Subaru Advanced Tourer: A Mans Hybrid

Subaru is a car manufacturer modeled on the basis of performance and speed. They are kings of the rally world and legends in drifting. If you look at their history of cars, the 22b, the Legacy, and most importantly the Impreza and its WRX and STi Versions, it’s not hard to see that Subaru puts out some of the world most efficient and quickest cars on the market today. But today I’m not going to talk about any of the previously stated cars. You see, the Tokyo Auto Show was a marvel considering the vehicles and concepts it showcased. And chief among the car companies was Subaru. Not only did they reveal their 2012 BRZ sports coupe, but they showed off their new hybrid, supposedly going into production in Q4 of this year or sometime in 2013. I know, a hybrid. But it’s not what you think.

The Subaru Advanced Tourer concept isn’t anything like a Toyota Prius. The Subaru will be a combination of an electric engine, fused with Subaru’s legendary 1.6-2.0 liter direct injection in line-4 Boxer engine. Then to add to the madness they’re going to turbo-charge the engine. So far from what it sounds it isn’t a hybrid. It’s another performance Subaru. Add in a brand new Lineartronic continuously variable transmission system (first in the world by the way) Subaru estimates that the horsepower for the base model to be about 315bhp. That’s what the Impreza runs. And they say that another 30-55 horsepower for the WRX and STi models. So if I’m going to save the world by lowering green emissions, then this is by no doubt, the car of my choice.

The Monster; The Nurburgring Nordschleife

The world of racing is a world of amazement and excitement. There are many endurances and hardships we face without choice. Sure you may have to get up at 5 or 6 or whatever time you need to wake up to go to work, catch a bus, or prepare breakfast. That’s extreme. Maybe you work a 9 to 5 shift. Maybe you only get 4 or five hours of sleep a day. All in all you have a rough day. But all of the previously stated things are nothing compared to the event I’m writing about.

In the crazy land of Nuremburg Germany, there lies the ultimate test of endurance and hardship. Imagine this. You’re in a full bodied fire retardant suit. The temperature is a blistering 106 degrees inside the car you’re in.  You’re traveling an average of 85-90 miles per hour. You’re feeling twice the force of gravity every time you turn. The only thing you can hear is the sound of an enormous performance engine and the faint whisper your car tearing through the air. For 6 hours straight. With only an average 14 second break when you need to refuel or tires. This is the challenge of the Nurburgring Nordshleife 24 hour endurance race. The Nordshleife track is full of twists, turns, and hazy straight-aways. It’s a 15.8 mile track that tests the skill of every driver that tries to defeat the monster known as the Nurburgring Nordshleife.

In the 2010 Nurburgring 24 hour race, people wanted to see a wide variety of things. They wanted to see their favorite team win, or a crash, or just the pure joy and excitement that goes with Performance Motorsports. Most people predicted that the Porsche team would win again, seeing as they have dominated the race for the past 4 years. Other popular manufactures such as Ferrari, BMW and Aston Martin were also fan favorites. The race begins with Porsche gaining and dominating the lead as usual in their new Porsche 911 GT3 hybrid, which could run an average 12 laps longer than the other cars. But a flywheel malfunction caused the Porsche to be docked for the rest of the race. Such a shame. But in the end, it was the #25 BMW team that took the win in their M3 GT3, leading with 156 laps completed around the 15.8 mile course that’s 2465 miles driven all together.

Think you have a rough schedule? Try doing one of these races, then we’ll see If your daily routine is so “challenging”.