2008 Subaru WRX, better than you think?

Chris Powell, a reader and new owner of a 2008 WRX, left an interesting comment on this blog about the new 2008 WRX. Seeing as the new car has received pretty bad comments from readers of this blog, I think Chris’ opinion is worth sharing.

He says:

“Interesting list of quotes from the trade magazines, even more interesting comments from the readers of this blog. My only question is, do you own one? Well I do! I think the car is great. I’ve had it a week now and traded in my 2003 WRX Wagon for the 2008 5 door.

The previous blogger Timis posted “make a comparison with latest VW Golf / Audi A3 / BMW 120i / Opel-Vauxhall Astra models”. Well he is right, only one big difference, it’s a Subaru! I upgraded the car with STI metal pedals and a short-throw shifter. Unfortunately that is all you can get right now from SPT at Subaru. I’ll add intake and exhaust upgrades from the dealership as soon as they become available.

The first thing you notice (apart from the more stylish and mature look of the car) is the sound of the doors when you close them. They sound and feel much more like a BMW or Audi rather than that “tin” door feel of my 2003 WRX. As soon as I took off from the dealership I immediately noticed the lower end torque of the 2.5 Liter engine versus my old 2.0 liter block. You also notice much more of the hood out the front windshield in the new version of the car.

The handling is completely legendary Subaru. Just yesterday I flew in to a 90 degree left turn on the way to work. I remember quite distinctly in the old wagon that I tried the same turn some years back “a bit too fast”. In that “incident”, I under-steered and nearly slid off the road on the right hand side of the corner as I came out of the turn. This time in the 2008, I hit that hard left (well in to the oncoming lane), and only slid a half lane to the right. I was in much better control of the situation. I was probably well over 100-110kph around the turn in third gear and I mean a two lane, hard 90 degree left (we drive on the right here in the US just in case you haven’t been here). It was only then that I noticed the car also has additional traction control and I saw a wonderful little orange indicator light come on in the dash to let me know I had lost traction. I‘m going to light up that baby more often! I didn’t have any indicators like that at all in the 2003.

All in all, the car is very impressive and with the new quiet in the cockpit, the 6 C/D stereo sounds much, much, better. Buy one if you can, we only had five, 5 doors here in Houston (Sept. 07) and the charcoal grey one is smoking tires on the street as you read this!”

Well it sure sounds like a fun car to drive and I’m glad people are actually enjoying the new car!

Auto Express conducted its ‘Driver Power 2007′ reliability and satisfaction survey and the 2001-2002 Impreza has been voted number one by owners of the Subaru car. The entire Subaru range comes in sixth place with 93.1% of owners saying they’d buy another Subaru. The survey had 30000 respondents.

“This is excellent news especially as it comes hard on the heels of Subaru being voted the ‘Best Franchise Opportunity’ by the Institute Of Transport Management,” said Executive Director, Sales and Marketing, Lawrence Good.

Source: The Fermanagh Herald

A few weeks ago, the new 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX was unveiled at the New York Auto Show. According to the many comments I’ve received on this blog, current Subaru owners and fans are quite disappointed by the new look and lack of performance upgrade. But what do other news source and blogs think of the new WRX? I’ve compiled a list of facts and opinions found on the internet since the beginning of the month.

What do others think of the new ‘rex?

Scoop has an interesting quote from Chris Rickards, the General Manager of Subaru of New Zealand: “More than 60 percent of Impreza purchases are either made by women or influenced by women. Increasingly we are finding women seeking style and performance as well as safety in their new car purchase.”

IGN says: “Subaru has never been known for making ‘pretty’ cars, and its latest ride - the 2008 Impreza WRX - is most certainly not a ‘looker’”. But then, no Impreza has ever been pretty. To be honest, every Impreza known to man has been more than a bit ugly, but just like you say to the hot cheerleader that won’t date your ugly ass, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

theage.com.au says: “While the WRX has been toned down to be more conservative in an effort to appeal to a different audience, Subaru insiders suggest the range-topping STi model will be more radical than ever. […] The leaked images of the new hatchback-style Impreza model have already stirred debate on motoring forums, and the official pictures of the more conservative WRX range are guaranteed to polarise more opinions.”

Subdriven says: “Developed around the product concept of new, more refined designs for comfort, the latest Impreza incorporates sophisticated styling and rich interior design, roominess and space, and outstanding comfort and utility, while offering a pleasant and safe ride enhanced by Subaru Symmetrical AWD (All-Wheel drive) with the Horizontally-Opposed engine.”

Motor Trend, who was the first to leak pictures of the new car, says: “How does a kid racer mature without growing up? In the case of the Subaru Impreza WRX, it loses the fender flares and becomes a hot hatch, that Euroesque ideal of the small, fast, cheap car. And it becomes more liveable, more sophisticated. […] Unfortunately, this first look at the new model-now a five-door hatchback as well as a four-door sedan-hitting showrooms in September doesn’t include a drive. The news is about everything but getting behind the wheel and flogging it sideways in the dirt or snow.”

Autoblog says: “It looks better in person than in photos, but we’re not yet ready to commit to, you know, actually liking it. Inside, the Impreza has a roomy feel, but the overall quality left us feeling a bit unsatisfied.”

Jalopnik says: “Subaru wiped the cosmoline off its new Subaru Impreza WRX, in the upcoming sedan configuration. It’s the one an informal survey of Jalopnik comments chose as the best looking of the new Impreza models. And it does look pretty good in three dimensions, if slightly more generic that its blocky predecessor.”

Auto123 says: “The new Subaru Impreza is here. Having lost its aggressive boyish good looks, the 2008 edition of the Impreza is now more mainstream and should actually attract more potential buyers. […] Unfortunately, the engine choice are directly carried over from the previous car; too bad for those that were hoping for big power increases for the WRX.”

Mobile Magazine says: “Although I’ve never owned a Subaru myself, I’m a fan of the carmaker because of their sporty Imprezas (particularly the STi) evoke a great sense of power in a beautiful all-wheel-drive package. The newly unveiled 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX ditches the pig nose fascia found on the current model, replacing it with a wider, sleeker grille.”

Sunday Mirror says: “SUBARU took the wraps off their new WRX this week - and the four-door has to be the most handsome incarnation of the new Impreza line-up. With more than a hint of the BMW 3-Series, I particularly like its gaping bonnet scoop, and for once there’s a frontal aspect that isn’t going to frighten small children. […] Die-hard Scooby fans may be disappointed, but I think this is absolutely the right way to go with the Impreza, moving its market away from a bad boy’s toy to a 30-something’s skateboard. In the process it’s bound to steal sales from the excellent but ubiquitous 3-Series.”

Hamilton Spectator doesn’t care about the appearance: “There has been some fan griping on the Internet about the bigger size and ‘Camry-like’ new look but most WRX aficionados, having gone through previous cosmetic makeovers, swear they don’t care what it looks like as long as it still rides, handles and performs like a WRX.”

New Zealand Herald thinks the new hatchback’s been designed with women in mind. “The five-door hatch is moving upmarket with a more stylish design to appeal more to women buyers and break into the European hatch market.”

Motor Authority says: “Subaru of America senior vice president Timothy Mahoney has told Ward’s Auto that most WRX fans have come to accept the new design. “The WRX is a really emotional product and it has a very loyal following,” he said. Mahoney then went on to explain that most people came around after seeing the car up close, referring to the 100-odd WRX enthusiasts that attended a special post-show event hosted by Subaru.”

Last week, Subaru succeeded in creating some hype around a big announcement they were going to make at the New York Auto Show. They put a big countdown timer, entitled “A legend will be reborn - April 5th”, on their web site. Everyone was expecting to see the all new 2008 Impreza then.

A short time after the timer had been running, the magazine Motor Trend leaked some pictures of the 2008 WRX hatchback. A lot of people were doubting the photos… we’ve all had our share of “photoshopped” Impreza pictures. However, seeing all the negative comments the pictures from Motor Trend generated around the web, Subaru felt the need to release official pictures before the official announcement was made.

Today, as the counter reached 0, Subaru announced the 2008 Impreza at the New York Auto Show. I was still hoping for some kind of late April’s Fool joke on Subaru’s part when they first released the pictures - but sadly it was not so.

This is the real thing. The car has become much more mainstream. Heck, it even looks like a Corolla. Judging from the comments left here on this blog and on the Subaru forums around the world, current WRX owners are not too pleased by the Impreza’s new looks.

Please Subaru, change the front grille, remove that silly antenna and give us our sports car back.

Glenn Macneall, Chris Atkinson’s co-driver in the World Rally Championship, has stepped down from the Subaru World Rally Team for personal reasons.

Glenn said: “Competing in the World Rally Championship is far more than just a job, and while I really have enjoyed my time with the team I’ve simply come to the point now where I want to do other things. Having made up my mind to go, it wouldn’t be fair on Chris for me to carry on with anything less than 100 per cent commitment, and for this reason I felt it would be best to step down straight away. I’ll continue to follow the sport very closely and I wish Chris, Petter and the whole Subaru team the best of luck in the future.”

Glenn Macneall joined the Subaru World Rally Team in 2001 and has been Chris’ co-driver on all of his 36 WRC starts. There will be an announcement shortly regarding Chris Atkinson’s new co-pilot.

Chris had to retire from Rally de Portugal last week because he missed a pace-note and went off-road. I wonder if it could have been the last straw for Glenn Macneall.

Source: SWRT

After some unofficial pictures of the 2008 Impreza WRX hatchback were leaked last week (yes, it appears the photos were real after all), Subaru has released official information on the new car.

Here it is in its full … glory?

Sedan version of the new WRX. Picture from Inside Line.

It does not look so bad, but Subaru fans’ expectations were very high regarding the new Impreza. It’s much better than the hatchback model in my opinion. Still, the antenna is killing me! It makes the car look so cheap.

Sedan interior. Picture from Inside Line.

And what’s with the beige interior? I sure hope it comes in a choice of color. While the cabin has definitely been improved, it looks like the interior of a spaceship.

Hatchback version of the new Subaru. Picture from Inside Line.

The 5-door hatchback WRX will replace the current wagon model.

The new hatchback from behind. Picture from Inside Line.

The 2008 Impreza WRX sedan is destined for the North American market only. It will use the same 2.5L engine as the hatchback version and will come in either a 5-speed manual transmission or in a 4-speed automatic. Power output is expected to be roughly the same as the current model, about 224 hp and 226 lb-ft of torque, but reachable at 5200 rpm and 2800 rpm compared to last year’s 5600 rpm and 3600 rpm respectively. While the sedan is 4.9 inches longer than the current model, it will actually weight less, losing about 50 pounds.

The WRX STI version is expected to be announced early next year. And you guys with a 2004-2005 WRX out there: hold onto it dearly. As a fellow owner, the 2008 WRX is not what I was hoping for and I won’t be getting one anytime soon.

Source: Inside Line, Car and Driver

Fourth place for Solberg

Petter Solberg set a good pace and managed to finish 4th overall, bringing home enough manufacturer points to place the Subaru World Rally Team in third place in the championship for manufacturers.

Petter Solberg: “Overall we can take a lot of positive things from our performance this weekend. On many stages were able to challenge the pace of the leaders, and although we were unable to pressure them this afternoon - we think because of an electrical problem with the turbo’s anti-lag system - we’re continuing to improve the performance of this new car. We have a test planned soon, and I’m feeling confident that with some more stage mileage we will unlock more of the potential in time for the next event.”

Petter Solberg during SS11. Picture from SWRT

Chris Atkinson retired

Sadly, Chris Atkinson had to retire during Leg 2 when he missed a pace-note and drove off the road at high speed. He and his co-pilot, Glean Macneall, were uninjured but the car took a beating and they were unable to continue the rally.

Chris Atkinson: “It hasn’t been the best weekend, that’s for sure. It’s a great shame because I thought this rally would suit my driving style and the car. This morning I struggled with the handling a bit, we had some balance and understeer problems and I was struggling to get the car turned in properly – especially on such slippery roads. We started the stage (SS10) pretty well but in hindsight I was thinking too much about the feeling, and not concentrating on the road. I missed a corner note, got on the wrong line and just went straight off. Clearly the team and I have some work to do before we find a good, balanced set-up for wet and dry conditions. And while we experimented a bit here, it’s not an ideal environment in which to test. We have a proper test planned shortly which should give me the opportunity to work on the set-up specifically. Petter and I have shown that the outright speed is there, but this is only the second rally for the new car and clearly there’s a lot to learn.”

The next event takes place in Argentina from May 4th through May 6th. That gives the Subaru World Rally Team one month to tweak the car to their liking and run some extensive tests on it. Let’s hope for a podium finish next time!

Source: SWRT

Apparently, some new pictures of the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX were “leaked” by the magazine Motor Trend. A user of the NASIOC forums claims he received the May issue of the magazine, in which a hatchback version of the new WRX is featured. I think it is a bit far fetched and it might be a marketing move by Motor Trend, but if you want to see the pictures head to this thread at NASIOC.

One thing I hate about these pictures is the external antenna. I think it makes the car look cheap (and very much like a Mazda 3). I like my ‘05 WRX for this: it has no external antenna.

I won’t be posting any more unofficial information or pictures of the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX until it is officially announced, probably in ten days from now on April 5th at the New York Auto Show. There have been far too many rumors already on the subject!

Three years ago, Dana Stokes came across an old 1973 Porsche abandoned in the middle of a field. “Sure enough, this poor little 914 had been sitting out in the middle of nowhere since 1982, and I knew that I had to save it,” he thought. With a lot of hard work, he swapped the engine with a 2004 Subaru WRX boxer engine and managed to turn the old car into an astounding beast.

Picture from turbo914.

The project involved a lot of modifications to the original car. First, he had to stiffen up the chassis. Next, he sewed the entire interior. Then, before performing the engine swap, he had to upgrade the car’s suspension, replacing it by a Bilstein 911 Carrera suspension. Working at Renegade Hybrids in Las Vegas, a shop that specializes in engine swap in various models of Porsche, it made it easier to perform the swap. He was ready to replace the Porsche’s stock 72 hp flat-four boxer engine by the 227 hp Subaru boxer engine.

Picture from turbo914.

The engine swap was a success. The power of a 227 hp Subaru engine is pretty impressive in a 3000 pounds Subaru Impreza WRX car: imagine what it can do to a 1973 Porsche 914 that weights only 2200 pounds. Plus, the car is a rear-wheel drive: remove all the drivetrain power loss of Subaru’s AWD system, the Porsche is a little demon on the road. From 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

The Porsche with the Subaru engine is Dana Strokes’ daily driver. He’s not done with the mods yet, in fact he’s just getting started. He wants to turn the Porsche into a full-on track car. For pictures and videos of the car, visit turbo914.

Here’s the list of modifications Dana has made to the old Porsche 914:

Engine / Transmission

• 2004 Subaru EJ20
• Custom up-pipe
• Custom exhaust 2.5-inch
• Custom auger style muffler
• Custom intercooler mount
• Custom Renegade Hybrids radiator
• Custom stage 2 pressure plate
• Custom 9-inch Kevlar clutch disk
• Custom billet aluminum adapter plate

Suspension

• Renegade Hybrids high power axles
• 911 Carrera front suspension
• Bilstein adjustable rear struts, 200-pound springs

Wheels

• 2002 Porsche 911 rims 17 x 7-inch front 17 x 9-inch rear
• Kumho 712 tires 205/50/17zr front, 255/40/17zr rear
• Steel 914GT fender flares

Interior

• Custom roll cage
• Custom interior
• Custom tachometer with integrated boost gauge

Audio

• Pioneer DEH-P9600MP head unit
• Alpine 6.5-inch type S front speakers
• Alpine 6 x 9-inch type S rear speakers
• Arc audio 8-inch sub
• Helix B4 600 watt amp

Source: Subie speed, Porsche style

For those of us lucky ones who had a lot of snow this winter and thus have enjoyed a lot of “snowbaru” fun, CarJunky reminds us of some basic driving safety tips for the coming of the warmer spring season, to which I added one my own.

1. Do basic windshield maintenance. Cleaning your windshield and applying a special coating such as Rain-X will help your visibility tremendously.

2. Replace wiper blades. Winter can be pretty hard on wiper blades with all the ice and snow. If your wiper blades are not as effective as they were, they might be due for a replacement.

3. Replace worn tires. It can be upsetting having to spend money on tires since replacing four 16″ or 17″ tires can be pretty expensive, but it’s what keeps your car on the road, and as Subaru WRX drivers we should be concerned about getting the most out of those sharp corners.

4. Beware of water. The melting of the snow and the spring showers often leaves huge ponds of water in the streets, which can cause vehicles to hydroplane and even flood engines. Also, water lifts oils and other fluids which can create a slick layer on the road.

5. Check your lights. Make sure your taillights, headlights, turn signals, etc. are in order.

And to these, I would add:

6. Beware of potholes. If you live up north, warmer weather and the freezing and thawing of the streets also create a lot of potholes. But then, if you live up there you probably already know.

This is all pretty basic information but it is always good to be reminded.