Rendered Speculation: Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Car Magazine has some interesting info on the upcoming high-performance STi version of the Subaru Impreza that it believes will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany this September. For one, the Impreza will only be offered as a five-door hatchback in Europe, unlike in the States where we'll also get a sedan. In addition, Car claims that Subaru will be killing the very popular WRX model in Europe, replacing it instead with a stripper version of this STi. The hope is that Subaru can convince more Euro folk to go for the non-turbocharged flat-four base models, which account for only 30% of Impreza sales in the UK at the moment.
The picture above shows the magazine's best guess at what the STi will look like, and their version is a bit more aggressive than the rendering we saw appear in Road & Track a couple of months ago, though the must-haves like a big rear wing, blistering fenders, gold wheels, a rally blue paint job and a hood scoop large enough to lose an arm in are present. We prefer the front clip on Cars' version to the R&T one, but both are just renderings and could still be different from the final version we see in Frankfurt.
Click the Read link to view more angles of the Car Magazine renderings.
[Source: Car Magazine via egmcartech]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Richard 8:47PM (6/04/2007)
Its the fender flares that really, finally give this design some menacing presence...which it so desperately needs.
If it looks like this, sign me up, albeit in something less stand-out-ish, like silver.
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indymcsc 8:48PM (6/04/2007)
It's like slapping lipstick on a pig. This thing will never look good.
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Larry Fine 8:59PM (6/04/2007)
Nice. Offers a more high-strung option to the Acura TSX, Mazda6, and Infinit G35...
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iOrange 8:58PM (6/04/2007)
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
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Paul Y 9:02PM (6/04/2007)
I still can't believe that Subaru finally is building a car whose worst visual issue is blandness, rather than being outright fugly.
Still, as was already stated, fender flares could give it the presence it sorely lacks.
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AMcA 9:05PM (6/04/2007)
Awesome. But why is it is hatchback? High-strung Subarus have always been little notchback sedans.
It's as wrong as a Porsche SUV.
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RidinLow 9:16PM (6/04/2007)
Ahh, it's so awesomely wrong... can't wait to get my hands on one!
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JGN 9:18PM (6/04/2007)
I like it, a lot. Hatchbacks make more sense, better aerodynamics and more room, in the boot.
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frank 5:36AM (6/05/2007)
the hatch has less "boot" room than the sedan...see the specs
Torqued 8:30AM (6/05/2007)
That hoodscoop is ridiculous. It won't be that big. And personally, I think the rear spoiler on a hatchback is useless and looks awful.
The fender flares look great though. :)
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Steven 9:22PM (6/04/2007)
Still needs a better grill, all black with no chrome plz. Not to sure about those flared fenders, the fronts follow the body line and rears don't.
Anyways, it's gonna come down to how it drives. Performance is what sets the WRX/STI apart from other cars not the design.
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Ligor 9:25PM (6/04/2007)
can't nothing make this car look good.
it's probably the UGLIEST $34k car that has ever existed.
Subaru has lost it.
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CheezeDog 9:32PM (6/04/2007)
Hmmm, that looks much better now... Fenderflares, a simplified grill, and bass mouth ground effect do amazing things for this car.
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... 9:38PM (6/04/2007)
but wouldn't the hatch add additional weight? or does the improved aerodynamics offset this?
it seems ive grown to accept the looks, the only real problems being rear headlights, the grill(this looks ok, it looks like some kind of mesh), and the pieces of chrome, all of which can be fixed. i hope they fix things up at production time.
and for people who comment on every post with this ugly car, no one cares about how "its gonna make me throw up", they don't need your personal experience to determine that it is ugly. i must have seen that on at least 5 different news postings.
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Dino 11:13PM (6/04/2007)
It looks as though someone completely different designed the rear of the car.
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John 10:00PM (6/04/2007)
But...it's sooooo ugly.
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Deezee 10:24PM (6/04/2007)
Two words: Out. Dated.
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epp_b 10:46PM (6/04/2007)
I think it's alright -- better with the STi work-over, at least.
The previous generation Impreza was pretty ugly, but this worse: it's boring. The fascia just doesn't drip with menace and aggression as the previous generations did.
That said, however, I'm sure it will be a brilliantly entertaining joy to drive.
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Fred 10:44PM (6/04/2007)
It might look odd -->> unique, but how would that be outdated?
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Deezee 1:30AM (6/05/2007)
The whole front looks like a corolla from 2001, with a kit on it. Clear tail lights went out of style like in 2003.
Its 2007.