impreza

Subaru has announced its participation in the 37th ADAC Zurich 24-Hour Race (AKA the 24-Hours of Nurburgring) with a Subaru Technica International-modified Impreza STI. The WRX will be campaigning in the SP3T class (comprised of turbo'd cars with a displacement of 2.0 liters), with Kazuo Shimizu, Toshihiro Yoshida, Naoki Hattori and Koji Matsuda manning the helm during the enduro.

The Rebel Alliance vehicle seen in above was apparently spotted at Guardsman Pass in Utah: a Subaru Impreza WRX rolling on a mighty set of treads wearing Ken Block's number and sponsorship paintjob. We have no idea how, why, or where he acquired such a vehicle, but we do know this much: Ken Block gets to have a lot more fun than the rest of us. Follow the jump to watch the vid.

Fed up with your Triptronic Boxster? Need more space to haul the kids and their baseball gear? Live in Japan? If you answered "yes" to any of the above, Subaru has a STI they'd like to show you. The Subaru Impreza WRX STI A-Line is aimed at the discerning enthusiast looking for a more relaxed ride from their performance hatch, someone who isn't interested in messing with the manual gearbox that comes standard on the top-spec Impreza.

In this installment of "As the Yen Skyrockets," Autocar is reporting that the introduction of the long-awaited Subaru Impreza diesel has been delayed indefinitely due to unfavorable exchange rates. A source inside International Motors, the firm that imports Subarus into the UK, told Autocar, "At the current rate we would have to charge vastly more than we can justify for the diesel Impreza if we were to make a profit. As a result we can't guarantee when the car will go on sale as we can't predict when the economy will change."

Autoweek.nl is spreading a rumor that Subaru is considering offering a two-wheel-drive version of the Impreza in Europe in an attempt to offer a budget alternative to the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla. The entry-level Impreza would make use of the 107 hp, 1.5-liter boxer four-cylinder and possibly the new 150 hp diesel engine, putting fuel economy above all else. There's also talk of a turbocharged version of the 1.5-liter mill that would slot in between the naturally aspirated variant and Subaru's turbocharged 2.5-liter.

Celebration and disappointment -- that's what the Subaru Impreza WRX STI 20th Anniversary edition brings to the party. Celebration because it marks two decades of low-mounted, boxer-powered, all-wheel-drive fun and disappointment because the Takumi concept we saw earlier this month - assumed to be a glimpse of the future Spec-C WRX - was just an early unveiling of this limited edition Impreza.

Our Parisian friends over at LeBlogAuto were on hand at the Motorsport Japan 2008 event in Tokyo this past weekend, where FHI unveiled an Impreza-based "concept" dubbed the Subaru WRX STI Takumi.

Featuring upgraded springs and shocks, revised suspension bits, lightweight 12-spoke wheels, undisclosed engine tweaks and a slightly reworked exterior, the Takumi foretells the future of the rumored Spec-C variant, due to hit the market sometime next year.

Subaru execs at the show remained mum on if when the Spec-C would debut, but the smart money is on the Tokyo Auto Salon this January.

Click above for high-res gallery of Colin McRae's tribute

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX.

It's official folks. Those of you that picked up a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX have been had. The road-going rally rocket gets an update for 2009 and with it comes a retuned 2.5-liter boxer four-pot producing 265 hp and 244 lb.-ft. of torque - a 41 hp and 18 lb.-ft. increase over the outgoing model. Power will be sent to all four wheels through a five-speed manual - the only transmission available -- with low-profile 225/45R17 summer tires replacing the 205/50R17 rubber of the 2008 model.