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February 21, 2007
Imprez-ive 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 
Imprez-ive…or not so Imprez-ive?
By Gareth Dean
Every time there is word of a facelift for the Subaru Impreza the world holds its breath and then breathes a sigh of resignation as something akin to a body-kitted ’96 Toyota Corolla or Mazda Etude greets the crowd upon the model’s unveiling.
The latest impressions of the 2008 Subaru Impreza leaked from Japan see the new car shedding the propeller-style grille treatment of the current model. The nose will probably benefit from a clean, narrow one-piece grille complimented by upswept headlights.
What we have gathered from our sources is that the styling of the new Impreza will be more dynamic and swooping; featuring “hints of Mazda3 and Audi A3 Sportbackâ€. There are a lot of spy pictures and artists’ impressions of the new Scooby out there in cyberspace, but so far we haven’t seen many flattering ones.
Granted, the new car will not win any beauty contests but these are cars designed to go fast and the company has confirmed that the upcoming Impreza will not borrow too many styling cues from the radical B5 TPH concept. The one aspect of the concept that will find its way across to the Impreza WRX STi is the hatchback configuration, giving Golf GTI, Focus ST and BMW 130i Sport owners some food for thought.
It has been suggested that the hatchback will be roughly 5-inches shorter and 2-inches wider than the current saloon-configured model with entry-level versions tipping the scales at just under 1 400 kg, which would undercut the weight of special versions of the current car such as the UK’s 1 520-kg WRX Sti RB320.
A reworked version of the current intercooled turbocharged 2,5-litre flat-four boxer engine mated with a six-speed manual gearbox is expected to do service in the new car. Power output claims vary from between 220 kW and 250 kW, while torque has been suggested to be upwards of 550 N.m.
It recently emerged that Subaru’s upcoming Outback and Legacy models will be offered with a flat-four diesel engine and it stands to reason that the oil-burning boxer will also do duty in the next-generation Impreza.
The diesel is said to be a 2,0-litre unit and is being benchmarked against the BMW 320d’s engine. Subaru expects its diesel to deliver around 127 kW and 339 N.m of torque, which would be a healthy bit of competition for the 115 kW and 330 N.m produced by the BMW engine.
In addition to the expected addition of a new multi-link suspension setup to the Impreza, Subaru engineers claim to have improved the new petrol-powered flat-four’s performance by enhancing torque generation at low and mid-range revs. As a result, one can expect a number of modifications to the DCCD (Drivers Control Central Differential) on the STi.
All of the burning questions will be answered when the car makes its official debut at the Geneva Show in a few months’ time.
Source: CarToday.Com
By Gareth Dean
Technorati Tags: subaru, impreza, subaru impreza, 2008 subaru, 2008 subaru impreza, 2008 wrx, 2008 sti, impreza 2008
- Posted in : 2008 Subaru, News
- Author : admin
The images posted above are perhaps some of the best that have been thrown around in the last few months.
However, I doubt that these are identical to the final car, only hint at what it will look at. However, this image is enticing.
The hatchback will be an excellent replacement for the aging, and dated, Sportswagon, however, I sincerly hope that the Sedan remains the flagship model, and the model on which the WR Cars are based. As for turbo diesel, great…but in i and R level cars only. The idea of having a diesel engine, that needs a turbo charger to produce enough high-end power to be at all viable, in a car which normally boasts a turbo to make high-end power even greater (the WRX) really defeats the purpose. For Outback, Imprexa RV, Forrester, base level Impreza and Liberty/Legacy and Tribeca, Turbo diesel is a brilliant move.
I can’t wait, and would dearly love to have a drive in one. 42 days.
-Carter
how much is yor subar beacouse i wonder if it the new wrx sti dilse one