Rhys Millen

Don't Try This At Home
Just days before what was planned to be a live television broadcast of two record-breaking back-to-back stunts, the tuner community received word that one of their own was fighting for his life. As part of ESPN's New Year, No Limits telecast, Rhys Millen was scheduled to throw down a back flip in a modified Pro-Lite CORR truck-something no one has ever attempted, probably for good reason. After completing numerous full rotations in practice, landing wheels-down into a large "crashvat" made of used cardboard boxes, Rhys' final attempt landed him in the ICU. He failed to rotate completely after exiting the launch ramp with excess speed and overshot his landing zone, slamming more than 20-feet to the pavement-roof first-fracturing and compressing five vertebrae in his neck and back. In true stunt-man form, Rhys appears to have gotten extremely lucky-not only did his injuries prove to be non-lethal, but he is expected to make a full recovery in due time. He promises to be back behind the wheel as soon as his doctors will let him. www.rhysmillen.com

Origin Of The Subaru Boxer Engine
More than any other attribute, sport compact car manufacturers are defined to enthusiasts by the engines in their most popular cars. In the same way, Honda is known for their B18C or K20A-and Toyota and Nissan, for their 2JZ and RB26, respectively-Subaru is undoubtedly known for it's "boxer". While the company wasn't the first to use a horizontally opposed engine, its inclusion of one in every production year of its most coveted model, the Impreza, has made the Subaru name synonymous with the flat-four design.

Germany's Karl Benz is credited with having invented the first horizontally opposed internal combustion engine in 1896, before BMW's Max Fritz "borrowed" the design for use in his company's motorcycles. Volkswagen used air-cooled flat-fours in some of their better-known early models, including the OG Beetle and Bus. Alfa Romeo, Citroen and even a European Chevy jumped on the bandwagon before Subaru adopted the technology with the introduction of the 55hp, 1.0L EA52 flat-four in the '66 Subaru 1000. EA-series engines powered Subarus until 1994, ending with the 1.8L turbo EA82T of the Leone, but it was the EJ series of flat-fours introduced with the '89 Legacy that really brought the boxer into the limelight. The following year, Subaru campaigned its EJ-powered Legacy in the WRC, and by 1994 was achieving regular podium finishes with the car, before switching to similarly powered Imprezas the year after and subsequently decimating the competition from then on.

By its design, the flat four-cylinder boxer engine is naturally balanced. It tends to run cooler than in-line or V-arranged alternatives and brings a lower center of gravity to the vehicles it powers. With one rare exception, Subaru has used a flat design in every four- and six-cylinder engine it has put into production, and it doesn't seem to be headed away from that arrangement. Last year Subaru announced plans to continue pushing the boxer engine and even offer a diesel version in the Legacy and Outback this year. www.subaru.com