Subiesport Magazine - April/May 2008 - (Page 20)

DRIVELINE SUBARU NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD VE A GOOD ONE? SU RUMORS FROM THE SUBARU WORLD Δ HA UNSUBSTANTIATED SUBARU RUMORS RUN AMUCK BABY STI TO DEBUT? BIERUMORS@SUBIESPORT.COM DIESEL-POWERED STI? IF A VW TDI CAN WIN LE MANS THE INTERNET SUBARU blog community is abuzz with rumors about several new versions of STI. First, as reported by ScoobyBlog.com and Autoblog.com, is the possible launch of a Diesel STI. This oil-burning hothatch would produce about 180bhp and 180ft/lbs of torque and would storm to 60mph in about seven seconds. Not exactly STI territory. The upside is that fuel economy would be increased to around 45mpg and emissions would be halved. We find it somewhat unlikely that a diesel-powered Impreza would carry the STI badge. Instead, the cheaper Impreza WRX is the more likely candidate for a diesel engine. What are the chances that there will be a diesel Impreza in the United States any time soon? Not too likely. IN A MORE CREDIBLE turn, a rumor about a babySTI does seem to have some credence. While the new STI in both JDM and USDM trim is a very capable and enthusiast-friendly car, the base-model WRX has proven to be underwhelming compared to the GD-chassis Impreza. In a rare fit of buying into the Internet bitch-fest, Subaru is reportedly planning on releasing a baby STI to rectify the soft WRX. With the jump from base WRX to STI being so big, there is a huge gap between the two cars which was a bit smaller in the past. Also, while sales of the 2.5i momand-pop Impreza have been better than could be expected, sales of the WRX are slack to say the least. In the United States, expect to see this baby STI as a rethink of the WRX with the enthusiast buyer in mind (read: 25-35 year olds who can’t afford an STI and will go buy a base EVO instead). This may also be a response to Mitsubishi, that is planning on releasing a de-tuned EVO X which will be cheaper than the STI with around 250bhp and some of the electronic wizardry of the X, basically a baby EVO. Watch this space for updates. HAICHI-ROKU-RU: RWD COUPE ON TRACK PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES Purchase prints & posters straight from the pages of SUBIESPORT magazine. Professional prints look great in your ofﬁce, dorm, or even on a coffee mug. Digital downloads also available. H T T P : // P H O T O S . M E D I A S P I G O T . C O M 20 MAY 2008 THIS IS AT LEAST one rumor that appears to be true. We have reported that Toyota and Subaru are jointlybuilding a new AE86 (Corolla GT-S) based around a Subaru boxer engine. The car will be sold with either RWD or AWD drivetrains depending on how deep your pockets are. However, it seems that while this project has moved along and we could see this new drift-boxer on the streets soon, it will probably be carrying a Celica badge. Toyota, which has been bereft of a real performance model for some years now, will be taking us on a trip down memory lane when the Celica was a RWD coupe. The details at this point are still supposition. In the past, the engine was to be a 1.6-liter from the JDM base-model Impreza. Now it seems the rumor mill has dropped in a 2.0-liter turbo (which will probably grow to 2.5-liters if this car indeed makes it state-side). On sale date? Who knows, but we would expect to see a flat-6 turbocharged Legacy STI before we see a RWD turbo Celica. http://ScoobyBlog.com http://photos.mediaspigot.com http://photos.mediaspigot.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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