WRX STi Coupe render

"Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ" (doge-supreme) 02/04/2014 at 00:29 • Filed to: None

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found this looking around on google.

If Subaru made this they could have all my money. The profile reminds me of the GC8

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ 02/04/2014 at 01:30

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I have been asking for an Impreza based AWD coupe for a VERY long time...

but this is bland.

The Hyundai Elantra coupe has a sleeker roofline than that, and not really trying to be very sporty.

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 02/04/2014 at 10:48

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It looks like a modern version of this to me.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ 02/04/2014 at 10:58

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I like it, would hoon. Would even consider trading in the 07 on that.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ 02/04/2014 at 12:17

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It does...

That doesn't mean that GC8 Coupe was a looker in it's day.

It looked better than the sedan it was based on (same roof, same rear glass even, IIRC.)

But it wasn't the best looking AWD coupe of it's generation.

The lack of Subaru coupes just means it is in rare company.

SVX was better looking. Eagle Talon TSi, Dodge Stealth RT come to mind...

It isn't a bad car, and the drivetrain is good, swap availability is easy, and they are affordable.

That doesn't mean they are particularly sexy, as coupes go... and what else is the point of a coupe, if not to be aerodynamic and aesthetically pleasing?

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 02/04/2014 at 12:27

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The coupe had a stiffer chassis than the sedan did which made it better for rally, it also weighed less. The Original STi's were true rally cars for the road that ended up getting watered down over the years. The weren't designed to look good at the time but to be rugged and easy to fix, and in recent years Subaru has lost that character. I just wish they would bring back a bare 2 door rally coupe with minimal gadgets and weight, but I guess its just nostalgia.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ 02/04/2014 at 13:00

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The GC8 Coupe and sedan were the exact same car.

The b-pillar, longer-doors, and rear quarter windows, and associated interior trimming, were the only differences.

WRX and 22B STI may have had chassis bracing added, but not because of it being a coupe rather than a sedan.

It was only lighter due to the lack of a rear door, which can be said for any coupe based closely on a 4-door car... save that coupe doors are heavier for side-intrusion protection.

Subaru went for 10+ years with no coupes at all, and I was greatly disappointed when the FT-86 project was shown to have no facility for AWD, restricting it to RWD only. They missed a golden opportunity to have the only affordable all-season, all-road sport coupe on the market.

Subaru has lost character since 2008. The GR WRX was a bomb when it released, until it got a proper power upgrade in 2009, and STI was criticized for less-sharp handling, which was somewhat addressed with the mid-life update in 2011 when WRX and STI started sharing the wide-body.

Legacy went from an under-appreciated gem from 05-09, to a bland camry-wannabe in 2010, and has been ever since.

BRZ is Subaru not wanting Toyota to get all the glory, not much else. It should have been an AWD alternative to Mustang, Genesis, and Toyota's RWD version... and better yet, Toyota's version should have been a new mid-engined Subaru-powered MR2 coupe, like a half-priced junior Cayman. The car still wants for either FA20DIT or EZ-family H6 power under the hood.

Forester XT lost the manual gearbox option, and any pretense at sporting intentions for a CUV... a turbo Forester is just an alternative to an H6 forester, so that it doesn't step on Outback 3.6R's toes. and both have gotten "better" for the mainstream buyer, but much blander, and boring, just as the 2015 Legacy sedan concept shows that they're doing again.

Impreza got even blander in 2012... and we've been waiting 3 years for a WRX and STI that no longer bear the Impreza name... yet the name only seems to be the change. They still look like boy-racer tarted-up econo-boxes.

Compact sporty CUVs are an up-and-coming segment, but subaru is again having their lunch money stolen... XV Crosstrek could be interesting, but is DRASTICALLY under-powered for any sport intention, and merely breathing on the option list dispenses the 6-speed manual for a CVT instead.

I traded my Legacy GT for something else that fit my cargo needs better, with more amenities, and a lower price than an Outback or Tribeca.

My SVX is getting to the point where the costs to repair it are exceeding the value of the car... so I am not sure how much longer I can justify keeping it while it waits on repairs. Hundreds of dollars quoted to replace wheel bearings is discouraging.

2015 WRX may be an improvement over the current GR WRX... but I don't think it is enough to make me want to spend money on it, especially on a body style where I would MUCH rather have a rear cargo door than the extra pair of passenger doors.

2015 WRX STI with the aged EJ257 drivetrain in the new body is ridiculous, after 10 model years with the same good tech.... the bar no longer sits where it did in 2004, or even 2008. More is expected for near enough to 40 grand.

Subaru may be growing in sales... but only because they are trying to be a junior Toyota, and going mainstream. Going too mainstream hurt Toyota's performance reputation, and got them the 'beige' reputation that they have. Subaru is following right along.

A 2 door rally coupe, as good as that would be... I don't think it is likely.

I would buy it... but I don't think it will happen. It would be a drag on their CAFE passenger car fleet average rating.

If there is to be any other turbo Subarus, besides WRX and STI sedans... There might be a last hold-out chance for a WRX-drivetrain in the XV Crosstrek, as a light truck, since the 5-door WRX is gone for 2015... the light truck fleet average is less strict, and turbos, even direct injected, are a little thirsty.

I'd personally love a 3-door XV Crosstrek Sport (in addition to the 5-door body) with the FA20DIT 6MT drivetrain, good brakes, 5x114 wheel hubs, and good all-road shocks. Rally cars shouldn't be low to the ground, anyway.

But I am not even sure that is likely, and if they do anything with XV and a turbo, it will probably stay 5-door.