I know that you are curious to see what kind cars hides the garage of a WRC world champion. And to be honest I was not surprised at all. I personally expected a lot of rally models.

So, Peter Solberg reveals some of the cars he owns, in a garage in Sweden. The 2003 World Rally Champion starts the presentation of his car collection with a 350 HP Volvo, he and his mechanics team built, using lightweight materials. The champion’s garage also hides some jet-skis, two rally 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, a couple of auto-cross cars,  a Jaguar that he bought for his wife’s father.

The Sweden-located garage also revealed his wife Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, the car that helped his wife win some rallies, and a Porsche 911 GT3 he bought for himself in 2001, a pink rally car, famous in Sweden.

If you ask me the best car of his collection is the Subaru Impreza WRX STi Peter Solberg Edition, copy number 0000, he received as a gift from Subaru. The next car the Swedish champion presented is a 450HP win-turbo Citroen Xara WRC, but when a Ford Focus RS gets in his way he said he doesn’t own that car.

The WRC champion also owns a 255 Catheram, of course rear wheel drive, and another Subaru WRX STi, the car in which he won the first WRC round back in 2002.

Solberg added that his car collection also hides a Toyota Celica GT4, another Citroen Xara, 2 Citroen C4, a Mitsubishi Group N car, three more Subarus, 7 snowmobiles, a Hummer and other cars, totaling 30 cars. But the champion said that his wife family museum is even more impressive than his garage, even though it has 17 cars, the first Volvo truck ever built is there.

When the reporter asks Solberg to pick one of the cars as his favorite, the Swede said that is very hard to do that, as he loves all his cars equally.

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The Japanese of Subaru have teased a carbon fiber roof version of the Subaru Impreza WRX STi built only for the Japanese Domestic Market. We believe Impreza WRX STi tS is JDM-only because when you click the English portion of the Subaru website the infos about the carbon fiber roof version is no longer there.

For those that have no idea what Subaru Impreza WRX STi is all about we need to add that this car is the perfect combination between a street cart and a rally one, ready to be there for you both when you want to “play” and use it to drive your kids at school. Moreover the magnificent four-wheel adjustable drive train we all love.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine capable of developing 300 HP and 300 lb-ft of torque. The engine resources combined with the six-gears manual transmission are capable of neck-braking accelerations, as Impreza WRX STi sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds.

Again for the ones not knowing too much about Subaru, tS stands for “tuned by STI” and again STI stands for “Subaru Tecnica International.” Even though you are not fan of Subaru we are sure that this brand new Subaru Impreza WRX STi tS will had you drooling, just like it does to us, here at Mibz.com.

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Designer in Chief of Subaru announced that plans to eliminate the aesthetic inconsistencies of the range in the next few years, the inspiration of the next models being Subaru Impreza Concept.

The Japanese of Subaru want to revolutionize the look of their range of models and Impreza Concept is the model to follow for several years. As you already know, the new motto of Subaru is “Confidence in Motion”. The main characteristics of the model are the powerful lines, the distinct hex front grid and aggressive shapes.

“Even though it has the name ‘Impreza’, it’s meant to express all models. We did have the next generation of Impreza in mind. It’s not a precise guide to the future of this model, but it is indicative of where the Impreza will go. In the past, there has been some inconsistency in the design language. This is really the first attempt to unite the language across the brand,” said Osamu Namba, Designer-in-Chief of Subaru.

With the new concept, the Subaru design will not have inconsistencies no more and will be united over the whole line-up. Subaru steps on the trails of Volkswagen, Audi, Peugeot, Ford, Hyundai, Citroen, Mitsubishi and others, which started a new design language for the wole range with a new concept. The way the new models of the Japanese automaker will look is in the hands of the designer, the only exception being the Impreza WRX/STI.

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Subaru Impreza WRX STI A-Line is that version of the sporty Japanese car dedicated to those that appreciate the comfort of an automatic transmission, but in the same time love the STI sportiness.

Subaru Impreza WRX STI recently returned at the version that made it famous, the sedan, and the diversification of the line up is now made by offering an automatic transmission. Just like it was done for the hatchback, this version is called A-Line, and comes with the same five gears transmission from Subaru, a gearbox they called SPORTSHIFT. This transmission has a feature named Downshifting Blipping Control which synchronizes the rpms with the gear for down shifting as smooth as possible.

The engine used on Impreza WRX STI A-Line is obviously the same turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer which develops 300 HP and 258 lb-ft of torque. Subaru didn’t tell us so far if the A-Line transmission helps or sightly inhibits the dynamic behavior of the WRX STI sedan, the numbers for the 0-60 mph sprint being undisclosed and so is the top speed.

The bad news for the ones that dream of something like this is that this version will not be available in Europe or North America, the car being built exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, as we can see from the position of the steering wheel.

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The two companies will give birth to a performance model based on the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, able to revolutionize the abilities of a conventional 4×4.

Two names with importance and tradition in motorsport have joined forces to give birth to an ambitious project, which would amaze the audience around the world. We are talking about Subaru and Cosworth and their intention to give birth to a single model, based on the already famous Impreza WRX STi.

The result of the collaboration will be completely different from the series model, Cosworth and the Japanese willing to categorically modify its performance, handling and even design, thus raising the standards of a conventional four-wheel drive model.

For the moment there are no details about future Impreza Cosworth, but the price, the performances, what lies under the hood and the first images will be unveiled in March along with the public debut of the model. Until then, fans had to please with a single teaser that only reveals the Cosworth label.

Via: Autocar

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Buying a car is not the easiest thing in the world when you want your car to be close to perfection. Oh yes, people say that if the money aren’t a problem then things are getting easier, but if it is to ask me, things are getting more complicated when your bank account is almost “unbounded”. So, the hot hatch option is the most plausible one for all of us. If you are the sporty kind of guy or if you want a car for your family or both, the hot hatch is the perfect choice. We all love them.

During past days I was wondering which one is the hottest hatch in the world nowadays. And I wasn’t thinking at long forgotten models like Lancia Delta Integrale, Ford Escort Cosworth or Reanult Clio Williams. No, I was wondering which the best hatch is if you would want to buy it tomorrow. So, I took a pencil and a sheet of paper and made a list. I rallied ten cars, but my dilemma was which one is the best. I made a top ten not taking my eyes off performance and price. That’s how my top 10 hot hatches look like:

#10 Honda Civic Type R

This is a nice Japanese car, and for $30,000 it can be yours. A little too expensive for what the Civic Type R can offer. Powered by a naturally-aspired, high-revving 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC engine that can propel Honda’s hatch to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds, the car seems pretty fast, but in fact it isn’t. Its 198 bhp and 142 lb-ft of torque will help you do some insane takeovers, and hit a maximum speed of 146 mph, but it is not enough to make the Civic my hottest hatch.

It's not the power of dreams... it's the power of Type R

#9 Mini John Cooper Works

The 2009 version of the Mini John Cooper Works is… hmmm “mini.” It’s mini on the interior, mini on the exterior, mini under the hood, but “maxi” in spirits. It’s a great all-rounder, retro and futurist, docile and aggressive, all in the same time. Under the hood you’ll find the 1.6-liter turbocharged 211 bhp engine, which – on this model and not only – converts any mannered lady into an alpha male and any real man into “The Little Match Girl.” Going from 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and with a maximum speed of 147 mph, the big boy’s toy, the Mini John Cooper Works goes straight to the number 9 position of the Top 10. Oh, I almost forgot, it will cost you $28,000, but you will get a small sport car that really shines.

Minnie Mouse would love this Mini

#8 Opel Astra OPC

The car made by the German automaker with the headquarters located in Russelsheim, Germany is the oldest model that features in the Top 10. Being GM’s largest European brand, Opel accustomed us with great cars during almost 100 years of tradition and the Opel Astra OPC, first introduced in 2005, makes no exception. It costs somewhere around $40,000, but the performances come close to justify the price. With an inline-4 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that develops 240 bhp and 236 lb-ft of torque available at around 2,400 rpm, the Astra OPC occupies the 8th position of the Top 10. With an acceleration of 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 152 mph the Astra OPC is able to put in balance the day-by-day drive with the adrenaline. So, here we are we are facing an apparently nice car, apparently worthy of a higher place on the list, but check out what’s coming in front of it.

I'm blue daba dee daba die...

#7 BMW 130i M Sport

With a inline-6 3.0-liter naturally-aspired engine that unleashes 265 bhp and a torque of 232 lb-ft at 2,750 rpm, the BMW 130i M Sport holds a lamentably 7 place in the “Top 10 hot hatches you could actually buy in 2009.” Why is that? First because of the price ($45,000, come on, give me a break), second, because it is ugly (sorry 130i M fans) and because it has an awful RWD that makes this car inapplicable during winter. The 130i M’s performances are way better than a 7 place: 0-60 mph in 6 seconds, and top speed of 155 mph, but because of the reasons I just mentioned, the car makes it only behind number 6.

BMW presents "The Ugly Duckling" story

#6 Renault Megane R26.R

I personally loved the F1 Team limited edition that Renault introduced in 2006, but since that car is not available for buying anymore, I’ve chosen the 2009 Megane R26.R model – soon to be replaced by the new Renaultsport Megane that is announced as the hot hatch of 2010, but that’s another story – to be my number 6. Even though that roll cage makes the R26.R not-a-day-by-day-car, it holds the record for the fastest lap on the Nurburgring track for front wheel drive production car with a time of 8 minutes, 17 seconds, being the reason for its presence in the top. With a price of $38,000 you will get a turbocharged 2.0-litre 225 hp engine that pushes the car to 60 in 6 seconds and stops the speedometer at 147 mph. It is a nice car, but don’t buy it if you have a family with more than one member.

The first R stands for Racing, but the second one?

#5 Mazda 3 MPS

Here we are at the half of the top with the Mazda 3 MPS 2009 model (known in US as Mazdaspeed 3) on the 5th position. If the previous models were screaming “I’m more aggressive than I look” the Japanese changed things 360 degrees with their 2009 model. That scoop on the hood shows MPS’ aggressive character, also bringing some airflow to the turbocharged 2.3-litre engine. Tagged $35,000, the 260 bhp hatch will be the perfect car for having some fun. Push the paddle to the metal and in 6.1 seconds you will be driving with 60 mph. Continue doing that and you will hit 155 mph. This is what Mazda likes to call extreme zoom-zoom.

No more discretion, you won't fool anybody with these shapes

#4 Audi S3

The counting down continues with Germans’ 4WD hatchback, the Audi S3. The 2.0-liter TFSI engine has 265 bhp and pushes this amazing machinery to 60 in just 5.5 seconds thanks to the Quattro system we all love. With a weight of 3,207 lbs, the S3 tops 155 mph (electronically limited, because I am sure it can do better than that). Owing a car like the S3 means fun, when you want to drive it fast, and comfort when comfort is what you need. If I am supposed to speak about details I personally like S3’s steering wheel with its splay bottom end. With lighting-fast reactions and a sporty interior atmosphere, this car offers you dynamism and driving pleasure. It costs around $45,000, but, unfortunately, the Audi S3 is not available on the North American market, even so it holds a respectably place 4 on my top 10.

The Lord Of The Rings... errr there are only four rings

#3 VW Golf Mk VI GTI

Introduced this year, the Golf GTI do not impresses with extraordinary power, having only 210 bhp from a VW TSI inline-4 turbocharged 2.0-litre engine. The 0-60 time is also not impressive (6.9 seconds). But the technology the Wolfsburg-located automaker used for their 6th Golf generation propelled the car to the 3rd position of the top 10. Featuring strut with anti-roll bars front suspension and multilink with anti-roll bars in the rear one makes your ride a dream. The electronically DSX differential and the paddle-shifted DSG transmission make the Golf GTI a worthy owner of a 3rd place. The car is nothing if not simple and beautiful, just like how the original Mk I VW GTI engineers envisioned 36 years ago. Buy one, have one, enjoy one.

What's better than a GTI? 2 GTIs

#2 Ford Focus RS

We are approaching fast to the top position of the list, but before I get there, I will stop for a while and let you know why the 2009 model of the Ford Focus RS is the runner-up. But first, let me give you some numbers : 305 bhp@6,500rpm, 295 lb-ft@4,500, 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 163 mph, all these from a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine. A magnificent FWD car thanks to the “RevoKnuckle” system. The RS it’s almost perfect. You can drop your kiddo at school and then unleash the beast, but be careful, his teacher might accuse you of “irresponsible behavior.” After 3000 rpm everything explodes and I am sure that a simple sentence can’t express that. It’s the car you must certainly have in your garage and if you get one let it be the “Bacardi Breezer” green. For all these pleasure you will only have to pay about $50,000 – making the Focus RS the most expensive car of the Top 10 – but hurry up it will only be 8,000 pieces of it.

If it had some decals, you would say it is Hirvonen's WRC car

#1 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

This is the hottest hatch that you can buy in 2009. It’s simply amazing. Amazing power, amazing acceleration, amazing everything. The Japanese from Subaru really did it this time. They made a WRC car be perfect for day-by-day drive. This is a great piece of enginery. The WRX STI is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine, which supplies the car with 305 bhp and a torque of 290 lb-ft. This car has a stunning acceleration of 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds (if that can be called “stunning”). With the same neck-breaking acceleration you get to a top speed of 155 mph, of course electronically limited. The adjustable differential lets you set the 4WD just how you like it. There can’t be better hatches than this one, and since I saw one smoking an R8 I irrecoverable fall in love with the Impreza WRX STI. She is the perfect big boys’ toy, and if some other insane Japanese don’t do the same with another car, it will stay so for a looong time.

If this car was a man, it would be Superman

Do not hesitate and let me know if I overrated some cars or if I underevaluated others.

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