Farewell Impreza: The Subaru WRX STi Final Edition

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Graham

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See the blog feature on this - Regular readers will be more than aware of my love for all things rallying, and nothing screams rallying pedigree more than a Subaru WRX STi.

Since launching the last WRX STi four years ago, the Subaru brand has changed dramatically. Long gone are the days of manufacturer supported rally pursuits.... Read the Full Article Here



Read the Entire Article Here
 

Gambit

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i still find them a bit marmite, sometime i think they look great then other times i go meh. that shapre wrx sti is good value for money....apart from the usual need for a set of pistons

final edition will be a collectors edition though have seen a white one locally a few times

there was talk of Subaru hinting at WRC return with a new hot hatch after toyota's successful return to it but would be a few years off yet
 

Graham

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i still find them a bit marmite, sometime i think they look great then other times i go meh. that shapre wrx sti is good value for money....apart from the usual need for a set of pistons

final edition will be a collectors edition though have seen a white one locally a few times

there was talk of Subaru hinting at WRC return with a new hot hatch after toyota's successful return to it but would be a few years off yet

I can't see Subaru doing WRC to be fair - at close to £1m / car to build, plus development, plus running a team etc i can't see how they could justify it considering they don't offer any performance models for the road any more.
 

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I can't see Subaru doing WRC to be fair - at close to £1m / car to build, plus development, plus running a team etc i can't see how they could justify it considering they don't offer any performance models for the road any more.

The WRX STI only left Europe they are still making decent sales in US, plus they are still offering models in Japan, and supposedly have the new Viziv concept which has had a WRX STI concept supposedly

subaru-viziv-concept-1.jpg
 

bigsigh

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was very close to pulling the trigger on one not that long ago, they are lovely in the metal, but just couldn't justify the coin.
 

RallyCiaran

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I can't see Subaru doing WRC to be fair - at close to £1m / car to build, plus development, plus running a team etc i can't see how they could justify it considering they don't offer any performance models for the road any more.

And I think they get all the rally PR they need in America from doing the American rally championship, I think they are 5 or 6 times champions in a row now.
 

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My father had a Final edition for about 3 months and just sold it recently. It was underwhelming to drive he said and to be totally honest I felt the same after taking it out.

I thought it looked great though and, to be fair, the car sold through word of mouth (without ever being advertised) so I suppose in that sense they should hold onto their money fairly well.

I think there are much better cars can be bought for the money they command!

FF6150C2-2491-4F79-86A7-C652EC775DC4.jpeg
 
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Jonny_W

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My father had a Final edition for about 3 months and just sold it recently. It was underwhelming to drive he said and to be totally honest I felt the same after taking it out.

I thought it looked great though and, to be fair, the car sold through word of mouth (without ever being advertised) so I suppose in that sense they should hold onto their money fairly well.

I think there are much better cars can be bought for the money they command!

View attachment 218940
Looks small beside the civic
 

Graham

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My father had a Final edition for about 3 months and just sold it recently. It was underwhelming to drive he said and to be totally honest I felt the same after taking it out.

I thought it looked great though and, to be fair, the car sold through word of mouth (without ever being advertised) so I suppose in that sense they should hold onto their money fairly well.

I think there are much better cars can be bought for the money they command!

View attachment 218940
What way underwhelming?

yes, there are many cars out there at the same money that are nicer to drive and much faster, but they are as dull as dishwasher, this is raw, some would say a tad agricultural in its ways - it connects you, unlike the modern stuff, and i will admit, after doing a lap of Strangford Lough with not much traffic, i was genuinely amazed at the sheer grip and agility
 

Modmedia

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What way underwhelming?

yes, there are many cars out there at the same money that are nicer to drive and much faster, but they are as dull as dishwasher, this is raw, some would say a tad agricultural in its ways - it connects you, unlike the modern stuff, and i will admit, after doing a lap of Strangford Lough with not much traffic, i was genuinely amazed at the sheer grip and agility

Lack of noise, lack of "drama" and I know speed and acceleration isn't everything but it just didn't feel fast at all. Maybe I've been spoiled in the past with the latter department.

I know what you mean by agricultural/raw but I just didn't gel with it at all. I've owned a few JDM Classic Shapes and Blob/Hawkeyes and I much prefer the way they drive - I feel some of what they did well was lost with the latest one.

Don't get me wrong, I see the point you make about the majority of modern cars being dull, for instance I would take the WRX STI over the usual Golf R/S3 type idea, but after leaving it back up to my dads and taking the Civic home there was a big difference. The Civic felt 'alive' and much more engaging to drive with a nicer gearbox and felt way more 'raw' than the Subaru did.

Maybe I'm being unfair and should compare the STI to the new FK8 Civic, which I'm led to believe has toned it all down and being more daily friendly with the ride etc.
 

Graham

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Lack of noise, lack of "drama" and I know speed and acceleration isn't everything but it just didn't feel fast at all. Maybe I've been spoiled in the past with the latter department.

I know what you mean by agricultural/raw but I just didn't gel with it at all. I've owned a few JDM Classic Shapes and Blob/Hawkeyes and I much prefer the way they drive - I feel some of what they did well was lost with the latest one.

Don't get me wrong, I see the point you make about the majority of modern cars being dull, for instance I would take the WRX STI over the usual Golf R/S3 type idea, but after leaving it back up to my dads and taking the Civic home there was a big difference. The Civic felt 'alive' and much more engaging to drive with a nicer gearbox and felt way more 'raw' than the Subaru did.

Maybe I'm being unfair and should compare the STI to the new FK8 Civic, which I'm led to believe has toned it all down and being more daily friendly with the ride etc.
The latest Civic R is every bit as mad to drive as the WRX, neither of which i could live with as a daily to be fair
 

DC.

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I think you would have to really want one to buy one now. In the past if people wanted a fast, family saloon car for around £25/30k they hadn’t much choice - Evo or Subaru. Now most hatchbacks will offer similar, if not better, performance in a more complete overall package. Interior, residuals, badge appeal & the ability to be a normal car when not in a panic.

The likes of the Golf R, Focus RS, Audi S3 & Civic Type R have killed the Subaru off.

I wouldn’t entertain the idea of Subaru over any of the hatches mentioned. Changed times.
 

Gambit

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I see subaru are releasing an s209 to the US market on 14th Jan. Looks to be have extended arches over current model (y) which is what current car was crying out for.

Future_Vehicles_Teaser_DT.jpg


 

Burt2000

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Looks terrible. Subaru lost the plot years ago both in styling and how the cars drive, give me a GC8 with 300bhp in a light shell any day.
 
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