Count me in as a huge fan of the Legacy STi!!

There was an article recently in Motor Trend magazine with a spy shot of the upcoming Legacy STi with the new 2004 Legacy body style. Basically, it appears that the Legacy STi will be a twin turbo 6-cylinder making 350 hp. Unfortunately, it is expected to compete with the Audi's and BMWs and pricing will likely be high $30,000s to $45,000. :/ Here is the link: STi Legacy Spy Pic and Article

Personally, the thought of a Legacy STi wagon TOTALLY thrills me, even more so than the WRX STi. Legacy's have more room, better ride, and better luxury than Impreza's, and I can get the Legacy in a wagon (just like my 02 WRX Wagon, yay!). I just don't know how long it will take to get them here in the U.S. (rumor is mid/late 2004 just for new Legacy model alone). Even so, $38,000 to $45,000 for an STi would be tough to swallow (for me anyway).

 

Here are some things for you to think about and believe for no good reason:

It will not be a twin turbo 6.
It won't be 350hp.
And it definately won't be anywhere near $45K.

Why? Here's some crazy reasoning:
A twin turbo 6 would make it very fast, say 350hp. And, if it were that fast, it'd probably cost $40K+. That won't happen. Subaru wouldn't let their boy-racer Impreza STI be beat by the older, frumpier Legacy. And, at $45K, it just wouldn't sell.

Why? Just because...

 

Errr, OK. Do you have any inside information or other facts/articles/threads/etc. to back up why the Legacy STi will not be produced other than dismissing it out of hand "just because"?

I've cited two media sources indicating that the Legacy STi will be a reality. Granted, they are "spy" shots, so how knows how reliable they are, but they certainly seem a little more credible than you just saying a Legacy STi can't happen "just because".

Heh, I don't think Subaru would have ANY problems letting their Impreza STi be upstaged by an even snazzier (and pricier and more profitable) Legacy STi. After all, that approach certainly worked well enough for BMW with its M3 and M5.

Don't get me wrong, I have no evidence that the Legacy STi is a 100% sure thing for production and/or coming to the U.S. (I sure hope so though). I guess your out-of-hand dismissal just seems flippant.

 

...because of the same reason Volvo will have S60R & V70R's sitting on dealer lots after the initial wave of 'FlyingBrick' fans accept their orders. A nice, quick and fast ride.

For the same reason that SAAB's 'Viggen' was a sales flop and dealers couldn't give them away. Another nice, very quick and fast ride.

For the same reason Mercury's 'Marauder' sat on dealer lots and Ford had to cancel production due to over stock. Another nice, quick and fast ride.

I could go on but I trust you get my drift...

There is a basic covenant of marketing in that you can never ostracize your core market, for the market will ostracize you. Subaru's core US market is not about and has never been about 'track performance'. They are about 'daily performance' from economical cars that get them home rain, shine or snow and do so reliably without drawing much attention or requiring effort.

A second law of marketing and sales is that no matter what the product or brand, when one is looking to diverisfy they must not dissasociate from their core market history. They must create a new and seperately perceived 'entity' to develop & meet the needs of the new target market. But they can draw from their core markets 'history' in developing this new brand.

An excellent example is Toyota and Lexus.
Toyota has always had an image and market perception of quality and value (not necessarily low cost). So being savvy Toyota develops a new brand line with a shiny upmarket name and feel and debut the new product tying into those old feelings of quality and value all the while never actually mentioning the Toyota name. That was 1988 when the only Lexus anyone ever heard of was always trailed by 'Nexis'.

Today 15 years later Lexis/Nexis has fallen to obscurity while their are kids and strippers/dancers going by the name 'Lexus' and everybody in middle class suburbs aspires to own an ES300 (Camry) or an RS300 while retirees walk out of their Accords and Avalons into SC, LS, GS and LX models of varying displacement.

Subaru would be unwise and ignorant of automotive history (can anyone say 'SVX') and marketing sense to offer a $45K Legacy with such 'edgy' performance. No, we'll sooner see them pull a Toyota 'Scion' like move for us cost be damned performance types while their will always be a regular & common Subie for the regular commoners.

- Janq

"Subaru, Inexpensive and built to stay that way."

 

VW Ag didn't get where they are by accident though.

They got smart and relaized that economy cars are death as people eventually want and expect more. So by creating a 'ladder' of conjoined 'brands' rather than individual marques they could cross-pollinate the real & percieved qualities across these brands to create a single super marque.
Hence they go on a buying & development streak picking up Skoda, Lamborghini, and a host of other notables.
Then they entirely redevlop Audi from the ground (series 80/90) on up to their first big sedan, the 'V8' (a nice car!).

Within a decade they develop economies of scale starting allowing them to improve the quality of all their makes through 'brand' cooperation and support. Basically the GM model as it should have worked with a few pages borrowed from the marketing plan of Ralph Lauren.

Next thing you know you've got Golf owner upgrading to Passat's to Phaetons to Audi's to Bentley to Lambo all in one conveinient manufacturer package base don your tax bracket and/or social position. A brilliant execution from a company that was written off as makers of fringe economy rust buckets.

Watch out for Hyundai, they're next...mark my words.

- Janq