Subaru and the direction of the Impreza...

Nic'name

This thread is totally off topic, the original post is to discuss the new styling of the Toyota/Subaru concept car. Shall wait to meet up with my buddies in the pub to discuss it instead.

JHMEG

I should say I do like the current Imprezza, the Ft86, and the general direction that the whole thing is going in.

colm_mcm

There was a 1.6 AWD model though JHMEG. Think it was called the TS.

JHMEG

Yup, think you're right. I think there might have been an AWD version of the 1.6 Legacy too.

FearDark

colm_mcm wrote: »

There was a 1.6 AWD model though JHMEG. Think it was called the TS.

The TS is a newer version, 02 onwards.

unkel

Nic'name wrote: »

This thread is totally off topic, the original post is to discuss the new styling of the Toyota/Subaru concept car.

Who's to blame for that? You mentioned the Toyota Celica in your OP so it's only to be expected people pick up on the comparison.

Nic'name wrote: »

Shall wait to meet up with my buddies in the pub to discuss it instead.

Was it them that told you that you were a right stud with your 1.6 Impreza?

Typewriter

unkel wrote: »

Was it them that told you that you were a right stud with your 1.6 Impreza?

This coming from the stud with 14,043 posts on Boards.ie :cool:

Nic'name

Bullying young girls on boards is very cool indeed......

coolbeans

FearDark wrote: »

Pretty sure there was a 1.8 AWD non-turbo at some stage?

To call an impreza "not a true Subaru" is just mind boggling.

Unless the Civic is a 1.6 DOHC, Id say hardly, but this isnt the place to get into "my cars better than yours" debate, if you want that I suggest youtube comments page.

You obviously haven't read my post in its entirety or my point just went over your head. Subarus should have AWD in my opinion as that feature combined with the boxer engine is what makes the brand a little bit special. The mark one Impreza didn't. Even the little Vivio had 4WD FFS! Subarus also need not be stylish. It's just not a prerequisite for the marque. Never has been and probably never will be although the Toyobaru may be an exception.

Incidentally I couldn't give a toss whether her car is faster than mine. I just pulled out some cold hard facts to make a salient point as she was banging on about outrunning half the county in his bottom of the range econobox. Her Jap box and mine are approximately the same in this repspect and all I was doing was highlighting this fact. By the way, 130mph in a standard 1.6 front wheel drive Impreza; I think not.

FearDark

coolbeans wrote: »

You obviously haven't read my post in its entirety or my point just went over your head. Subarus should have AWD in my opinion as that feature combined with the boxer engine is their what makes the brand a little bit special. The mark one Impreza didn't. Even the little Vivio had 4WD FFS! Subarus also need not be stylish. It's just not a prerequisite for the marque. Never has been and probably never will be although the Toyobaru may be an exception.

Incidentally I couldn't give a toss whether her car is faster than mine. I just pulled out some cold hard facts to make a salient point as she was banging on about outrunning half the county in his bottom of the range econobox. Her Jap box and mine are approximately the same in this repspect and all I was doing was highlighting this fact. By the way, 130mph in a standard 1.6 front wheel drive Impreza; I think not.

True she is a little unrealistic with her expectations of a 1.6.

You could compare the two, the civic and the 1.6 impreza for sure, theyre in and around the same thing performance wise, but yes I did get 130+ out of one a long long time ago on the motorway between Fermoy and Cork city, but really who cares, im pretty sure you could get a fiesta up around 115mph if you gave it enough road and time.

coolbeans

OP, Subaru really never had a styling direction bar the oddball SVX. They're generally very utilitarian cars where styling is not a priority. That's changing now though and the results so far are mixed at best. I don't know how you can be so upset at this tho as the baseline in terms of style was so low in the first place. I am not saying all Subies are ugly, some look very well especially the wagons in Impreza and Legacy form but none are beautiful and that's the point I'm trying to make. If however you see beauty in function...well then that's a completely different argument and Subarus could be among the best looking cars out there.

TomMc

JHMEG wrote: »

My old man owned several 1.6 Legacys (or should it be Legacies). They were slow as treacle on a cold day, and like most of the low end Imprezzas, were all FWD.

Are you sure you aren't thinking of the Subaru Leone or 1800, rather than the Legacy. I'm pretty sure 1800cc and upwards was all there ever was with regard to the Legacy in Ireland or the UK, unless of course it was an import.

unkel

coolbeans wrote: »

OP, Subaru really never had a styling direction bar the oddball SVX. They're generally very utilitarian cars where styling is not a priority. That's changing now though and the results so far are mixed at best. I don't know how you can be so upset at this tho as the baseline in terms of style was so low in the first place. I am not saying all Subies are ugly, some look very well especially the wagons in Impreza and Legacy form but none are beautiful and that's the point I'm trying to make. If however you see beauty in function...well then that's a completely different argument and Subarus could be among the best looking cars out there.

Well said! Most Subaru owners don't care what their car looks like. All Subarus are ugly, but most are more than competent and fierce good value at it!

Graham_B18C

unkel wrote: »

Well said! Most Subaru owners don't care what their car looks like. All Subarus are ugly, but most are more than competent and fierce good value at it!

Ah now I cant agree with that, the STI I posted on the previous page is a fine car.

Its their only good looking cat but its better than them having none!

FearDark

unkel wrote: »

All Subarus are ugly.

Crazy statement imo, 93-01 STI Impreza is one of the meanest looking machines ever built.

unkel wrote: »

Most Subaru owners don't care what their car looks like.

Tell that to all the lads I know who are out polishing their paintwork and picking the crumbs out of the gear shift gator every Weekend getting them ready for shows, MASSIVE following.

I think your being biased because your a VAG head.

unkel

Grahamo999 wrote: »

Ah now I cant agree with that, the STI I posted on the previous page is a fine car.

Its their only good looking cat but its better than them having none!

It sure is a fine car but it is incredibly ugly. The one you posted with the gold wheels and the silly spoiler is pretty much the best example of how ugly a car can possibly be. That said - I guess we we'll never agree. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all

Here is the STI you posted:

unkel

FearDark wrote: »

Crazy statement imo, 93-01 STI Impreza is one of the meanest looking machines ever built.


Tell that to all the lads I know who are out polishing their paintwork and picking the crumbs out of the gear shift gator every Weekend getting them ready for shows, MASSIVE following.

I think your being biased because your a VAG head.

While those lads are polishing their paintwork on their 1.6 Impreza, I'm enjoying the sound of a great V8. And it ain't a VAG V8 and I ain't no VAG head

TomMc

I think in a decade or so an original Impreza 2000 Turbo (in Navy or Silver) without all the graphics and gold wheels etc will be a true classic. Even to this day the MK 1 is so authentic, despite its nasty interior plastics and trim. In its day it was the most affordable and practical performance car / sports saloon for daily driving in the real world. No wonder it built up a cult following.

unkel

It still is Tom, isn't it? It and the latest carnation of the EVO are probably the most performance per euro you can buy new.

coolbeans

TomMc wrote: »

I think in a decade or so an original Impreza 2000 Turbo (in Navy or Silver) without all the graphics and gold wheels etc will be a true classic. Even to this day the MK 1 is so authentic, despite its nasty interior plastics and trim. In its day it was the most affordable and practical performance car / sports saloon for daily driving in the real world. No wonder it built up a cult following.

I absolutely agree. But, and it's a point that's crucial to this discussion, it'll be recognised as a classic for the reasons you outlined and not because it's a beauty. It doesn't look that different to a 93 Corolla in base form and if the Toyota had a similar bodykit and add ons it would look just as cool but, like the Impreza, never, ever beautiful.

TomMc

Yes the most recent EVO's are even more desirable, although the running costs mean it isn't quite in the same affordable category. The shorter touring range count against them as well in more practical ownership terms.

FearDark

Someone already said it that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to me this is beautiful...

FearDark

unkel wrote: »

While those lads are polishing their paintwork on their 1.6 Impreza, I'm enjoying the sound of a great V8. And it ain't a VAG V8 and I ain't no VAG head

Theyre certainly not 1.6's, the OP made a huge mistake mentioning his 1.6 Impreza as perfect...

Unkle im probarbly mixing you up with Onkle, apologies for calling you a VAG head Ok ok youve a V8, there must be a beautiful sound off her, theres an awesome sound from that flat four of the Impreza too, what a rumble and a serious deep noise from the exhaust too. STI obviously, no more mention of the 1.5/1.6's!!

Seth Brundle

Nic'name wrote: »

This thread is totally off topic, the original post is to discuss the new styling of the Toyota/Subaru concept car. Shall wait to meet up with my buddies in the pub to discuss it instead.

I have addressed this in my PM to you just prior to you posting this. Was my PM not clear?
You are causing this thread to go off topic, now stop whinging that people follow you.

Biro

I like the styling of the STI models, the 22B, P1 etc. but you can't call them design classics. It's kind of liking the styling because of the knowledge of what they are. If you ask a layman or woman about the styling of an Impreza, Evo, or any thing like that they won't like it, cause they're not design classics, they're not art. But petrol heads love the look because of the fact that the looks reflect what we know they're capable of.
Put it another way. Lets say the Impreza never existed. Then lets say that some Chinese company randomly released some sh!tbox with a 1.3 weedy engine, but looked exactly like the Impreza turbo. (bear in mind, this is an alternate universe where the Impreza never existed!). Everyone on here would say "look at that thing, looks like it crashed into halfords" and other such negative comments would follow. Now switch back to the real universe and look at the same thing, and we like it, probably because of images of McRea sideways through a Welsh forrest with it covered in mud.
And for the record, the 1.6 Impreza is slow! I destroyed one in a race with my "girly" Celica when I had it!! And I never considered the Celica quick.

Atomic Pineapple

I think Biro is spot on with what he says.

The Impreza and Evo are not beautiful sexy cars, there mean ugly powerful cars that have a great following because of there power and capability and the image brought on by there rally pedigree.

When you start mentioning 1.6 versions though all that goes out the window and and as Biro says a 1.6 Impreza is dog slow, my g/f's father had one for years and it was a shockingly slow car for a 1.6.

TomMc

Come to think of it, the RB5 model looks exactly how an Impreza should. Purposeful, but without all the naff livery and gold wheels. The spoiler is an acquired taste but at least in a sombre colour, it looks so right.

GigaByte

I'd wait until you see Subaru's version, there's tons of different concept versions out there.

For example the concept version of the toyota model pictured in this thread is nothing like the one going into production. I for one like the direction toyota is going with there model.

GigaByte

Biro wrote: »

And for the record, the 1.6 Impreza is slow! I destroyed one in a race with my "girly" Celica when I had it!! And I never considered the Celica quick.

That was a bit of an unfair race, the 1.6 Impreza is only 88bhp and your celica was a 1.8 190bhp model?

Biro

GigaByte wrote: »

That was a bit of an unfair race, the 1.6 Impreza is only 88bhp and your celica was a 1.8 190bhp model?

Nope, I had the "even girlier" 140bhp model. 190's were like hens teeth way back when I was buying 5 or 6 years ago. I had to settle. The point was that I was in a car that I didn't consider quick, and it was far quicker than a car that someone else thought was so quick that nothing could keep up with it, apart from the turbo version...