The new 2008 Subaru WRX will be unveiled at the NY Auto Show in approx. a week and a half. However, some photos from the May issue of Motortrend have already leaked onto the internet. As a disclaimer, there has been lots of debate over whether this shots are photochoped (photoshoping cars) or not. I will again, put myself on the line (not really), and say that they are not. The photos were shown in context of the Motortrend issue page, where it could clearly be seen as real. As additional proof the new vehicle pictures have been put in direct comparison with spy shots of the vehicle testing. As you can see, they are identical.
Unfortunately a lot of the debating has been caused by what I believe to be anger. I think the new car is pretty ugly, and I love hatchbacks. (GTI, and the Mazda 3 5 door) People don't want to believe these pictures are real. To look at the glass half full I will say the front and side profiles are not horrendous, but the back, it's just bad. People are dissapointed the engine is exactly the same as before, and that the brakes appear to be less powerful. They are frustrated that it appears it will use the same 5 speed transmission that has given problems in the past.
Despite all these issues, I will not make judgement until driving the new Suby. The WRX was never about looks for me, or for many others. It was about affordable performance with some practicality thrown into the mix. If the new model handles better, shifts better, brakes better, and accelerates about as fast or faster, then great. As long as the dynamics are strong, then people will learn to love the looks. (I still love the looks of my sisters 03 Bugeye WRX) I fear that this will not be the case however.
Some interesting points, among the myriad of crap, have been raised on the forums in regards to this unveiling. The new WRX appears to be less performance oriented then in the past, based solely on the smaller brakes, lack of a power boost, and utility inspired hatchback configuration found in the pictures. If this is the case, then the STi will be forced to be a better vehicle. Whether that means more hardcore, or a better all arounder, I'm not sure. The Evo X, while still a beast, looks to be more refined. It is not going to compete with an M3 for refinement, but based on the short takes so far, it appears to have a made a huge jump in the right direction, including that 6 speed DSG-esque gearbox. The STi will need to make a similarly sized move to compete. This could be in one of two directions. It could move towards higher performance, but also better refinement and civility as the new Evo has done, or become even more aggressive and hardcore than ever before. The later move would make it more of a niche player, hurting sales, which would not be a smart decision on Subaru's part. Time should tell shortly, as a road test of the new WRX platform should shed some light on the potential of the STi, just as the reviews for the new Lancer GTS have proven it to be a promising platform for the new Evo.
Long story short: I'm dissapointed in the new WRX, as I think many Subaru fans are. I hope that the new STi will be amazing, and make great things from this platform so that it can not only be a great drivers car, but competitive in the now classic battle of Evo vs. STi.
Full Disclosure: As I have mentioned before I currently own a 2005 Subaru WRX STi. My sister owns a 2003 Subaru WRX.(I hope to write some articles on each soon) However, I do not have a positive bias towards Subaru's future vehicles, nor a negative bias towards any of it's competitors, including the upcoming Evo X. This should be relatively clear from what I have written above, but I think is importantly to know my vehicle history.
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