I just want to clearify something about new model coming up for next year. People are posting pictures for the new 2006 impreza, and I was just wondering if that's in Japan 2006 or in US also.

I guess what I am asking is what year do we get a drastic model change?

 

All the pics you see are for the 06's which will be at dealerships in Aug/Sept.

The next drastic model change will more than likely be in 08 after mitsu releases the EVO X and Nissan / Infinity bring out a skyline.

 

I am expecting a fire sale of WRX / STi's when the properly named / badged skyline comes out. I know I will be giving it a close look.

 

the production numbers on WRX and certainly STi aren't high enough to justify the kind of "fire sale" I think you are thinking about (ala GM's new campaign, or Dodge's $10K of rebates on Durangos in 04). Subaru will do what it needs to do to stay on par, or slightly ahead of the competition, they know pretty far in advance what other companies are doing, and how it will affect their sales. If EVO beats the revised STI to market, they'll just build less.

 

Subaru's version of a fire sale is what they are doing now.

1,500 rebate on a car with an MSRP of 25k is huge to them.

Since I've been selling them (July 03) they haven't had anything bigger than 2,000 off on any car (Baja excluded I think they did 2,500-3k on that).

That's including the total re-design of the Outbacks. I am pretty sure that we won't see a rebate on the STi's even when the skyline or Evo X come out.