the best part of the article is at the bottom. apparently, the 2004 WRC will have quite a few engine and aero changes made to it, and aa completely new car will be introduced for 2005! makes you wonder what Subaru has up it's sleeve, as the new car will have to be homologated per FIA rules...

 

what article are you talking about?

 

oops, i'm a moron... i would have sworn i included the link at the bottom. here it is again.

http://www.wrc.com/en_GB/News/2003/0...INDECEMBER.htm

 

a new body style?

 

wellll, all Lapworth said was that the car woul be "completely transformed" by the end of the three year plan, i.e. 2005.

I don't necessarily read that as a new car, but it could mean something like a move to naturally aspirated (which is highly likely to be mandated by the FIA in the next couple of years), or a move to the ej25, or something similar.

I can't see Subaru scrapping the Impreza for a whole new car. The Impreza's too successful.

 

i don't know that it would be a brand new differant car, but a new impreza wouldn't surprise me. given the development cycle of cars like the impreza, it wouldn't surprise me if the current model was changed for '05/'06 as significantly as the GC8 was replaced by the WRX.

 

oh yeah, that and there would have to be FIA rule changes if they were to go with a 2.5 liter engine, or a N/A one. i'd be pretty surprised if the FIA had given teams that much notice of a change like that. i'd think that word of that would have leaked out into the rumor mill...