After reading the thread on here about Clarkson slagging off the new WRX, I picked up this month's TG Mag.

Imagine my surprise when I read the New STI Article with the Headlines, " PHEW! IT ROCKS.

Another quote, " At a Track Day in any conditions. Very few road cars would get past a well-driven STI. It's genuinely rapid."

Make yer minds up, I know it was only the WRX, surely Clarkson should have made some reference to the STI????

Confused.

Alan MaC

 

2 things spring to mind though Alan, firstly the 2.5WRX is a very different car to the 2.0 JDM twin scroll Sti the journo's have driven to date (not a UK 2.5), and secondly it depends which muppet TG sent as they have some travelling hacks that havn't got a clue....

Simon

 

Hi Simon,

How are things?

After our visit to Scooby UK HQ, very intersting!

On the TG Hack thing, the Journalist was Bill Thomas.

Nothing but praise, lines like, Scooby Fans, Relax. Sit back grab a Beer, crack it open & read this Story in a state of Supine smugness- Fuji Heavy Industries has NOT forgotten what makes a quick Subaru great. This New Impreza WRX STI is all the proof you'll ever need.

THis was the Japanese 2 Litre Spec he drove, he expects the UK 2.5 to be even better??

Regards Simon.

Alan

 

Jezza drove the WRX, not the STi; his main complains were that a) it was ugly, b) they'd made it too soft and uninvolving!

The STi is, most likely, a very different animal.

 

I have every confidence the STI will be a completely different beast

The WRX is after all a failure for many reasons but early indications with the STI suggest that it will keep the Die Hard's pretty happy.

 

I honestly cant wait to see an STi in the flesh, I actually really like the look of it.
Seen some mixed reviews about it though
Evo magazine dont seem to sing its praises to highly, whereas Auto express say its brilliant!
Suppose we all have to make our own minds up about it. I do think its a bit expensive compared to the outgoing model

 

THIS IS THE NEW STI I have quoted from this month' s Top Gear Magazine.

If you read the comments I have taken from the article, you will see the point I'm trying to make.

GC of TG slags the NEW WRX off in the Sunday Times this Sunday.

Whilst a colleage (also from TG) says what a cracking bit of kit the NEW WRX STI is!!

No mention that a work colleague has tested & highly rates the NEW STI.

See what I mean?

Regards#


Alan MaC

 

WRX or STI its still Butt Ugly imho

 

Having drove a Standard 08 2.5ltr WRX I can understand GC's his comments but tweak engine, suspension and 18"s a totally different car.

I cant wait to drive the STi

Tony

 

I thought the WRX was a brilliant drive.

I anticipate the STi - but, if it's like the previous STi's where they cannot be everyday cars, I won't bother.

The new STi needs to be soft .............

 

Its always nice to here you go against the grain PSL, I would call it balance, but on here, perhaps its a grain of sand versus ton weight 'balance'!

Simon

 

Pete,

If you can get a drive in the Standard STi which has 17's this should give you a simiular feel to the 07 WRX's. Trouble is most STi Demonstrators will "Top spec" IMHO

Originally FHi wern't sending any "08 WRX's" to UK, the UK 08/09 WRX would have been a turbo diesel they let 300 "WRX's" in to pacifiy UK dealers.

FHI was hoping that to suit UK tastes the normal UK WRX buyer would go for the STD Sti and UK STi buyers for the STi Sports/Top spec. Leaving the WRX Diesel to ECO hi millage Buyers. IIRC IMHO

Tony

BTW

I've driven the S-GT (WRX) and hopefully testing the JDM STi fairly soon

 

Pete

I have a 2001 jdm sti and use it every day, have done 50,000 miles in it in 2 years. I do a 200 mile trip in it twice a week and it has always been fine. I did 40,000 miles in the previous 1998 sti and that was also absolutely fine.

I did test drive a version 6 sti ra limited and decided the short gearing was not suited to the amount of mileage I do, but for me the straight forward sti models, either classic or newage, make a cracking everyday family car. When the current one wears out I will probably get another.

 

rather than start a new thread- latest from TG website:

So much has been said about how this car looks that I'm not going to bother wasting your time by telling you what I think of it. You've got eyes, so you probably think the same thing as me.

But I'm going to tell you what the UK spec 2.5- litre drives like. Or at least as much as I can from five laps of Adria International Raceway in the dark, thanks to Subaru cocking up our flights.

Thankfully though, it was enough to find out that the STi is a peach.

It has more grip than you'd expect - which, as fate would have it, I found out by misjudging a corner due to the lack of light - allowing you to hoon through corners quicker than you thought you were going to be able to.

There's also a lot of tech to fettle with, which will see you spending ages discovering what diff set-ups, throttle, and engine mapping work best in which circumstances. The really great thing about all the adjustability is that when you've got to know it all properly, you'll be able to adjust it on the fly. Like a proper rally driver.

Unfortunately there's a downside, and it's quite a big one: the STi is too damn quiet. You remember that great, hugely distinctive burble that the old STi made? Well, it's pretty much absent now unless you're standing behind it and the revs are well up.

Oh, and it's dead ugly, too.

 

off topic but....

using your new scoob at a trackday will invalidate the warranty. How do i know? cos Subaru UK told me so when they produced photos of me at a trackday. you have been warned.

 

The Little S***S!!!

Regards


Alan MaC

 

Yet they had the nerve to sell ex-trackday hacks as second-hand !

Hmmm would that invalidate the purchasers warranty I wonder ?

Dunx

 

i think a claimant may have a case as Subaru actively promote trackdays on their website.

 

I doubt it most warranties will probably exclude racing, rallying etc

 

Excluding 'time trials' is one thing, track days is another - remember how insurers had to change their policies after a biker succesfully sued over a rejected track day claim (about 2000 from memory), as a judge ruled it wasn't a time trial or competative....

Simon