2011 Impreza WRX
Sporty yet practical, the 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX, Impreza WRX Premium, and Impreza WRX STI offer everything an adrenaline junkie needs: turbocharged power, tenacious handling and aggressive agility. Strap in tight and enjoy the ride.There was a time when the only all-wheel drive vehicles on the road were those quirky little machines from Japan. But according to the Detroit Free Press, as many as 30 percent of all new vehicles sold in 2015 will be equipped with the traction-adding drivetrain. In fact, just announced that every single one of the luxury automaker’s products has all-wheel drive on their option sheets now. Some models, like the company’s sell with an astonishing 72 percent AWD take rate.
Lincoln isn’t alone. The Free Press reports that 50 percent of all models are sold as all-wheel-drive units; in the future, that same percentage will spread across the entire brand.
That news is downright baffling, for a number of reasons. Automakers are bent on improving the fuel economy of their vehicles at all costs, and at the same time, government agencies both at home and abroad are urging tighter emissions parameters.
All-wheel drive adds weight, drag and complexity to a vehicle’s drivetrain -- the three horsemen of the fuel-economy apocalypse. The glitch here is that car buyers are perfectly content to trade off a few miles per gallon for the impression that they’ll be safe and sound no matter the weather forecast. Aggressive marketing from the likes of has beaten the illusion of superiority into the public consciousness, and both luxury buyers and the public at large are growing more comfortable with the system.
We tend to think that as the price per gallon inches up, more buyers will think hard before sacrificing fuel economy for the seldom-beneficial all-wheel-drive system. For the vast majority of drivers, proper tire selection and maintenance can be just as effective as the world’s finest all-wheel drive.
Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Dave Mirra competed this weekend in their respective 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars at the Olympus Rally, round three of the 2011 Rally America National Championship. The Olympus Rally runs along the beautiful shorelines of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. David Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew rocketed into the lead in their #75 WRX STI after impressively winning four of the first six stages. Meanwhile teammate Dave Mirra and Marshall Clarke in the #40 WRX STI kept on-pace, holding fast to a fourth-place position throughout the first day.
Sadly, a fatal accident occurred late on day one of the rally involving privateer competitor Matthew Marker of Elk Rapids, MI. Marker’s Co-driver Christopher Gordon of Brooklyn Park, MN, was not seriously injured. Due to the accident, Rally America officials halted the the Olympus Rally at the conclusion of stage six and subsequently cancelled the second day of the National portion of the event. The final results of the rally were consequently based on the leader board after stage six giving Higgins and Mirra 1st and 4th place finish positions, respectively.
31-year-old driver Matthew Marker was in his fifth year of participating in the Rally America National Championship and was a popular driver among his peers. Marker was known to have ambitions of improving his Championship standings and taking part in building the sport’s popularity.
