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New MY06 Subaru Impreza WRX STi

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Old 06-06-2005, 12:16 PM
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Since SOJ makes all of the decisions I would say that NO THEY DON"T GIVE A **** WHAT YOU THINK. The are doing what they want. If sales suffer they will fix things. They do listen to an extent because everyone *****ed about the bug eyes, so they started this ADHD model changes.
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Old 06-06-2005, 05:26 PM
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Originally Posted by keirnna
The new STi looks great. As soon as I can I'm going to pick one up. All of you who keep comparing the roof wing to the EVO MR's "Vortex Generators" are forgetting that both serve a purpose. There is generally a few right ways of doing something to improve performance. I'm sure that Subaru has various things that they are improving in every model this roof wing may just be one of them. The Impreza wagon has had a roof wing on it for years. If you don't like it don't get the car. Everyone may not have realized this, but the IMPREZA IS NOT A PRETTY CAR. It never has been. Every review of it calls it ugly. The Impreza is brute power. If you want something pretty in the Subaru family go for a Legacy. I think this Impreza almost looks too nice. I'm sure there are lots of improvements that we'll find out about soon. If all of you guys want evo's so bad go get one. I'll be laughing my *** off everytime I smoke one of you.
Whether you like it or not.. that is your opinion and mine is that I want the '05 at invoice.

Right. This one has a roof wing, but I'm asking why? What is the reason that lead them to tack on an extra feature.. The tall wing is just tacky already aesthetically. I'd rather have a more inconspicuous GT wing like on the Spec C type RA or the one on the S203 and still serves the same purpose. A vortex generator (although it might look like Subaru was copying Mitsu) might have been better.

No. No Impreza is beautiful. But, for a lot of impreza fans that I know who essentially "grew up" with the old GC8 style really don't like the new one. Why? most of the reasons stated before you. It looks too much like another car. (Saab, Saturn ION redline, Pontiac VIbe, Aztec, Alfa Romeo) its not too much whether it looks ugly or not.

Please, no references to "smoking people" because it implies the idiotic hobby of street racing. Unless you mean on a drag strip.

Tim
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Old 06-06-2005, 06:03 PM
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Well I don't street race, read my other posts and you'll see that. I frequent my local track, and that is where I'll be smoking you people at! Now anyway the reason the new wing is added is because it improves performance in some way! You don't like the STi wing? Trade or sell it, or better yet buy a WRX. That wing IS STI! I don't so much like the large wing because of the rice factor that people think about, but it screams rally. It is also very functional. You want lots of options on your Impreza? Wait a few years, or move to Japan. I lived in Japan for 2 years it really wasn't all that it is cracked up to be. BTW, a new STI costs about $50k there. Very few of the Americans who are in the market for STi's here would pay $50k for the base model STi. Let alone a Spec C. I would, but that is not the point. I really don't think that anyone is seriously thinking thinking this car looks like the list that you gave. It resembles a little of the new legacy, and the Tribeca. Everyone needs to quit your *****ing!
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Old 06-06-2005, 11:19 PM
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After reading through this thread, I can see the passion on both sides of the debate; however, there's a lot of hipocracy here. Any opinion worth your time has to be backed up with an element of fact, rather than a gut-check reaction.

Personally, I like the new design just fine. I am absolutely mystified by the use of comparisons to Alpha Romeo designs as an insult -- ahem, outside of the US, Alpha Romeo is one of the most well-respected auto brands in existence and is known for making some of the most radical car exteriors on the road. A comparison to a fine Italian sports car is not an insult, in my book.

As for the new look being too rounded and not aggressive enough, has anyone seen the G35 Coupe's goofy grin? The blunt shark-nose of the 350z? The new Eclipse is so smooth and round in the front it reminds me of a Miyata. Even the new Mustang has all the edges rounded off. That's just a current, modern look and it makes a lot of sense for Subaru to update their line to keep up with competitors.

The idea that someone would refuse to buy an 06 or beyond due to looks alone seems odd -- as if they bought their current WRX or STI for its looks? You've got to be kidding me! Even the most diehard Suby fan has to admit that Subaru's aesthetics have been way out in left field since the Baja, and the odd mix of styles (plus that bird-catcher hood scoop) on the current model are something only a mother (or diehard fan) could love. Certainly in the price range you could have a FAR better looking car for the money, from an RX-8 or S2000 to a used M3 or SLK230. Buying an AWD car that gets 20 MPG on a good day, has a noisy, cheap interior and has to be at 4000 RPM to make power isn't an easy decision; looks alone don't seal that deal.

The things that make the WRX/STI special to us fans aren't going to change because the plastic on the fascia or the wing are different. Certainly a 2.5l engine for the base model, an updated transmission and interior and an overall polish can't hurt, and I'd like one in that nice bronze color to boot. Anyone that bent out of shape about the exterior will have plenty of used models to choose from for a long time; I still see GC8s with decent miles selling in the local paper.
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Old 06-07-2005, 04:43 AM
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well I doubt many of the higher ups read this, but their are dealership level people who do. The only chance would be to write Subaru directly and even then your letter will probably never get opened.
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Old 06-07-2005, 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by keirnna
Well I don't street race, read my other posts and you'll see that. I frequent my local track, and that is where I'll be smoking you people at! Now anyway the reason the new wing is added is because it improves performance in some way! You don't like the STi wing? Trade or sell it, or better yet buy a WRX. That wing IS STI! I don't so much like the large wing because of the rice factor that people think about, but it screams rally. It is also very functional. You want lots of options on your Impreza? Wait a few years, or move to Japan. I lived in Japan for 2 years it really wasn't all that it is cracked up to be. BTW, a new STI costs about $50k there. Very few of the Americans who are in the market for STi's here would pay $50k for the base model STi. Let alone a Spec C. I would, but that is not the point. I really don't think that anyone is seriously thinking thinking this car looks like the list that you gave. It resembles a little of the new legacy, and the Tribeca. Everyone needs to quit your *****ing!
Well good.. At least you smoke people at the track..

Next.. What good is that huge wing at less than 70mph? All of us usually drive it in the street which limits us to maybe 55 at the MOST with only a smidgeon of our total driving time on freeways that give us a 65mph limit. Wings are functional when they give down force and the downforce contributed at that speed are fairly negligable. Then, the wing just becomes added weight and drag. And I CAN swap the Sti wing for the GT wing on the type RA or the S203. Those wings are ALSO Sti ya know.. hahah I'm not saying that I would've gotten the car if it ever came out, but i'd like a wing that is just as functional, but less of a "whee look at my HUGE wing" type of deal.. Thats why i'm looking for a new wing once I get my car..

Tim
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Old 06-07-2005, 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by meilers
Personally, I like the new design just fine. I am absolutely mystified by the use of comparisons to Alpha Romeo designs as an insult -- ahem, outside of the US, Alpha Romeo is one of the most well-respected auto brands in existence and is known for making some of the most radical car exteriors on the road. A comparison to a fine Italian sports car is not an insult, in my book.

As for the new look being too rounded and not aggressive enough, has anyone seen the G35 Coupe's goofy grin? The blunt shark-nose of the 350z? The new Eclipse is so smooth and round in the front it reminds me of a Miyata. Even the new Mustang has all the edges rounded off. That's just a current, modern look and it makes a lot of sense for Subaru to update their line to keep up with competitors.

The idea that someone would refuse to buy an 06 or beyond due to looks alone seems odd -- as if they bought their current WRX or STI for its looks? You've got to be kidding me! Even the most diehard Suby fan has to admit that Subaru's aesthetics have been way out in left field since the Baja, and the odd mix of styles (plus that bird-catcher hood scoop) on the current model are something only a mother (or diehard fan) could love. Certainly in the price range you could have a FAR better looking car for the money, from an RX-8 or S2000 to a used M3 or SLK230. Buying an AWD car that gets 20 MPG on a good day, has a noisy, cheap interior and has to be at 4000 RPM to make power isn't an easy decision; looks alone don't seal that deal.
Well. Thats why I didn't buy the bug eye. Even if it did have a turbo. I was a fan of the GC8. Even with the tacky looking hood scoop and the huge wing.. And the front fender bulges, my dad thought, looked like it was taken from a truck. Even with that stuff, you look at the front fascia and it just looked mean. Sorta in the fashion of the R33 (the best looking Skyline IMHO). The designs I liked were the old school american cars like the Boss, Mach 1, Camaro SS, etc. The bug eye just stunned me and even with the Jp version light cluster, it just looked awful to me.

Well i wanted a rally car derivative and that is what i'm getting if I buy an EVO or an Sti. If the engine or drivetrain is not going to be updated (or doing minor updates) this coming year, then it is just going to be mainly for looks alone.

An Alfa? A fine looking sports Italian sports car, you say? That is up to the poster, i guess, and this poster thinks that is just ugly. In addition, I want a designer that "grew up with subaru" to design it.. Even though i said that the bug eye was ugly, at THE LEAST it was designed by a subaru designer. Not some guy that was plucked from Alfa Romeo to help "rescue its design".

So a car design has to "keep up with the trend"? That is just not the way to do it in my book. its like saying.. Well this guy wrote X on his test. Since this is right, I'll have to write X too. And you say the new Mustang is a "current" look? It looks retro to me. They basically took something from the 60's early 70's and made it looked like if it was designed in the current era. The Z as well. It looks retro as well.

thats all for now... my 0.02$(US)
Tim
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Old 06-07-2005, 11:13 AM
  #128  
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Originally Posted by samurai
Well good.. At least you smoke people at the track..

Next.. What good is that huge wing at less than 70mph? All of us usually drive it in the street which limits us to maybe 55 at the MOST with only a smidgeon of our total driving time on freeways that give us a 65mph limit. Wings are functional when they give down force and the downforce contributed at that speed are fairly negligable. Then, the wing just becomes added weight and drag. And I CAN swap the Sti wing for the GT wing on the type RA or the S203. Those wings are ALSO Sti ya know.. hahah I'm not saying that I would've gotten the car if it ever came out, but i'd like a wing that is just as functional, but less of a "whee look at my HUGE wing" type of deal.. Thats why i'm looking for a new wing once I get my car..

Tim
I like the way the STi wing looks and its part of the rally heritage of the car. If you drive 65 on a highway I hope you live in a state where the highway limit is 55 because where I live 65 won’t cut it. Hell, I usually do 75 and I get past on the left and right, lol.

Second to the other poster, Alfa makes some ugly cars IMO. I'm Italian I don't like Alfa designs well at least the fronts of their cars . This isn't even an Alfa design just an Alfa grill. Anyway at least the 04-05 redesign was done by a person who knows sports car racing. Read this month's Motor Trend in the Back they have their 12 month update of their test STi and they briefly mention the redesign. It's also has a cool Top 10 cars they wish would come to the US, it will make you happy to know that an Alfa was one of the 10. Edges are coming back look at a 94 mustang really round then they redesigned it and gave it more edges and now the new classic has even more edges. The new eclipse looks like a used bar of soap, kind of like the older miata.

Looks are all opinion, what one person like another will hate. I don't like the 06s grill, but I like the big wing and don't mind another smaller wing. Also the 2.5 isn't the best option and I wish they would bring over the EJ207 that is a nice motor or would give the 257 true forged internals and better heads like the JDM STi which redlines at 8500 not 7200 like the USDM 2.5. Supposedly the JDM 6 speed is a bit beefier with steel shift forks opposed the aluminum, IIRC there are other differences, but they escape me at the moment. While drive train improvements can always be made the STi is fairly solid it's the WRX that is in need of updating.

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Old 06-07-2005, 11:33 AM
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Originally Posted by silentbob343
I like the way the STi wing looks and its part of the rally heritage of the car. If you drive 65 on a highway I hope you live in a state where the highway limit is 55 because where I live 65 won’t cut it. Hell, I usually do 75 and I get past on the left and right, lol.

Looks are all opinion, what one person like another will hate. I don't like the 06s grill, but I like the big wing and don't mind another smaller wing. Also the 2.5 isn't the best option and I wish they would bring over the EJ207 that is a nice motor or would give the 257 true forged internals and better heads like the JDM STi which redlines at 8500 not 7200 like the USDM 2.5. Supposedly the JDM 6 speed is a bit beefier with steel shift forks opposed the aluminum, IIRC there are other differences, but they escape me at the moment. While drive train improvements can always be made the STi is fairly solid it's the WRX that is in need of updating.
Ya.. I've been driving 70 lately (on highway 5 in california) and i've been getting honked at, nasty looks from SUV drivers, and getting passed and cut off left and right, but as long as it keeps the cops off my tail, that is all i need. I've seen people who've passed me caught a couple miles up the road.

True that looks are relative.. I'm not a big wing fan, i don't really like the pig snout at the front either.. But again, I'm stating my opinions just like every other driver/poster here.

Tim
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Old 06-07-2005, 11:37 AM
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The bottom paragraph was mainly for the other poster, but hey the looks opinion applies to all .
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Old 06-09-2005, 09:10 AM
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There are pics of the secondary spoiler posted on other forums... (iwrxsti.com, and nasioc) Damn.. From INITIAL reports.. The '06 has no hp change, the gear ratio changed slightly (FD) and added 53lbs(some say due to the standard side impact airbags that are being introduced). Thats what a poster on nasioc reported. he gives a specific FD gear ratio too.

Tim
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Old 06-11-2005, 02:54 PM
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I think the bugeyes were very purposeful looking. I like the looks of the 04's better even if the bugeyes are more distinctive in my opinion. As far as the alleged new look goes, I would have to agree with CatchMyDrift, get Baby Jesus a hanky cause he's balling. I love Alfa's ( unless you want to select a different gear than the one you're in ). I like most of the current Alfa's. Subaru must have got some kind of a discount on the former Alfa guys friday night designs. Glad I got an 04.
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Old 06-12-2005, 02:03 PM
  #134  
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a better shot
Attached Thumbnails New MY06 Subaru Impreza WRX STi-subaru-pic.jpg  
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Old 06-13-2005, 03:31 PM
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its just like the 03 up every year a new shape comes out it looks ugly but as the year continues the car seem to catch on an then everybody loves it
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