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Author: Olly

Ken Block compares 1997 versus 2021 Subaru WRX STI rally cars

Ken Block has ended his exclusive Ford partnership, and is now back in a Subaru. After debuting a Subaru WRX STI rally car, Block decided to compare the brand-new Subaru WRX STI VT20R race car to one of its ancestors, a 1997 Subaru Impreza GC8 STI rally car.

Subaru started rallying with the Legacy, but the first-generation Impreza built the company’s reputation, achieving World Rally Championship (WRC) success in the hands of drivers such as Colin McCrae, and laying the foundation for the first WRX road cars.

While it wears the iconic blue-and-yellow 555 livery, the 1997 Impreza featured here isn’t one of the original WRC cars. It’s a lower-class Group N car, but it was built by ProDrive, the United Kingdom-based company that built all of Subaru’s factory rally cars back in the day.

Ken Block’s Subaru WRX STI rally car

Group N cars were also closer to stock than the top-level WRC cars, with modifications limited to safety items and some suspension bits. The turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer-4 engine produces about 200 hp, routed to all four wheels through a dog-box 5-speed manual transmission.

In comparison, Block’s STI rally car is far from stock. Builder Vermont SportsCar starts with a bare body shell, adding a full cage and changing most of the body panels. This car still uses a 2.0-liter boxer-4 engine, which produces about 330 hp with the mandatory air restrictor. A 6-speed sequential gearbox replaces the stock 6-speed manual.

Block then drives both cars on the rally course at DirtFish Rally School in Snoqualmie, Washington. If first, is the 2021 WRX STI, which posts an average lap time of 1:45.7 over four laps. The 1997 Impreza GC8 is next, and while its straight pipes make plenty of noise, it’s average lap time is 1:57.8 That’s what modern technology and an extra 130 hp will do.

Watch the full video to see Block hooning both rally cars in the dirt.

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May 3, 2021
Tim Allen reveals his current car collection

Any list of celebrity car fans has to include Tim Allen. The actor has an eclectic collection of muscle cars, supercars, and assorted classics stashed away in a former print shop in Southern California, and recently gave the Petersen Automotive Museum the grand tour.

The two-part video series showcases a wide variety of cars, but it’s clear Allen has a thing for Fords. The collection includes a 1972 Bronco that Allen gave to his wife and which he doesn’t enjoy driving because of the short wheelbase. Allen also has a rare RS200 Group B rally homologation special, a Shelby Cobra, vintage and modern Mustang GT350s, and a modern Ford GT. He said he sold a Porsche Carrera GT to get the Ford, because he felt the Porsche was dangerous.

Switching over to General Motors, another standout is the 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS with the LT5 V-8 from a C4 Corvette ZR-1. The sedan ran a 12.9-second quarter mile its first time at the drag strip, Allen said. He’s also got a 1968 Camaro restomod, and a modified Nova.

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European sports cars include a Jaguar E-Type, Volvo P1800, and a Ferrari 330 GTC, which Allen said needs to be driven often to keep it in top form (take heed, Ferrari owners) as well as several early Porsches, which Allen says are really just Volkswagens.

Allen also has a Tesla Model 3 that he says he has a “love/hate relationship” with, and takes several jabs at throughout both videos. He said he isn’t against electric cars, but doesn’t seem to have many positive things to say about the Model 3.

These are just some of the highlights. Watch both videos (they’re about 20 minutes each) for the full tour of Tim Allen’s car collection.

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May 2, 2021
2023 Lotus Emira, 2021 Audi RS 7 Sportback, 2021 Le Mans Hypercar: This Week’s Top Photos

This week we took a spin in the 2021 Audi RS 7 Sportback. The svelte super hatch is an upgrade over the old car in nearly every way. It’s more luxurious, features better technology, offers superior comfort, and the handling has improved as well, but there’s something still missing.

2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392

Another vehicle we tested was Jeep’s new V-8-powered Wrangler. It’s called the Wrangler Rubicon 392, and if you’re looking for a Wrangler with 0-60 mph times well under 5.0 seconds, this is the one for you.

Teaser for Lotus Emira due in 2022

Lotus this week announced the new Emira sports car as the replacement for the Elise, Exige and Evora. The car isn’t due for a reveal for a couple of months but we have some teaser shots that hint at what’s to come.

Aston Martin V12 Speedster in DBR1 specification

Last year Aston Martin revealed a bespoke speedster powered by a V-12 engine. Just 88 examples are destined to be built, and this week we learned of an exclusive specification that honors Aston Martin’s DBR1 race car that won overall at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Cunningham 60th Anniversary C8 Corvette

The Aston speedster wasn’t the only car built to honor a Le Mans winner in the headlines this week. Cunningham Automotive has a modern Corvette honoring the Briggs Cunningham C1 that took home a class victory in the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Toyota GR010 Hybrid LMH race car at the 2021 8 Hours of Spa

Speaking of Le Mans, today is the first race of the new Le Mans Hypercar class in the World Endurance Championship. Only Toyota and Alpine will have contenders in the class this year, and of these only Toyota will have an actual hypercar racer.

2022 Hyundai Kona N

Hyundai revealed its new Kona N compact performance crossover. The vehicle arrives for the 2022 model year and blurs the lines between hot hatch and crossover with its agile moves and 276-hp turbo-4.

GTO Engineering Squalo

And finally, an expert restorer of classic Ferraris is now building its own cars from scratch. The first of these was revealed this week as a Ferrari 250 GTO-inspired model called the Squalo, which will be powered by an in-house developed 4.0-liter, quad-cam V-12 paired to a manual transmission.

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May 1, 2021