rogerbvonceg wrote: Leather and HID, at last!
Am I the the only one who doesn't give a rat's ass about HID's?
rogerbvonceg wrote: Leather and HID, at last!
Am I the the only one who doesn't give a rat's ass about HID's?
"Very Special New Car Review ...coming soon! This is why I hate mags that run great cover blurbs...and the article either a) can't be found inside or on the table of contents or b) is a 1/4 page announcement of a "new" upgrade on an existing auto. Yes, I KNOW how the magazine business works from the inside, but I thought you would have had more respect for the people who read your mag, post on this forum, and can make or break your credibility with their disposable income.
Almost makes a certain editor sound like a fanboi! 
Are we looking for new ad revenue from Subaru? Naaaaah..
minimac wrote: I wonder what all that power will do to these headgaskets in ,say, 80k miles. Get one for a long term/high mileage review. Then I may be impressed. Heck, even a Yugo didn't fall apart in the first 1k miles!
I don't follow you. The STI has had 300HP since its introduction in the US. Did I miss something?
Woody wrote:rogerbvonceg wrote: Leather and HID, at last!Am I the the only one who doesn't give a rat's ass about HID's?
Or leather? AKA overpriced vinyl.
David S. Wallens wrote: Wait a minute, are you saying that we had a thorough track test of a hot, new car all lined up and then someone wrecked the car? Well, I'm sure the car company at least had the courtesy to alert us so we could modify our plans.
Is that another thing you missed?
minimac wrote: Almost makes a certain editor sound like a fanboi!
I did get a pair of shoes from Subaru. Seriously. They're worth a photo. I'll post one soon. Let's just say that they're very metal.
minimac wrote: I wonder what all that power will do to these headgaskets in ,say, 80k miles. Get one for a long term/high mileage review. Then I may be impressed. Heck, even a Yugo didn't fall apart in the first 1k miles!
They've had that power since '08 (STi) and '09 (WRX). There are some guys getting near that 80k at this point. I have 35k on my 09 wrx. Haven't seen anything on the subie forums suggesting that it's a concern....
The stock tune on the '08s is really lean when the boost first kicks in. You'll want to get it fixed...
The second graph is more how you want it to see, boost goes up, AFR drops and stays low as the RPMs increase...
racinginc215 wrote: I found it funny that there was a big to do about it on the forum and it was posted on facebook hours before Tom ever posted this little contest. So I'm not sure how that was an embargo.
Yeah, I was a little disappointed with that.
A couple comments now that I finally got home and got to read it - particularly on David's comments:
The Impreza WRX received a major redo for 2008, and with the stiffer body and new rear suspension came a couple of complaints: The car had become soft and lost its edge, some said. Those cries didn’t fall on deaf ears, as Subaru has performed a pretty substantial mid-cycle facelift for 2011.
minor point (and I know you know already), but the actual suspension upgrade was for '09. Although the 09 looked the same as the 08 (more or less), it got spring rates identical to the STi and bigger sways, plus better stock tires (SP Sport01 vs. RE92).
AFAIK the '11 suspension is using the same sways/spring rates as the '09-10 with the real upgrades being the track width and wheel width (wheel width not really caring, since what WRX drivers are still on their stock wheels, lol?
I also like the new blacked-out interior
As far as I can tell in the pictures, that interior is 100% identical to the one in my 09 as far as colors, trim, etc etc...aside from the faint double red stripe down the middle of the seats. What am I missing? Or do I just not pay attention to my car, lol...
My seats look charcoal in sunlight, but black when in the shade. Not sure if the lighting in your photos make the test vehicle's seats look "blacker" or if they actually are...
exterior is definitely an upgrade for all the teens and 20-somethings out there and certainly looks more like a wrx. That said, I am happy to have an 09 because the police and the street racers don't notice me as much 
Overall, Subaru is doing a good job of catering to their core clientele, which is sure to like the new body style.
Nice reviews though. Still want that info about the track width and how they did it.
oh also...I can't freakin BELIEVE they didn't get rid of the stupid chrome strip on the trunk. About every single person that I know with an 08+ wrx has painted this strip body-color and everyone hates the damn faux-chrome. What is it with carmakers and chintzy chrome tack-ons on the trunk (see Ford Fusion as well)?
That damn strip kills the "aggressiveness" of the rear end, IMO. As do the FOUR chrome badges. Subaru should have paid closer attnetion to the scene and body-colored the chrome strip and made the badges gunmetal to match the wheels. DETAILS DETAILS!
As far as the rear suspension redo, I was talking about the change from struts to A-arms--that's when the real complaining seemed to begin. Seats are supposed to be "more black" than before. Did the carbon black interior appear last year?
I'm also waiting to hear about regarding the exact hardware changes needed to widen the track. I think I know the answer, but I'm waiting for a confirmation.
Speaking of the WRX, we discussed adding a twin-clutch transmission to the option sheet. Obviously there's some real issues to overcome, but would people pay for it?
And one more post on the topic. I have a ton of press materials here. If there's a specific question, comment on a review and I'll do my best to answer.
In reply to David S. Wallens:
IDK. what is the difference between charcoal or carbon black or whatever? I've always considered my seats "black" when not in direct sunlight...maybe these are just blacker
damn, and why would anyone complain about A-arms replacing struts?? Better ride, better geometry...what's not to like?
Nice review guys. As a 2009 WRX owner, I'm interested in the changes they made on the '11 models. But I'm pretty sure Irish44j is right about the suspension stuff. They upgraded the 09's quite a bit. Also, I get enough trouble from all the street racers as it is wil my non-flared hatch, so I'll be hanging onto mine. 
I really dig the new wheels though. I'll probably snag a set in a few years when they start hitting the used market. My 17x8 Rotas should suffice until then.
Oh, and thanks for the stickers!
David S. Wallens wrote: Speaking of the WRX, we discussed adding a twin-clutch transmission to the option sheet. Obviously there's some real issues to overcome, but would people pay for it?
I wouldn't. I like a traditional manual....no matter how inefficient it might be.
I'm sure others would though.
Subaru should concentrate on direct-injection first.....would add performance and fuel economy (sadly lacking on H4s)....
or....diesel boxer like they have in the Euro-spec impreza/wrx...
irish44j wrote: In reply to David S. Wallens: IDK. what is the difference between charcoal or carbon black or whatever? I've always considered my seats "black" when not in direct sunlight...maybe these are just blacker
I don't know why the complaints, but enthusiasts initially seemed pretty unhappy with the new car. The word I seemed to hear a lot was "soft."
As far as interior, the press materials say "new color for trim panels." I thought the last WRX I drove had silver interior trim. Or am I stroking out? (Believe me, I have been proofing for last 3 or 4 hours.)
Yes, we discussed diesel, too. Of course they couldn't confirm or deny anything. If it helps, one of the guys in charge is a GRM fan.
David S. Wallens wrote: I don't know why the complaints, but enthusiasts initially seemed pretty unhappy with the new car. The word I seemed to hear a lot was "soft." As far as interior, the press materials say "new color for trim panels." I thought the last WRX I drove had silver interior trim. Or am I stroking out? (Believe me, I have been proofing for last 3 or 4 hours.)
the 08s got the "soft" complaints. The 09 fixed the "soft performance" (more power, stiffer springs than any WRX, ever) and can run circles around any previous wrx, stock for stock in pretyt much every performance aspect.
Of course, the 09-10 still looked mostly like the 08 and alot of people (ALOT) complained about the less-aggressive/more mainstream looks.
Mine has gunmetal-ish trim....but in that photo from the '11 review, the trim looks to be the same color as mine, particularly the center console (compare my pic above with the one in the article). Again though, maybe the lighting.
My interior is always so dirty, I don't think I'd want MORE black, lol. (admittedly, I play beach volleyball 4x a week and sand shows up on black!)
Hmmm, may have to get two cars side by side to compare trim.
Here's a pic of my seats for reference. Yeah, it looks like the center panels are a bit more charcoal than straight black.... Guess I never really noticed.
David S. Wallens: 1 Irish44j: 0
Hey, it's all shades of gray.
the side bolsters are definitely straight black.
I could go take a pic right now, the seat is covered with fine white Hawaiian beach sand (as is the carpet and everything else). And I don't even live near a beach!
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