Subaru Performance Tuning has prepared a custom Impreza WRX STi and a Legacy VIP concept specifically for the SEMA show.  The show, which starts today in Las Vegas, will be housing some of the most spectacular modified vehicles in the world, so companies must bring their A-Game.  Perhaps that's why Subaru is also debuting their WRX Trax car.

The Legacy VIP is a one-of-a-kind vehicle inspired by the VIP rides found on
the streets of Tokyo, Los Angeles and New York. It uniquely blends parts from
SPT and the Japanese domestic market (JDM) with custom features for the "full
VIP treatment." VIP is a style known for a clean, yet heavily reworked, luxury
theme with an emphasis on impossibly low ride height and huge, aggressively
styled wheels.

Pictures of the inside of the Subaru Legacy VIP can be found below, along with Subaru's special edition 2010 WRX STi.

Snow tires not cutting it out in Colorado so far this year?  Perhaps Subaru has the answer for you, at least in theory, a WRX STi equipped with snow tracks!  And not just any WRX, a 400 horse power version was shown at the 2009 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA).

Right now the snow track WRX is a modified rally version of Subaru's popular all wheel drive car.

Under the hood, the ultimate Subaru snow machine sports a 2.5-liter,
4-cylinder, turbocharged and intercooled STI engine tuned with a MOTEC M800
ECU. The engine, which kicks out approximately 400 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of
torque, is teamed with a KAPS 5-speed close-ratio dog-engagement gearbox and
the Subaru programmable DCCD (Driver Controlled Center Differential) all-wheel
drive system. Employing custom machined hubs, the drivetrain - which has been
dropped three inches - is mated to Mattracks 105M1-A1 rubber track conversion.
The car also features Group N competition rally dampers made by EXE-TC.

Subaru WRX STi Trax

Sorry guys, this is a one off, so no chance of catching this on the Subaru show room anytime soon.  But I'm sure someone with deep enough pockets could contact Mattracks, which is responsible for the rubber track system pictured here.

Buying a car is one of the most expensive purchases a person can make in their lifetime. Depending on the make and model you buy, you can easily spend $30,000 to $40,000 after paying down your principal and interest. Most people don’t consider insurance when shopping for a car, even though it can easily add $100-$200 to monthly car costs. This leaves many car buyers shell-shocked when they realize they didn’t budget for this added expense.

You don’t want this to happen to you. Before you go out and buy a new car, consider the top five cars offering the cheapest auto insurance quotes by Forbes and Insure.com.

#1: Hyundai Santa Fe
The Hyundai Santa Fe was listed as the least expensive vehicle to insure in 2009 with a average yearly insurance cost of $832.

This car’s main qualifier for the cheapest rate quote is a Highway Loss Data Institute report of “substantially better than average” for comprehensive insurance losses, as well as “better than average” for personal injury protection insurance losses. Some of the safety features that play a role in this vehicle’s low coverage costs include brake assist, body-side reinforcements, 3-point seatbelts, 4-wheel ABS, traction control, shift interlock system, front-rear crumple zones and multiple air bags.

#2: Kia Sportage
The second least expensive vehicle to insure is the Kia Sportage. With an average yearly insurance cost of $840, buying the Sportage makes insurance affordable.

The main reason insurance costs are so low with this vehicle is its safety ratings. With the NHTSA Star Ratings alone, the Sportage received the highest rating --  five stars -- for frontal and side tests on the driver, passenger, front seat and rear seat. Some safety features of the Sportage include multiple air bags, 4-wheel ABS, traction control, side-impact door beams and lower anchors & tether for children (LATCH).

#3: Hyundai Entourage
The Hyundai Entourage ranks number three on the list with an average yearly insurance cost of $848. Not bad!

The reason this car was quoted for a low insurance cost was because it received high safety scores from both the NHTSA and the IIHS. Some of the safety features on the Entourage include front side and curtain side airbags, ant-iskid system, traction control and anti-lock brakes.

#4: Kia Sedona
The Kia Sedona was an IIHS 2009 Top Safety Pick for its good performance in front, side and rear tests, as well as standard electronic stability control. Because of its top rankings across the board, the average yearly auto insurance rate for this minivan is $857. There are a ton of safety features on this car that give it its ranking. Some include electronic stability control, brake assist, 4-wheel ABS, passenger/side head/rear head air bags, height-adjustable front and 2nd row seatbelts, 3-point seatbelts, and an energy-absorbing steering column.

#5: Kia Rio5
The Kia Rio5 rounds out the list of the top five cars with the cheapest auto insurance quotes. This mini SUV offers a sleek look and great safety features to match. It received four stars from NHTSA for drivers and passenger side frontal impact and rollover resistance, as well as five stars for front-occupant side impact, giving it a average yearly insurance cost of $870. Some of its safety features include driver/passenger/side head/rear head air bags, rear 3-point seatbelts, LATCH, side-impact door beams, an impact-absorbing steering column and front/rear crumple zones.

As you can see, there seems to be a consensus that both Kia and Hyundai vehicles offer top-quality safety and thus help to lower your auto insurance rate. So it’s good to keep this in mind as you search for cars and attempt to lower auto insurance. But if you’re interested in a different type of car that didn’t make this list, it’s good to consider other ways to lower your auto insurance.

Additional Ways to Lower Coverage

• Buy an economy car – Having a smaller car can help lower your auto insurance. So consider this as an option as you look for cars to purchase.

• Consider PAYD insurance – Also known as “Pay as You Drive,” this is a relatively new type of insurance that’s only available in a few states so far, but it allows drivers to pay based on mileage rather than their driving habits, credit report, age, gender, etc. If you drive a short distance, this could benefit you pretty well.

• Seek discounts – Most insurance companies offer some one or more discounts that their customers can take advantage of. So whether you’re a good student, good driver or have purchased multiple policy types (ex. life, homeowners) with this company, you can probably receive a discount in the process.

• Shop around – If you don’t shop around for competing quotes, it will be hard to determine which is the cheapest. So make sure you shop around with various insurers before settling on coverage for your car.

Sometimes it’s tough to think in terms of auto insurance rates when you’re wowed by the beauty of a new car. They put so many bells and whistles in them nowadays that it’s hard to think of anything else. However, car notes are expensive enough without adding an expensive car insurance premium to it. So before you buy a car, it’s good to consider how much insuring it will cost.

This was a guest post written by GoInsuranceRates.com, where you can find the best deals on auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance, and health insurance.

The 09 Honda Insight has made Consumer Reports most reliable new car of the year.  Oddly enough the hybrid wasn't alone on the list, where 5 of the top 8 most reliable cars for 2009 were a hybrid.

It's good news for Honda and definitely something to brag about, except for Consumer Reports makes the statement that just because it's most reliable doesn't mean it's recommended.  Specifically the Insight's underpowered demeanor was sighted as an example.  Seems like a nod to Honda on what to work on to create the perfect hybrid, which can be recommended for purchase.

Lastly, I just feel like the string of hybrids being listed on the most reliable list is a bit suspicious.  Granted, this is most reliable 'new' car, but where will these vehicles be 5 years from now.  As a consumer that's what I'm most concerned with, longevity and total cost of ownership.

Honda Insight Gas Saver    US $621.00

Honda Insight DX 03 HONDA INSIGHT DX 1OWNER 59 MPG 5 SPEED NO RESERVE    US $1,796.97

Honda Insight DX NO RESERVE 2002 HONDA INSIGHT HYBRID 1 OWNER    US $3,550.00

This is an old story from 2008, but still too funny not to mention.  Allegedly, Dennis Anderson converted a La-Z-Boy recliner into a motorized vehicle.  The chair was powered by a lawnmower type engine, complete with lights, steering wheel, stereo speakers, and cup holders.  Unfortunately Anderson lounged around town while drunk and ended up hitting a vehicle.

Dennis had already lost his license because of a previous DUI, which was probably why he was driving a recliner down the road.  However, he blames a woman for jumping in the chair while in motion, which caused him to swerve into another car.  Anderson recorded a .29 BAC, which is 3 times over the legal limit in Missouri.

Check out the vehicle, err, recliner, or whatever you want to call it below.

La-Z-Boy Car

Honda was showing off their latest in go-kart technology at the Toyota Motor Show with the all new CRZ concept.  Of course it's a hybrid and it's biggest selling points are efficiency, but Honda is touting it as a hybrid sport vehicle.  Performance and enough efficiency to keep the hippies at bay?

As you can see from the CR-Z pictures below, it's a concept car still and I'm sure the glass ceiling w0n't make it to production.  Honda claims that the new CR-Z will be available in the US market by late 2010.  Will this be available to compete with Chevy's Volt?

Lexus, never ones to leave a product stagnant for long, have revamped and added some new tech to the cabin of the 2010 Lexus RX 350.  Some of the highlights include being able to dial out via voice command and other improvements to the user interface.  The cabin also includes the luxury cabin essentials that Lexus has become known for, like high quality paneling.

2010 Lexus RX 350 Cabin

Some industry experts are upset that Lexus has yet to revamp their navigation system.  For some there are just far too many buttons to push to get where you are going.  This is a segment that should quickly be addressed, considering the inexpensive after market options for vehicles.

Lastly, the power train for the Lexus RX 350 has yet to be upgraded to the latest technologies.  It relies on aging tech that is not the most efficient on the market place.  And, in today's market efficiency and the greener claims you can make, the more vehicles you will undoubtedly sell.

But hey, if you are one that buys a vehicle based on it's cabin interface system then you will not go wrong with the 2010 Lexus RX.  The cabin controls are handled through the mouse like device picture below.

Lexus RX 350 Mouse

Tis the season, deer season.  Fall is when hunters are allowed to go out and shoot deer, with either a bow or a gun.  Although the exact weapon season itself fluctuates throughout the fall, as soon as it gets chilly expect more deer movement.  More deer movement translates into deer and other animals being on our highways, where they would normally avoid.

There is one product on the market that claims to prevent automobile accidents with deer.  It's a whistle, specifically a deer whistle that mounts to the front of your car.  The product claims to produce a noise that animals can hear, if the vehicle is traveling at least 35mph.  There are those out there that feel it's just a hoax and the product itself does not help in preventing drivers from colliding with deer crossing the road.

These deer whistles claim that they produce an ultra sonic sound that stops deer in their tracks or alerts deer to your vehicle.  However, tests have been done that prove that the deer cannot hear the pitch produced by the whistle.  Furthermore, whistles that deer can hear do not always 'stop them in their tracks', which is hopefully off the side of the road.

The best way to prevent accidents with deer when driving this fall?  Be vigilant, pay close attention to the road, and never over drive your head lights.  Safety starts with the person behind the wheel, not some cheap plastic deer whistle stuck to the front bumper.

I'm fairly certain I'm not the only one making astronomical jokes about the failure that is the Saturn company.  This isn't a complaint about their cars reliability, looks, or even pricing, just about the company itself.  Why should a company like Saturn be kept around by a conglomerate like GM, when it has been losing money since day 1?  Let bad ideas die and concentrate elsewhere.

Dust under the mat eventually create one demonic dust bunny.  In this case, bailed out GM can no longer justify keeping a failing company artificially afloat.  "A Different Kind of Company", that produced a very mundane vehicle line up.

So much for Saturn Astra sparking enough sales in the movie Transformers 2.  This will most likely be the very last entry in the Saturn category.  Fine by me, Saturn never made news enough to write about anything anyway.