2008 Subaru Impreza WRX pictures leaked … ?

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.

… or so says the countdown timer on Subaru’s official website. Apparently, they have something big coming on April 5th. There already have been rumors about the new 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX being unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April. Could this be IT? Do you think we will finally lay our eyes on the real thing?

Stay tuned, and meanwhile, visit the official countdown page!

According to Winding Road, an artist by the name of Benedict Radcliffe made a wire outline of a Subaru WRX car and set it on display in London, England on Albemarle Street.

Modern Japanese Classic by Benedict Radcliffe. Picture from Winding Road.

While the frame may appear to be computer generated, I can tell you this is just the way these pieces of art end up looking on photographs. Apparently, the car, parked on the sideway, was even issued a few parking tickets!

Benedict Radcliffe entitled the piece “Modern Japanese Classic”.

The new Subaru diesel boxer engine was unveiled this month at the Geneva Motor Show. While no official power figures were release in Geneva, some speculate that the 2.0 litre turbo engine will produce 163hp and 251lb-ft of torque. The first Subaru cars which will be equipped with the new diesel engine will be the Legacy and Outback and they are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2008. The Impreza and Forester models will follow on, but the dates have not yet been confirmed.

Picture from Autoblog.

With the new diesel engine, Subaru wishes to increase its sales in Europe by up to 40 percent over the next three years. No words of a Subaru diesel engine in North America yet.

Rally Mexico started great for Petter Solberg, who set the leading pace during most of Leg 1. Sadly, during special stage 5, he had to retire. The oil light started to blink in his car and by the end of the stage, the car had run out of oil. It appears a bit of damage was done to the oil cooler and the car was leaking. Still, Petter enjoyed the feel of the car and he found the pace very encouraging:

Petter said:

Overall, it’s important to note that we had the winning pace, even on the repeated stages, and things like tyre wear and general feeling were very, very good. We were leading the rally here, and I’m sure it won’t be long before we’re doing that again.

Chris Atkinson during SS18. Picture from SWRT.

Chris Atkinson, on the other hand, finished the rally 5th overall. He says he’s enjoyed the feeling of the car immensely and that the pace they set during the rally was encouraging for the whole team.

Chris said:

It’s already got better traction, more stability and a more consistent feel than last year’s car. Now it’s a case of fine tuning it for me and Petter after we’ve had a chance to analyze what we’ve learned in Mexico. But I’d say things are looking positive for Portugal.

Although the team didn’t get the podium finish that we were hoping for, the new Subaru WRC07 showed great promise during the rally. The team seems very confident about the leading pace they set during Rally Mexico, and they are eager to bring out the potential of the Subaru WRC 2007 in Rally de Portugal starting on March 29th.

Source: SWRT

The Subaru World Rally Team has unveiled the Subaru Impreza WRC 2007 last Friday. The new car will make its debut at Mexico Rally this weekend. Both Subaru drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson will be driving the new car in Mexico. The team believes the Subaru Impreza WRC 2007 will be a great asset for the rest of the rally championship.

Picture from SWRT

As expected, the overall body work is pretty much the same as the WRC06 car. The big changes are under the hood.

What’s new under the hood

• Better weight distribution
• Better suspension geometry
• Tweaked differential set-ups
• New dampers
• New radiator and intercooler pack
• Lighter engine

What’s new externally

• Restyled front bumper (to suit new intercooler)
• Twin side exits bonnet vents

What are the benefits

• More responsive front end
• Better traction
• Balanced tyre wear
• Improved road-holding
• Improved air-flow
• Front-end of car easier to service
• Lighter car

The Subaru Impreza WRC 2007 has been developed in collaboration with Fuji Heavy and Subaru Tecnica International in Japan, and the Subaru World Rally Team in England. The teams in Japan were responsible for the car’s aerodynamics and power unit.

Picture from SWRT

Shigeo Sugaya, manufacturer principal, engineering, for the Subaru World Rally Team, said:

“The WRC2007 does not represent a radical change for the team, instead we have made small evolutions in several areas.”

The Subaru WRC 2007 is expected to perform well this season. Let’s wish the Subaru World Rally Team better luck this year with the new car!

Source: SWRT

The Discovery Channel is making a documentary series around the 2006 WRC season entitled “Engineering the World Rally”.

“‘Engineering the World Rally’ joins the Subaru WRT as they and their driver, Petter Solberg, fight for the championship. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access for an entire season, this six-part series provides a unique insight into the deeply secretive world of big budget motorsport, getting under the skin of the British-run Subaru World Rally Team and following their every move as they prepare the cars for each event, test and shakedown.

What unfolds is a rollercoaster of action both behind-the-scenes and on the rally stage as they endure the worst year they’ve ever had. Driver issues, endless car trouble and pure bad luck sees them constantly fighting to keep pace with their rivals.”

It will be a very interesting documentary for any World Rally Championship fans. The first episode will air on Discovery Channel on Monday, March 12.

Source: crash.net

Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s parent company, has missed its 5-year sales goal they had set in 2002. To reach a bigger part of the market, Subaru aims at being more present in the U.S. market. This means the following:

• Opening of a new headquarter in Los Angeles
• 24 more Subaru dealers in the United States by 2010
• Possible opening of a new production facility
• New CEO appointed for Subaru of America: Tomohiko Ikeda

Let’s help spread the Subaru all-wheel drive fun!

Source: Autoblog