We make no apologies for this Subaru special issue of ROAD Magazine this month, so if you’re not a fan of the incredible Pleiades-star cluster brand, you can still read Neil Cole’s column on the Monte Carlo rally and our report from the last month’s Autosport Show.

ROAD are big fans of the reliable, durable, practical and above all, individual Japanese Subaru brand. In fact I’ve owned a Legacy, a Forester and countless Imprezas, including two WRX STi Version II Type RA (Race Altered) beasties, which I still miss today. The RA was an awesome A-B car in any weather and my own road car went on to become a modified 911-eating track weapon.

Subaru earned the ‘farmer’s choice’ tag line from its the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Legacy, Forester and Outback models, and although still hugely popular with rural types, the term is no longer an appropriate label for the modern Subaru range.

Better build quality, the world’s first horizontally-opposed Boxer diesel engine and a wider range of models have made Subaru a more mainstream brand. And now with the exciting new BRZ coupe and XV crossover, their appeal is set to increase further still.

Although, the WRX STi is no longer a contender in the World Rally Championship, it’s still a well-loved car thanks to an uber-loyal fan base and rightly so, as we found with the latest re-mapped WRX STi 320R on an epic road trip to the Lake District.

We also sample a pair of ‘go anywhere’ Forester and Legacy Boxer Diesel range-toppers on and off road and go rallying in the perfect Prodrive Group N WRX STi.

TV presenter Neil Cole, writes this month about the Monte Carlo Rally in his ‘Cole Position” column, and we show you what you missed at the 2012 Autosport Show.

We’re big fans of Subaru, so we hope you enjoy our insight into some of their most popular cars.

TO VIEW THE MAGAZINE JUST CLICK ON THE SECOND ‘CLICK HERE’ ICON ABOVE.

2012 autosport boxer engine engines flat four forester horizontally-opposed impreza legacy Prodrive subaru supercars wrx sti