Wednesday 24th October 2007

Tokyo 2007: New Scoob STI

New STI in looking good shocker

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Probably would still kick it out of bed for eating biscuits

Time for a slightly controversial statement – I don’t reckon this thing looks too bad. Having seen the UK WRX in the flesh, which admittedly is no oil painting, now it’s got some pumped up muscles and extra dose of attitude, I think this new STI looks the business.

Soon to be seen taking the fight to Messrs Loeb and Gronholm on the world’s rally stages, the 5-door STI was finally unveiled today in Tokyo.

To help Mr Solberg regain his competitiveness, the new road car, on which his rally weapon is based, has a wider front and rear track (45 and 40mm respectively), and, while the car is 50mm shorter than the outgoing model, the wheelbase has increased by 95mm

The new Scoob is powered by a heavily-revised 2.5-litre turbo engine, with variable valve timing on both inlet and exhaust valves to improve power and reduce emissions.

The 296bhp produced is fed through a re-engineered 6-speed ’box into the improved DCCD, while responses can be honed using the new Subaru Si-Drive system.  

Multi-link rear suspension, a liberal use of lightweight aluminium for the front suspension arms and inverted front struts all help to improve ride and roadholding too.

The STI goes on sale in the UK next Spring.

[chrisbr68]

I like the fact that it has a new look but its a bit busy for my taste. Also reminds me of an X3 from the rear quarter shot.

[john_r]

Looking good in a Proton/Astra/Halfords/Rover200 way...

Edited by john_r on Wednesday 24th October 12:13

[scotty_917]

Focus RS + Lancia Delta Integrale sporn illicit love child........or it could be a pimp my ride Hyundai... R.I.P. the 'real' scooby...

[Fetchez la vache]

OK I concede. It's slightly less ugly than the WRX

[Bob_Defly]

Still not great looking.

[mightymouse]

Bob_Defly said:

Still not great looking.

Incorrect IMO.

It certainly looks better than the boggo standard one

[VladD]

I suppose the question is, are there any good looking cars in this sector?

Golf, no.
Focus, no.
Astra, no.
Leon, no.
Civic, no.

I'd take this Impreza over any of those models, but I don't think I'd have any of them by choice.

[Garlick]

I like it now, it's like the ugly girl you ignored at school only for her to become fit later

But still ate too many pies perhaps?

[Insight]

Nose = isn't ugly, just bland
Sides = look like they are off a completely different car, perhaps a BMW. Back = hideous.

[Goochie]

What? No blue paintwork with gold wheels?

[bob1179]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

I need to see one in the flesh.

Is there going to be a three door one?

[gemini]

Goochie said:

What? No blue paintwork with gold wheels?

Not yet - give it time

It is still the cadburys "fusion" of the car world, sweep up all the other bits and bang em together. Poor do Subaru, good do better!

[MrKipling43]

I've been saying this version would look good right from the start.

And I'm bloody well right too!

Gotta get home to GT5 Prologue Demo!

[GarC]

Hopefully it'll be a grower. There are quite a few cars out there that many of us hated at launch only for us to warm to them based on their merits.

I'll wait til I've had a go to comment.

Anyway at least when you're in it you don't have to look at it.

[mat205125]

When can I get a 3dr without the stupid Barry Boy rear lights? That might actually look pretty cool.

[Dirty Monkey]

When the first impreza came out, it wasn’t regarded as a good looker. But it made everyone like it through its performance and rally status, everyone got used to the looks, and it became to be the “classic” shape of the impreza.

Its exactly the same with the new one, there is some good technology going into the car, suspension geometry and turbo (better anti lag control) are examples of them. You’ll see, it will be better than its front wheel drive rivals, and it will embarrass a lot more expensive cars too. I’m not sure about the evo….it has to be compared properly (and I’m sure that every magazine in the country will do that when they both come out). In a couple of years every critic here will warm to it due to the new status that this impreza will make for it self…and may be even through looks. And then you will be saying that the "new new" model is not as nice as the previous one. You just do not understand it yet

I do not work for subaru

[Road_Terrorist]

In fairness, it certainly doesn't look any worse than the previous two abortions Subaru tried to pass off an Imprezas, the bug eye and bride of frankenstein, yuck. Those rear lights have really got to go though.

Now that so many cars have those 'lexus' style lights as OEM, I wonder if there is a business opportunity in selling 'normal' replacement rear lights for those afflicted with the lexus style ones as standard.

[zagato]

VladD said:

I suppose the question is, are there any good looking cars in this sector?

Golf, no.
Focus, no.
Astra, no.
Leon, no.
Civic, no.

I'd take this Impreza over any of those models, but I don't think I'd have any of them by choice.

Very true.

I also suspect the interior plastics will be shocking.

[ode]

Imprezas have always been fugly, why should this new one be any different?

[baSkey]

seeing as you lot and PH themselves seem to want to keep regurgitating the same story.. I am going to bring back my subarishi thread:

http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=448432

and let's face it, with the exception of the 22B, the proportions of all imprezas have been crap. the front overhangs have been too long for starters. the roof has been too high compared to the waistline etc etc.

____________

don't get me wrong i like these cars but to have such strong reactions to the looks of a bland car when the old one was blandish and certainly not well styled seems odd to me.

in my book the best looking of any of these cars is the 22B and then it's the evoVI(non-makinnen) and then possibly the evoX but only with the BBSs..