For the past five months or so, Ford has been steadily releasing web episodes of its ST Session series featuring the new 250-horsepower Focus ST hatch and a number of direct rivals like the VW Golf GTi and Honda Civic Si, while even placing it against the much more expensive and powerful BMW M3 Coupe.

The time has come for the fifth and last episode of the series, named "Control Battle", which sees the Focus ST in the hands of professional rally driver Chrissie Beavis challenging her colleague Matthew Johnson in a Subaru WRX.

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Black patches of ice on the road are a driver's worst enemy as there's really nothing you can do once it creeps under your tires. Not even ABS or an advanced four-wheel drive system can save you, though; these features will indeed help you lessen the risks of getting into deeper trouble than what you are already in.

A Japanese driver of what looks like a Subaru WRX/STi was confronted with a situation like this right after coming out of a curve on a mountain road, and to make matters worse, a small truck had just crashed into the side rails and was blocking the road in front.

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Once upon a time, not too long ago, buyers rarely cross shopped between Subarus and BMWs, but now, with the way that the Bavarian brand has expanded its range into most segments of the market, many of its cars directly challenge the Japanese brand's models in terms of specs and surprisingly, pricing as well.

A prime example is the newly launched in Europe BMW M135i hatchback, which with 316bhp (320PS) and 450Nm (332 lb-ft) from its turbocharged 3.0-liter straight, the option of either RWD or AWD configurations, and a UK starting price of £30,555 for the six-speed manual 3d and £31,970 for the 8-speed auto 3d model, matches the Subaru WRX STi.

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Subaru is using this week's 2012 SEMA Show to reveal a pair of special edition WRX and WRX STI models with bespoke color themes inside and out, but nothing much else.

Both Special Edition WRX and WRX STI sedans are finished in an “Orange and Black” custom paint scheme, with a Tangerine Orange color for the body, jet-black custom wheels, black front fender badging and exterior mirrors, plus black exterior graphics.

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If it is tuning extremes you want to see, there's no better place in the world to be than the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas – period.

Over the next few days, we will bring you a taste of the heavily customized production and concept vehicles to grace the Las Vegas Convention Center's show floors and surrounding roads, the oddest, or if you prefer, the less mainstream of which, we will bundle under the "Oh, SEMA" tag line.

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While the BRZ Motorsport Project Car that we told you about earlier today was made purely for racing purposes, Subaru's second BRZ to be displayed at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) in Sydney is a street-legal model fitted with a concept sports kit from STI.

The rear-wheel drive coupe features a new range of Subaru Tecnica International (STI) performance parts and accessories, including spoilers and suspension upgrades, and which the company says will soon be available for order.

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