Canadian 2008 Impreza pictures
19 July 2007 | 04:01 PM
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From: The Great White North
Canadian 2008 Impreza pictures
Have a look over here for a few pictures of the Canadian 2008 Impreza, both in hatch and saloon form.
The main odd thing I notice is it's running 2-pot's up front, whereas the current gen WRX's have standard subaru 4-pots. Seems to be an odd step back. Perhaps the saloon WRX will come with 4-pots up front, but I don't see why it would if the hatch does not have them. A step backwards I feel.
The main odd thing I notice is it's running 2-pot's up front, whereas the current gen WRX's have standard subaru 4-pots. Seems to be an odd step back. Perhaps the saloon WRX will come with 4-pots up front, but I don't see why it would if the hatch does not have them. A step backwards I feel.
19 July 2007 | 04:59 PM
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From the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club site
Why did subaru build a hatchback? (or... Why Subaru dont dont hatchback??)
Subaru wanted to compete in the world market where hatchbacks are very popular. Even though the current Impreza is a compact by US standards, it's a long, oversized vehicle to much of the rest of the world. Parking a hatchback on a city street is much easier, and most people never utilize the extra cargo volume of the wagon over a hatch anyway. Also, Subaru is one of the only remaining marques to campaign a sedan in the World Rally Championship. Longer cars are much harder to slide sideways down a narrow road.
In addition to that. Subaru realized that it had more wagon models than any other brand, and quickly put a halt to it. For 2007, the Legacy Wagon has been discontinued and for 2008, the Impreza hatch will replace the Impreza wagon. Subaru's strategy is based on the belief that someone looking for an Impreza wagon will have the option between the smaller hatch and the larger Forester, and someone looking for a Legacy wagon will have the option of an Outback wagon or the Tribeca.
How is this any different than a wagon?
There is less rear overhang. The wheelbase is a few inches longer than the previous impreza.
The '08 Impreza is still classified as a sub-compact.
But what about the sedan? I want my sedan!
It will likely only be sold in North America. Expect base and WRX models to be available in sedan and hatch versions (much like the current sedans & wagons)
Correction: We have it from this press release on the Subaru Australia site, that the sedan will debut down under next year. - Thank you Crawdads!
What about the STi? It will be a sedan, right?
All sources point to 'NO'. The WRC car is going to be a hatch. The overseas STI is going to be a hatch. Most likely, the North American STI will be a hatch as well.
I heard Subaru is going to build a 2 door hatch, where is it?
Sorry, there is no 2 door. Again, the tight city parking spaces make operating the larger doors necessary for a 2 door car, difficult at best. Since they didn't sell well (even in the US, 2 door cars didn't sell nearly as well as 4 doors and wagons), Subaru isn't going to bother with them.
What is improved by going to the new platform?
The chassis is lighter and stiffer. The rear suspension is now more compact which means a wider & lower cargo area. This is made possible by the use of rear dual A-arms instead of the previous car's rear Chapman Struts. This new rear suspension is of the same design as the Tribeca's.
Why is the exhaust exiting on the right side? I thought the exhaust had to be on the opposite side of the car from the fuel filler door, for some reason?
The exhaust pipes are still on the left side of the driveshaft. The shortened rear overhang means that the muffler was turned 90 degrees and the tailpipe now exits on the other side. The exhaust is kept on the opposite side of the car from the evaporative emissions equipment that must be close to the fuel filler tube.
The sedan has a muffler similar to that on the Legacy.. dual exits.
Why is the intake manifold plastic??
The important question is, "Why not?". Modern plastics used for manifolds are extremely strong and much cheaper to produce than metal, are better at insulating heat, smoother on the inside (for better flow) and, best of all, lighter. Currently, aluminum prices are skyrocketing (SKYROCKET!). Most carmakers, including Subaru, are reducing the amount of aluminum used to build their cars... the old intakes were made out of aluminum.
Why does the engine bay look like that of the Legacy?
Just as the previous Impreza was built on the previous Legacy platform, this new Impreza is built on the 2nd Legacy platform (debuted in '05). The platform is shortened in wheelbase resulting in less passenger room (than the Legacy), but retains the same forward chassis members and suspension pickup points,.. just like last time. The new Impreza's wheelbase is still 3.7" longer than the current one, which should translate to more interior room.
But, what about the engine? Why the Legacy engine?
The Legacy engine was specifically designed to fit lower in the chassis, and the upper portion (intercooler mounts, manifold, etc) were all made to meet the stringent European Pedestrian Impact standards. In other words: There must be enough crush space behind the hood to minimize the harm done to a struck pedestrian.
That said, the engine isn't directly out of the Legacy. While we're still lacking specifics, the engine features a flatter torque curve than any previous turbocharged Subaru engine. The torque comes on strong at low RPMs and doesn't quit until you near redline.
Will the WRX still have an aluminum hood and aluminum control arms?
Sadly, no. Subaru is discontinuing the use of extra aluminum on all the cars except for the STI models. Aluminum is just too expensive right now and Subaru (actually, nearly every car manufacturer) doesn't want to raise the prices as they don't believe most of their buyers understand the benefits of the aluminum components anyway. On the plus side, carbon fiber hoods could actually be considered 'upgrades' again.
Where are the fender flares?
The Impreza wagons never had fender flares before, so it shouldn't be very surprising that the new hatch lacks them as well. Again, this is a world car.. a bread & butter vehicle for Subaru to sell to people all over the world. What is surprising is that the sedan lacks them this time around.
Apparently, not everybody loves fender flares on their car (I know, hard to believe!) The good news is that the car is still wider than ever and the STi sports some massive flares on top of that.
What's up with the interior?
The steering wheel is right out of the Legacy and the seats remain unchanged. The lighting is red and the gauges perform a sweep calibration at startup. The stereo unit seen in the pictures has a DVD Navigation system. Behind the 7.5" screen is a 6 disc CD changer, and located in the console is an auxiliary input and even audio\video inputs for use on the screen when the car is at a stop (handbrake engaged). The longer wheelbase and an additional 2" in interior width should made the car feel much more roomy inside.
Will all Imprezas have the clear tail lamps?
The WRX and most likely the STI will have them. The lesser models will have more traditional red lamps. We are unsure at this point as to whether or not this means the lesser models will have incandescent bulbs or if they will be lit with LEDs like the WRX. Since all cars must have red reflectors facing the rear, Subaru mounted them down low on the bumper.
Correction, all of the hatches appear to be getting the clear tails.
Why are the 4-pot brakes gone!
While the 4-pot brakes are nice, they don't provide any more braking power than the 2-pots. The number of "pots" or pistons that a brake caliper has, only affects the feedback to the pedal. The 4-pots were added to the 2006 & 2007 WRX to add interest to an old chassis. This sort of de-contenting is perfectly normal for carmakers to do when introducing new vehicles. As the car ages, Subaru will add more features again to boost sales. For now, take solace in the fact that the mighty Honda/Acura NSX.. the only supercar designed with the help of Ayrton Senna and hailed as having the best brakes short of a Porsche 911, sported sliding calipers at all 4 corners. Besides, the 4 pots are actually heavier. (Correction - The 4 pots are actually 500mg lighter than the 2 pots, Thanks Siper2!)
Why did they put those tiny little wheels on it?
Those are 17" wheels, just like on the current WRX. Just as in the current lineup, the lesser models will get 16" wheels standard.
Are those frames I see around the windows???
Yep. It looks like Subaru is going to move away from frameless. The pillars still look relatively thin, so we can probably expect minimal intrusion into the driver's visiblity. Subaru probably made this move to attract people to their cars that would otherwise be turned off by what they consider to be 'inferior' doors, and to reduce warranty work on misaligned frameless windows.
What other specifications do we know about?
Steering ratio has been improved to 15:1 (up from 16.5:1) which is the current STI's ratio.
Subaru is estimating a 10% improvement in fuel efficiency!
There are more specs here.
Subaru is owned by Toyota now, right? This new Impreza is actually a Corolla or something, right?
No, not at all. General Motors was holding onto a non-controlling share of Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru's parent company) up until this past Fall when they sold them. Some of them (8.7%) were sold to Toyota. Shortly afterwards, Toyota was looking at some major profits and several rumors began about them being in the position to buy Subaru entirely. Toyota quickly dismissed the rumors citing that they felt comfortable with their current involvement with Subaru, and were enjoying the collaborative efforts that were underway.
The new Impreza is 100% Subaru (if you don't count the individual parts made by Nissan, Mitsubishi, KYB, Brembo, etc, etc, etc). It's a Subaru design, through & through.
Where will the new Impreza be built?
The new Impreza is to be built in Gunma, Japan. There were rumors about the Impreza being built in the US alongside the Legacy (in Lafayette, IN), but agreements made with Toyota have led to Toyota using the extra space.
What else is different?
VDC
The new Impreza boasts VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control; aka stability control) for the first time, and yes.. it can be turned off. Sources are indicating that it's not very intrusive at all for spirited driving. We're all hoping this will reduce insurance rates in the long run.
No more rear VLSD for WRX
Subaru's policy of using an LSD on the rear axle of every turbo model is coming to an end. The rear viscous LSD (VLSD) will no longer come on the WRX. I, Beaverboy, am willing to bet that most owners will never miss it. It's only effective on loose surfaces, so the rallycrossers will bemoan it's loss, everybody else will just drive normally. Actually, the VLSD is responsible for twitchy handling on slick surfaces, so hopefully it's absence will reduce insurance rates in the long run as well.
Why did subaru build a hatchback? (or... Why Subaru dont dont hatchback??)
Subaru wanted to compete in the world market where hatchbacks are very popular. Even though the current Impreza is a compact by US standards, it's a long, oversized vehicle to much of the rest of the world. Parking a hatchback on a city street is much easier, and most people never utilize the extra cargo volume of the wagon over a hatch anyway. Also, Subaru is one of the only remaining marques to campaign a sedan in the World Rally Championship. Longer cars are much harder to slide sideways down a narrow road.
In addition to that. Subaru realized that it had more wagon models than any other brand, and quickly put a halt to it. For 2007, the Legacy Wagon has been discontinued and for 2008, the Impreza hatch will replace the Impreza wagon. Subaru's strategy is based on the belief that someone looking for an Impreza wagon will have the option between the smaller hatch and the larger Forester, and someone looking for a Legacy wagon will have the option of an Outback wagon or the Tribeca.
How is this any different than a wagon?
There is less rear overhang. The wheelbase is a few inches longer than the previous impreza.
The '08 Impreza is still classified as a sub-compact.
But what about the sedan? I want my sedan!
It will likely only be sold in North America. Expect base and WRX models to be available in sedan and hatch versions (much like the current sedans & wagons)
Correction: We have it from this press release on the Subaru Australia site, that the sedan will debut down under next year. - Thank you Crawdads!
What about the STi? It will be a sedan, right?
All sources point to 'NO'. The WRC car is going to be a hatch. The overseas STI is going to be a hatch. Most likely, the North American STI will be a hatch as well.
I heard Subaru is going to build a 2 door hatch, where is it?
Sorry, there is no 2 door. Again, the tight city parking spaces make operating the larger doors necessary for a 2 door car, difficult at best. Since they didn't sell well (even in the US, 2 door cars didn't sell nearly as well as 4 doors and wagons), Subaru isn't going to bother with them.
What is improved by going to the new platform?
The chassis is lighter and stiffer. The rear suspension is now more compact which means a wider & lower cargo area. This is made possible by the use of rear dual A-arms instead of the previous car's rear Chapman Struts. This new rear suspension is of the same design as the Tribeca's.
Why is the exhaust exiting on the right side? I thought the exhaust had to be on the opposite side of the car from the fuel filler door, for some reason?
The exhaust pipes are still on the left side of the driveshaft. The shortened rear overhang means that the muffler was turned 90 degrees and the tailpipe now exits on the other side. The exhaust is kept on the opposite side of the car from the evaporative emissions equipment that must be close to the fuel filler tube.
The sedan has a muffler similar to that on the Legacy.. dual exits.
Why is the intake manifold plastic??
The important question is, "Why not?". Modern plastics used for manifolds are extremely strong and much cheaper to produce than metal, are better at insulating heat, smoother on the inside (for better flow) and, best of all, lighter. Currently, aluminum prices are skyrocketing (SKYROCKET!). Most carmakers, including Subaru, are reducing the amount of aluminum used to build their cars... the old intakes were made out of aluminum.
Why does the engine bay look like that of the Legacy?
Just as the previous Impreza was built on the previous Legacy platform, this new Impreza is built on the 2nd Legacy platform (debuted in '05). The platform is shortened in wheelbase resulting in less passenger room (than the Legacy), but retains the same forward chassis members and suspension pickup points,.. just like last time. The new Impreza's wheelbase is still 3.7" longer than the current one, which should translate to more interior room.
But, what about the engine? Why the Legacy engine?
The Legacy engine was specifically designed to fit lower in the chassis, and the upper portion (intercooler mounts, manifold, etc) were all made to meet the stringent European Pedestrian Impact standards. In other words: There must be enough crush space behind the hood to minimize the harm done to a struck pedestrian.
That said, the engine isn't directly out of the Legacy. While we're still lacking specifics, the engine features a flatter torque curve than any previous turbocharged Subaru engine. The torque comes on strong at low RPMs and doesn't quit until you near redline.
Will the WRX still have an aluminum hood and aluminum control arms?
Sadly, no. Subaru is discontinuing the use of extra aluminum on all the cars except for the STI models. Aluminum is just too expensive right now and Subaru (actually, nearly every car manufacturer) doesn't want to raise the prices as they don't believe most of their buyers understand the benefits of the aluminum components anyway. On the plus side, carbon fiber hoods could actually be considered 'upgrades' again.
Where are the fender flares?
The Impreza wagons never had fender flares before, so it shouldn't be very surprising that the new hatch lacks them as well. Again, this is a world car.. a bread & butter vehicle for Subaru to sell to people all over the world. What is surprising is that the sedan lacks them this time around.
Apparently, not everybody loves fender flares on their car (I know, hard to believe!) The good news is that the car is still wider than ever and the STi sports some massive flares on top of that.
What's up with the interior?
The steering wheel is right out of the Legacy and the seats remain unchanged. The lighting is red and the gauges perform a sweep calibration at startup. The stereo unit seen in the pictures has a DVD Navigation system. Behind the 7.5" screen is a 6 disc CD changer, and located in the console is an auxiliary input and even audio\video inputs for use on the screen when the car is at a stop (handbrake engaged). The longer wheelbase and an additional 2" in interior width should made the car feel much more roomy inside.
Will all Imprezas have the clear tail lamps?
The WRX and most likely the STI will have them. The lesser models will have more traditional red lamps. We are unsure at this point as to whether or not this means the lesser models will have incandescent bulbs or if they will be lit with LEDs like the WRX. Since all cars must have red reflectors facing the rear, Subaru mounted them down low on the bumper.
Correction, all of the hatches appear to be getting the clear tails.
Why are the 4-pot brakes gone!
While the 4-pot brakes are nice, they don't provide any more braking power than the 2-pots. The number of "pots" or pistons that a brake caliper has, only affects the feedback to the pedal. The 4-pots were added to the 2006 & 2007 WRX to add interest to an old chassis. This sort of de-contenting is perfectly normal for carmakers to do when introducing new vehicles. As the car ages, Subaru will add more features again to boost sales. For now, take solace in the fact that the mighty Honda/Acura NSX.. the only supercar designed with the help of Ayrton Senna and hailed as having the best brakes short of a Porsche 911, sported sliding calipers at all 4 corners. Besides, the 4 pots are actually heavier. (Correction - The 4 pots are actually 500mg lighter than the 2 pots, Thanks Siper2!)
Why did they put those tiny little wheels on it?
Those are 17" wheels, just like on the current WRX. Just as in the current lineup, the lesser models will get 16" wheels standard.
Are those frames I see around the windows???
Yep. It looks like Subaru is going to move away from frameless. The pillars still look relatively thin, so we can probably expect minimal intrusion into the driver's visiblity. Subaru probably made this move to attract people to their cars that would otherwise be turned off by what they consider to be 'inferior' doors, and to reduce warranty work on misaligned frameless windows.
What other specifications do we know about?
Steering ratio has been improved to 15:1 (up from 16.5:1) which is the current STI's ratio.
Subaru is estimating a 10% improvement in fuel efficiency!
There are more specs here.
Subaru is owned by Toyota now, right? This new Impreza is actually a Corolla or something, right?
No, not at all. General Motors was holding onto a non-controlling share of Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru's parent company) up until this past Fall when they sold them. Some of them (8.7%) were sold to Toyota. Shortly afterwards, Toyota was looking at some major profits and several rumors began about them being in the position to buy Subaru entirely. Toyota quickly dismissed the rumors citing that they felt comfortable with their current involvement with Subaru, and were enjoying the collaborative efforts that were underway.
The new Impreza is 100% Subaru (if you don't count the individual parts made by Nissan, Mitsubishi, KYB, Brembo, etc, etc, etc). It's a Subaru design, through & through.
Where will the new Impreza be built?
The new Impreza is to be built in Gunma, Japan. There were rumors about the Impreza being built in the US alongside the Legacy (in Lafayette, IN), but agreements made with Toyota have led to Toyota using the extra space.
What else is different?
VDC
The new Impreza boasts VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control; aka stability control) for the first time, and yes.. it can be turned off. Sources are indicating that it's not very intrusive at all for spirited driving. We're all hoping this will reduce insurance rates in the long run.
No more rear VLSD for WRX
Subaru's policy of using an LSD on the rear axle of every turbo model is coming to an end. The rear viscous LSD (VLSD) will no longer come on the WRX. I, Beaverboy, am willing to bet that most owners will never miss it. It's only effective on loose surfaces, so the rallycrossers will bemoan it's loss, everybody else will just drive normally. Actually, the VLSD is responsible for twitchy handling on slick surfaces, so hopefully it's absence will reduce insurance rates in the long run as well.
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