Subiesport Magazine - April/May 2008 - (Page 12)

BURNOUT SUBIESPORT MAGAZINE VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 EDITORIAL STAFF Editor in Chief: Travis Geny Photography Editor: Yujiro Otsuki Canadian: Warwick Patterson Style Editor: Armin H. Ausejo Alfa Snob: Jeff Zurschmeide Copy Editor: Michael Ligot Technical editor: Tim Bailey REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Sponaugle, David Hobbs, Kumakubo, Jason Wong. BUSINESS STAFF IT HAS BEEN about six months now since the release of the all-new Impreza and something is bothering me. I was never one of those people who got on the design recall bandwagon, nor did I gnash my teeth and cry “why has my god forsaken me?,” at the sky. No, the new Impreza never elicited much more of a response from me beyond, “what’s with the tail lights?” However, I do have a problem with the car. It’s not the handling, or the power or even the looks; it’s the soul. Or should I say, the lack thereof. I hate to say it, but the soul of the Impreza is looking a little dim these days. Don’t get me wrong, I love the new Impreza. It handles just as well as the old WRX and it goes like stink, but something is missing. For one thing, it is way too comfortable. I can dawdle along the road at triple digit speeds and not have to worry about a thing. Pinkie on the wheel, stereo blasting, air conditioning full blast and not a care in the world. Secondly, its looks are way too sedate. It is a very good-looking car, but it is missing that extra bit of flair that made you absolutely know that this is an Impreza. Here is a test: take a Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and an older Impreza all in the same color, let’s say silver, line them up and take about 1000 steps back. I bet you can still tell the Impreza apart from the other two. Now, do the same trick, only add in a 2008 Impreza. I bet you couldn’t tell the difference. And the problem only gets worse as you get closer. I have found myself staring into the face of a new STI and not even knowing it. The only way our 2008 WRX project car gets looks is that it has giant golden koi and Hokusai waves plastered all over the sides. It’s the stickers that get looks, not the actual car. But let’s go back to the driving. The other day, I had a chance to do a highway cruise in a heav12 MAY 2008 ily modified 2002 WRX wagon. With a full STI drivetrain, Prodrive springs and STI struts, 18G turbo and TurboXS exhaust, I would not call this car calm… but it is. Compared to my 1993 Wagon with very similar modifications, the 2002 felt like a Cadillac. My older Impreza feels absolutely like a stripped-out racer when compared to cars 10 and 15 years its junior. Now, this is no fault of Subaru’s. Other car manufacturers are guilty of this “softening” as well. The new EVOX is a car so contrived that it actually looks like some 12-year-old’s concept of what a fast car should be. And I find it abhorrent that the WRX has actually been compared to the likes of the GTI, a car so foul and unreliable that they give you a bus pass when you buy one. Despite this lack of passion, the joy of the WRX and STI is that they are exactly what they purport themselves to be: Cheap Japanese economy cars with lots of power, AWD and spot-on reliability. Sure they are softer than their predecessors, but they have to be, despite what we all say, no one wants to drive a stripped-out racer everyday. And let’s face it, the old Impreza was every bit as ugly as the new one, it just had fender flares standard, so we forgave its homely appearance. Subaru has just changed the shape of the new car and made the seats a bit squishier, that is all. And don’t get me started on the lack of Recaro sport buckets; who cares? Racing seats everyday, sucks. Ask me how I know. I guess I actually relish the new cars, soul be damned. They are every bit as fast and fun as the old cars, the only difference is that you can actually hear your passenger crying for their life as you put the hammer down. Publisher: Ryan Douthit Customer Service: Steven Anderson Bookkeeper: Melissa Douthit Circulation: Circ. One Head Swiffer: Esmé Douthit ADVERTISING SALES Ryan Douthit 425-458-4949 ext. 3 ryan@subiesport.com SubieClub Member Publication www.subieclub.com Subiesport Magazine is published by MediaSpigot Publishing LLC. Phone or Fax: (425) 458-4949 Web: www.subiesport.com. 4176 148th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052 All subscriptions and subscription correspondence should be addressed to: Subiesport Subscriptions PO BOX 2866 Kirkland, WA 98083 For change of address, please include old address along with new address and, if possible, a copy of an address label from a recent issue. Allow up to six weeks for address to be changed. 1-Year (6-issue) subscriptions are $19.99 (US), $29.99USD (CDN) or $39.99USD (EUR). Subiesport Magazine is independent of Subaru and its dealer network. © & ™ 2004-08 MediaSpigot Publishing., LLC. Travis Geny - travis@subiesport.com All rights reserved. Reprinting, in whole or part, is expressly forbidden except by written permission of the Publisher. http://www.subiesport.com http://www.subieclub.com http://www.subieclub.com http://www.subiesport.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Subiesport Magazine - April/May 2008

Subiesport Magazine - April/May 2008 Contents Travis Geny Letters Readers' Rides Subaru News Wicked in White Pink Rules Harman Motive Nouveau Tuning the 2008 STI 2008 Rally Guide Alcan 5000 Rally Alcan Unleashed WRC Rally Monte Carlo WRC Rally Sweden WRC Rally Mexico 100 Acre Wood Kumakubo! D1 Drifting Where to Buy Subiesport 2008 Impreza WRX 2007 Legacy GT 1993 Impreza Wagon Fueled Up Ad Directory Spotted!

Subiesport Magazine - April/May 2008

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