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Originally Posted by A1337STI
Uhm the phrase "suck it trebek" comes to mind. 
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SINCE EVERYONE IS TRYING SO HARD TO READ INTO MY POSTS.. ARG!!! LET ME SPELL IT OUT
I WANT SUBARU TO THINK ABOUT MOTORSPORTS AND TRY TO MAKE IT LIGHTER, EASIER TO WORK ON, AND SUSPENSION GEOMETRY THAT MAKES SENSE FOR WHAT THEY RACE IN. |
I stand corrected... it appears that
back in 2011 the WRX redesign was intended to to make the car more competitive. Whether or not that's the reality, we'll see when the car is out because there are hints that things have changed. For example:
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Originally Posted by 2011
That’s why we have focused so heavily on weight issues, not to mention a shorter wheelbase that permits faster, more precise turn-in.
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Originally Posted by 2013
The WRX's wheelbase has grown from 103.3 inches to 108.7 inches, likely making for a less frantic and more stable ride.
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I can easily imagine a scenario where they tell the design team "go and make a new WRX for rally!" Then after they come up with something like this:
Subaru goes back to the designers and says "okay, now use an off-the-shelf drivetrain, and make it comfortable and large enough for us to sell it to more than 1000 people". It's just the nature of being a car manufacturer that isn't selling niche cars. And that's how that tiny yellow coupe with the roof scoop and rally wing becomes the prototype shown at the NYAS.
If you look at the prototype car, it's not a rally car any longer. Maybe it looks a bit like something that can go racing in the WTCC... but if it's got AWD, and a 2.5L boxer motor, it's not exactly a touring car. No Subaru is going to fit into a Super 2000 based series, which currently both WRC and WTCC are based on, which is why Subaru got out of WRC in the first place. Current rally and touring cars are cars like the Ford Fiesta, the Peugot 207, the Seat Leon, Chevy Cruze, Honda Civic.... all cars that are in market segments smaller than the Impreza. So, the new WRX will need to be a sub-compact instead of a compact car, and the prototype just doesn't seem that much smaller than the compact Impreza. 2.3" shorter isn't the difference between a Focus and a Fiesta, for example, which are more like 8" different in length. I'll be very surprised to see this WRX in the WTCC or the WRC. I won't be surprised if it runs rally in the US under Group-N, but that's simply because the existing Impreza-based WRX is going away... rally teams will *have* to use this car, or find something else entirely.
So, you can want Subaru to really build a motorsports targeted car... we all sorta want that... but the reality is that Subaru has been pushing for more mainstream marketshare rather than for more race wins over the last 5 years or so. Hopefully they'll surprise us with something raw and race-ready. But it seems highly unlikely. The BRZ is already closer to "track-ready" than I expected, and I can't see Subaru believing they need 2 enthusiast models. The new WRX feels more like Subaru trying keep a car like the current WRX in the lineup, while the Impreza becomes more and more like a boring family car. So, it might be a bit better than the latest WRX revisions, but I highly doubt it's going to swing drastically the other way and be specifically designed around motorsports the way the transition from the old Legacy to the 1st Impreza was.
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Originally Posted by A1337STI
I'm not changing my mind, and obviously i'm not going to change anyone else's.
its fine to not agree with me (ever) but its pretty lame when you come across as disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing with me. |
And I'm honestly not arguing just for the sake of arguing. My points are based on my observations of Subaru's cars over the last few years and the known details about the WRX prototype. And I'm trying to be explicit about how I'm coming to my conclusions. If you disagree with me, feel free to point out the mistakes in my logic.
Either way, I don't really know how this new WRX is going to turn out. I know it looks pretty nice, for once, compared to Subaru's normal new car designs... so maybe they're turning a corner. I'm just pessimistic based on the trend from Subaru since about 2008.