With no new STI in sight, we look back through the automaker’s speediest and coolest rides
There’s no doubt that Subaru has earned a reputation over the years among those seeking all-wheel-drive performance, which is why enthusiasts all around the world gasped in disbelief when the automaker announced the next-generation WRX STI will be placed on hold.
Between its US and Japanese factory-backed teams in the World Rally Championship, Rally America, Canadian Rally, Rallycross, and SuperGT, the automaker has well over 100 podiums to its name.
It’s that success that’s bred a ton of cool performance cars over the years. While other automakers deliver sleek, low-slung sports cars that can cut through a circuit with ease, Subaru seems unwilling to compromise on its proven formula of success. As a result, many of their coolest cars are closer to road-ready rally cars than anything else, designed and engineered while demystifying a tricky off-road stage in the middle of a forest.
Hopefully you’re already well-acquainted with the Impreza compact car, as that sets the foundation for a number of these speed machines. But don’t forget the Subaru Legacy and even the Forester, which had their own special hair-raising models. Let’s run through the list and you can spot any similarities.
Based on: 1989 Subaru Legacy
Powered by: a turbocharged boxer engine
Drive Wheels: All of them
Was there a North American Model? Yes
Why is this on the list? A land speed endurance record and a cool nickname in Europe
Back in 1989, Subaru was just finding its all-wheel-drive traction to success in North America. While it offered all-wheel-drive, the automaker pushed the envelope to prove it had the goods to compete on a global scale. The Legacy RS used a turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 217 horsepower, along with four powered wheels. Subaru brought three of these cars to the FIA test track in Phoenix, Arizona, and spun them around the track at an average speed of 223.4 km/h over roughly 19 days, adding up to 100,000 kilometres. This stunt earned Subaru a new world record for land speed endurance. Subaru earned a few fans that day, but perhaps the most telling legend of the Legacy RS Turbo is that it was dubbed the Lunacy by the Europeans. Think about all the epic names in automotive history: Godzilla, Rambo Lambo, the Goat, Screaming Chicken… I petition we throw the Lunacy into the mix.
Based on: 2006 Subaru Legacy
Powered by: a turbocharged boxer engine
Drive Wheels: All of them
Was there a North American Model? Yes
Why is this on the list? It had the performance of the WRX STI without the shouty looks
Let’s stick with the Legacy, as most of Subaru’s best performance cars featured four-doors, and why not talk about the bigger ones. In 2006, Subaru made 500 examples of the Legacy 2.5GT Spec.B, which used the same motor from the fan-favourite hot-hatch Subaru Impreza WRX. That means 250 horsepower, but as everybody knows power isn’t everything. It featured sporty suspension and a Torsen limited-slip differential along with the brand’s SI-Drive, a feature that allowed for tighter control of the engine response.
Based on: 2003 to 2008 Subaru Forester
Powered by: a turbocharged boxer engine
Drive Wheels: All of them
Was there a North American Model? No, kinda
Why is this on the list? It was a performance-oriented crossover well before they were cool like today.
In a perfect world, everyone would be able to get their hands on a 265 horsepower, manual-transmission, practical boxy crossover like this, but that world only exists in Japan. For a short period, the Japanese automaker offered a high-performance version of its square crossover, and it was something else. Lowered, stiffer, louder, and with better braking, this could keep up with anything on the road. The North American market got something close with the Forester XT, which wasn’t as powerful, but looked just as cool as the STI. Eventually, the Forester name became known for less exciting, family-friendly crossovers, and the memories of this STI faded away.
Based on: 2018 Subaru BRZ
Powered by: a naturally-aspirated boxer engine
Drive Wheels: Rear Wheels
Was there a North American Model? Yes
Why is this on the list? Subaru’s modern RWD coupe deserves some love.
The Subaru BRZ is a weird one, even today. A coupe designed by Toyota and built by Subaru, the BRZ felt out of sync with modern Subaru, which is known for its practical, boxy, family-friendly and go-anywhere kind of vehicles. Yet, the automaker flexed its engineering know-how and delivered a fun-to-drive and affordable rear-wheel-drive coupe. In 2018, Suburu expanded on it with 500 examples of the tS, which are said to be “tuned by STI,” though without forced induction as the performance arm is known to do. It features more grip with bigger tires, tuned suspension, and tweaked aerodynamics. This meant it responded quicker on the track, providing tons of confidence and speedier lap times. It’s always easy to get faster results with more power, but making it happen without engine tweaks at all showed the expertise of Subaru’s performance minds.
Based on: 2011 Subaru Impreza
Powered by: a turbocharged boxer engine
Drive Wheels: All of them
Was there a North American Model? No
Why is this on the list? Nearly 400 horsepower, under 4-second 0-100 km/h time, only 75 made.
In 2011, British tuning company Cosworth added its special flavour to the Impreza WRX STI. A pinch of extra power at the time meant that this limited-edition compact featured 395 horsepower via different pistons, new connecting rods, a redesigned head gasket, and a new turbo. That much horsepower allowed for a 0-100 km/h time of 3.8 seconds, which sounds terrifyingly awesome. Throw in the special Eibach springs, Bilstein shocks, and the adjustable rear anti-roll bar, and this Impreza could cut through the apexes on whatever track you threw it. Only 75 examples of this wild compact were made, and they were quickly gobbled up by the most dedicated enthusiasts.
Based on: 2018 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Powered by: a turbocharged boxer engine
Drive Wheels: All of them
Was there a North American Model? Yes
Why is this on the list? Inspired by a Nurburgring record-setting lap time, track-ready performance over rally-bred.
In 2017, Subaru snagged another record by lapping the infamous Nurburgring in just 6:57.5, making it the fastest four-door to do so at the time. Granted, it wasn’t a production car that did the trick, but a tricked-out fancy race car. But Subaru was cool about it and made a production car inspired by its hero — one that could be purchased by anyone! And by anyone, we mean just 500 people, because that’s how many were made. Compared to other 2018 STIs, the Type RA featured a bit more power to go along with a revised third-gear ratio, a short-throw shifter, inverted Bilstein front struts, suspension tweaks, and a lightweight carbon-fibre roof, a huge carbon-fibre rear wing, and lighter BBS wheels. Of course, it was sweet to drive, carving through the corners of every track you could get it to. Unsurprisingly, it’s best enjoyed on the track — but that’s kind of the point of a list of the best performance cars.
Based on: 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Powered by: a turbocharged boxer engine
Drive Wheels: All of them
Was there a North American Model? No
Why is this on the list? Inspired by a 24-hour Nurburgring Class win, another track-bred speed machine
The 2018 Type RA wasn’t the first time Subaru used its Nurburgring exploits to sell a car. Back in 2011, the automaker achieved a class win at the 24 Hours Nurburgring endurance race, which conveniently helped it promote the new S206. The Subaru S-Series was hand-built by the automaker’s Subaru Technica International performance division, and this was among its most badass models. Those with a thing for vents and scoops and carbon fibre, here you go. It rolled wicked-huge Brembo brakes (six-piston calipers up front!) to show that Subaru was paying attention to its race cars.
Based on: 2020 Subaru WRX STI
Powered by: a turbocharged boxer engine
Drive Wheels: All of them
Was there a North American Model? Yes
Why is this on the list? The first time Subaru brought the S-Series to North America, it was incredibly balanced between road and track performance.
Subaru finally gave the US market a taste of the special edition S-Series sauce in 2020 with the S209. It was about time! For years, North Americans caught glimpses of what Subaru was capable of through video games like Gran Turismo, but the automaker delivered the goods with another special-edition model that was as fine as could be. It’s the most powerful car the STI division has ever built, putting out 341 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque. This was a track-bred beast, with a beefy rear stabilizer bar, Bilstein dampers, and an innovative two-piece strut tower bar and flexible front/rear draw stiffeners which helped the S209 deliver excellent grip, stability, and responsiveness. At this point, the fourth-generation WRX STI was feeling a bit stale, yet Subaru was able to push the limits of this vehicle to unimaginable limits on the track and street.
Based on: 1999 Subaru Impreza
Powered by: a turbocharged boxer engine
Drive Wheels: All of them
Was there a North American Model? No
Why is this on the list? Celebrated three consecutive FIA World Championship titles, with the coolest Subaru of them all.
The big daddy of Subaru’s performance is the 22b, and there are no doubts about that. Adorned with blue paint and gold wheels, the 22b featured a 2.2-litre turbocharged boxer engine that Subaru claimed had an output of just 276 horsepower, although it turned out to be much more in reality. It featured sodium-filled exhaust valves to go along with its wider track, completely revamped suspension, an adjustable rear wing, huge brakes, and fat tires. Interestingly, there are a few other similar models to the 22B, like the 2001 WRX STI P1 and the Type R STI (not to be confused with Honda’s Type R Civics), but the gist is that these models were practically supercars in compact car clothing.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.
Kuwait has not publicly acknowledged banning the game, which is a tentpole product for the Microsoft-owned developer Activision and is set to be released on Friday worldwide. However, it comes as Kuwait still wrestles with the aftermath of the invasion and as video game makers more broadly deal with addressing historical and cultural issues in their work.
The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.
There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.
Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.
“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”
Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.
“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.
But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
| Copenhagen, 22.10.2024 – COBOD International, the global leader in 3D construction printing technology, proudly introduces the BOD3 3D Construction Printer for 3D printing of real concrete. Equipped with an extendable ground-based track system, the BOD3 advances the construction process by eliminating printer downtime between multiple buildings on the same site, setting a new benchmark for productivity and efficiency. The BOD3 is the most advanced solution for high-volume low-rise construction and a very effective alternative to conventional construction methods.
The heart and key feature of the new BOD3 3D printer is the advanced extendable ground-based track system. This system enables limitless extension along the Y-axes (length), expanding the printable area to cover 2 or 3 buildings, and reducing setup time to a single installation for multi-building projects. It’s a game-changer, allowing continuous, uninterrupted printing across large sites, increasing efficiency for high volume and mass production at an unmatchable scale.
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Render of COBOD BOD3 3D Construction Printer. |
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The BOD3, COBOD’s third printer model, is the outstanding achievement of years of dedicated research, development, and close collaboration with customers. It is a vital advancement in automated construction technology, directly addressing the urgent global demand for faster, smarter, more efficient and sustainable building solutions. Like every COBOD 3D printer, the BOD3’s modular design offers customization, allowing it to easily adapt to any customer’s size wishes in addition to complying with the various sizes of construction sites anywhere in the world. The BOD3 follows COBOD’s vision to build smarter through automation. Its operational stand combines the control and monitoring of both the 3D printer and supplementary equipment in one user-friendly system. The Advanced Hose Management System (AHMS) transports 3D printable material from the materials delivery system to the printhead via hoses secured within E-chains, minimizing physical labor and optimizing material flow. With the addition of the dual dosing system for additives, operators can better control the concrete and adapt it to onsite environmental conditions. By introducing additives directly at the printhead, the system reduces drying time between layers, speeding up the overall construction process. Designed for easy operation and precision, the BOD3 can be operated by a small, trained, and certified team, reducing the costs of projects. Incorporating the innovative Universal X-Carriage, the BOD3 is ready for future COBOD advancements and technologies, like the introduction of additional tools for the printer aimed at insulating, painting, sanding, etc. This ensures long-term versatility and performance that will keep the BOD3 at the forefront of the industry for years to come.
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Universal X-Carriage with Printhead. |
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Already deployed to the global market, the BOD3 is currently active in Indonesia, by Modula Tiga Dimensi, Angola, by Power2Build, and Bahrain, by Ab’aad 3D. The customers report faster project execution with near-zero downtime between individual buildings on the same site. The projects showcase the BOD3’s ability to speed up construction and print with real concrete, with 99% locally sourced materials and 1% of innovative D.fab, a co-developed solution by COBOD and Cemex to make concrete 3D printable. Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder and General Manager of COBOD, commented on the BOD3: “The global housing crisis demands a more efficient construction solution that is faster, more efficient, and scalable. The BOD3 is our answer to this challenge. Drawing on years of research and expertise, we’ve designed the BOD3 with innovative features, making it our most cost-effective and efficient model yet for multiple low-rise buildings. Its design supports high-volume, linear production of houses, enabling mass production without compromising quality. The fact that six units have already been sold before its official launch speaks volumes about the BOD3’s market demand and the trust our customers place in our technology.” Michael Holm, Chief Innovation Officer at COBOD, states, “The advanced ground-based track system was developed as a response to our customers’ needs to increase efficiency and productivity. Now the 3D construction printer can be easily extended, and multiple consecutive structures can be printed with minimal repositioning and zero downtime between projects, making 3D construction printing more efficient than ever before.”
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The BOD3 is now available for purchase worldwide; for more information, please visit our website, www.cobod.com, or contact us at info@cobod.com.
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RELEVANT LINKS
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ABOUT COBOD COBOD stands as the global leader in supplying 3D printers for the construction sector, with over 80 printers distributed across North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Driven by a mission to revolutionize construction through multifunctional robots based on 3D printing, COBOD envisions automating half of the construction processes to achieve faster, cost-effective, sustainable results with enhanced design versatility. From residential, commercial, and public buildings, COBOD’s 3D printers have been instrumental in erecting 1- to 3-story structures across all six inhabited continents. The innovative technology also extends to fabricate large-scale data centers, wind turbine towers, tanks, and more. Embracing an open-source material approach, COBOD collaborates with global partners, including customers, academia, and suppliers. The company, backed by prominent shareholders such as General Electric, CEMEX, Holcim, and PERI, operates from its main office in Copenhagen, Denmark, and regional competence centers in Miami, Florida, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. COBOD’s dynamic team comprises over 100 professionals from 25 diverse nationalities.
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ABOUT MODULA TIGA DIMENSI PT Modula Tiga Dimensi is a joint venture between Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR) and COBOD. BNBR focuses on offering and providing solutions for housing backlog problems currently encountered by the country. Teaming up with COBOD International, the company is now set to adopt the latest 3D printing construction technology and is ready to offer the Indonesian market a new and better solution to housing obstructions.
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ABOUT POWER2BUILD Power2Build is a technology company for the construction industry, prepared to establish partnerships with private, public, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) so that they can make the transition to Build 4.0 through 3DCP. We offer our clients value-added services and high-quality projects, always with a multidisciplinary approach that brings together the necessary experience to deal with complex issues. |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence‘s recent rise to the forefront of business has left most office workers wondering how often they should use the technology and whether a computer will eventually replace them.
Those were among the highlights of a recent study conducted by the workplace communications platform Slack. After conducting in-depth interviews with 5,000 desktop workers, Slack concluded there are five types of AI personalities in the workplace: “The Maximalist” who regularly uses AI on their jobs; “The Underground” who covertly uses AI; “The Rebel,” who abhors AI; “The Superfan” who is excited about AI but still hasn’t used it; and “The Observer” who is taking a wait-and-see approach.
Only 50% of the respondents fell under the Maximalist or Underground categories, posing a challenge for businesses that want their workers to embrace AI technology. The Associated Press recently discussed the excitement and tension surrounding AI at work with Christina Janzer, Slack’s senior vice president of research and analytics.
Q: What do you make about the wide range of perceptions about AI at work?
A: It shows people are experiencing AI in very different ways, so they have very different emotions about it. Understanding those emotions will help understand what is going to drive usage of AI. If people are feeling guilty or nervous about it, they are not going to use it. So we have to understand where people are, then point them toward learning to value this new technology.
Q: The Maximalist and The Underground both seem to be early adopters of AI at work, but what is different about their attitudes?
A: Maximalists are all in on AI. They are getting value out of it, they are excited about it, and they are actively sharing that they are using it, which is a really big driver for usage among others.
The Underground is the one that is really interesting to me because they are using it, but they are hiding it. There are different reasons for that. They are worried they are going to be seen as incompetent. They are worried that AI is going to be seen as cheating. And so with them, we have an opportunity to provide clear guidelines to help them know that AI usage is celebrated and encouraged. But right now they don’t have guidelines from their companies and they don’t feel particularly encouraged to use it.
Overall, there is more excitement about AI than not, so I think that’s great We just need to figure out how to harness that.
Q: What about the 19% of workers who fell under the Rebel description in Slack’s study?
A: Rebels tend to be women, which is really interesting. Three out of five rebels are women, which I obviously don’t like to see. Also, rebels tend to be older. At a high level, men are adopting the technology at higher rates than women.
Q: Why do you think more women than men are resisting AI?
A: Women are more likely to see AI as a threat, more likely to worry that AI is going to take over their jobs. To me, that points to women not feeling as trusted in the workplace as men do. If you feel trusted by your manager, you are more likely to experiment with AI. Women are reluctant to adopt a technology that might be seen as a replacement for them whereas men may have more confidence that isn’t going to happen because they feel more trusted.
Q: What are some of the things employers should be doing if they want their workers to embrace AI on the job?
A: We are seeing three out of five desk workers don’t even have clear guidelines with AI, because their companies just aren’t telling them anything, so that’s a huge opportunity.
Another opportunity to encourage AI usage in the open. If we can create a culture where it’s celebrated, where people can see the way people are using it, then they can know that it’s accepted and celebrated. Then they can be inspired.
The third thing is we have to create a culture of experimentation where people feel comfortable trying it out, testing it, getting comfortable with it because a lot of people just don’t know where to start. The reality is you can start small, you don’t have to completely change your job. Having AI write an email or summarize content is a great place to start so you can start to understand what this technology can do.
Q: Do you think the fears about people losing their jobs because of AI are warranted?
A: People with AI are going to replace people without AI.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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