rally America National Championship. The Japanese automaker worked with Vermont SportsCar, builder of the team's rally car, to create the brilliant yellow "199" liveried WRX STI that has been enhanced with an array of Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) and STI parts, along with unique custom pieces.

To improve the car's handling, Subaru fitted the Impreza WRX STI with an SPT front strut tower brace, SPT lower chassis brace, and BF Goodrich G-Force Super Sport A/S 275/35 ZR18 tires on Work Evolution XD-9 18-inch alloys in custom satin black. Under its custom-made carbon fiber hood, Pastrana's WRX STI is equipped with a number of modifications including a performance-tuned ECU and custom Down Pipe that promise to add a few more ponies to the 2.5-liter intercooled turbo Boxer engine that delivers 305-horsepower in stock form.

On the outside, apart from the yellow finish and the graphics, the Pastrana's WRX STI gains a carbon fiber hood and rear wing, a sport mesh grille, STI front chin spoiler, exhaust finishers and a set of PIAA 2100 HID driving lights and rally-spec mud flaps.

Inside, the custom blue Alcantara interior upholstery is accented with Pastrana's traditional yellow piping and "199 Pastrana" embroidered logos in yellow thread that matches the vehicle's exterior. Yellow stitching is also used to accent the steering wheel, shifter boot and parking brake handle boot. Other additions include an STI short-throw shifter, carbon fiber patterned interior trims, a rally map light, co-driver foot rest, a high-end audio system with Kicker amplifiers and speakers as well as an Xbox 360 mounted under the front passenger seat.