Okay, i was just driving near the Prodrive factory, about to join the M40, when i pulled up at some lights, and what i thought was a MY02 WRX pulled up next to me. i wound the window down to hear that lovely flat four warble, only to hear the sound of a DIESEL!! It was definately coming from that car, and did sound like a BMW diesel in its smoothness. It pulled away from me and it had twin downturned tailpipes, and guffed out a load of black smoke as it pulled away. Now i was in a company Astra SRi Turbo (197bhp), and i caught it, but then it pulled away after about 40, after the driver saw me trying to get a photo. Could Subaru be developing a high perormance WRX to woo people away from the Golf PD150?
It certainly confused the hell out of me. It was on Oxfordshire (OB02 ***?) plates, silver and totally standard looking.
Any ideas/comments anyone?
Beef

Probably the STI PPP Prototype ;)

About time too.

Both BMW and Audi-VW have 'car' diesel engines that are already matched up to AWD transmissions. My A4 was great in getting the power down or should that be torque at low and mid revs.

But if the U.S takes most of Subaru's output, would they bother.

I'll keep my eyes open when I'm over there later today

Neil, wouldn't surprise me!

It was definately a diesel, so i can only assune that it was a running prototype.

Come one subaru, tell us all!

Maybe it'll be a surprise showing at the Paris Show woth the MY03?
Beef

Why was the company entrusting you with an a turboed Astra Beef?

But how would Subaru /IM market it in the UK - they haven't a clue with the Legacy for example ? and who would buy a GX petrol?

Are you sure it hadn't got an exceptionally large bonnet bulge with an Isuzu V6 diesel underneath.

Thats not the most powerful car on the fleet mate, that award goes to the 540i Sport. Had that last week. Nice...
The Astra is great in a straight line, serious go, but get to a corner going some, and you may as well let go of the wheel and pray, because it does about as much good as steering with it. Good seats, good stereo. That about it. Oh, and the fact that there are tons of Astras around, which means people are genuinely surprised when you smoke them at lights. Heh heh heh...
Beef

Flat 4x4, the bodywork was completely standard, down to the same rear apron with the silly little drooping tailpipes sticking out of it, chuffing out soot.
Beef

Beefola

Why are you persisting in making up stories that in my opinion appear to have absolutely no basis of truth whatsoever?

This forum is populated by geniune enthusiasts who are more than keen to hear what may be happening, but not when it's complete tosh.

If a car was to exist (and I don't believe it can for various technical reasons) and it was in the UK being assessed by Prodrive it would not be based at Banbury as this is now exclusively Motorsport, but at our Warwick site. I'm here and no such car that could possibly fit this description has ever been on site.

After your first post about what you thought may be an 03MY update I did a little checking. Nobody with your name visted any Prodrive site that particular morning. Even if you had it would have been impossible to see what you said you did. If you were here on business you (or the company you are contracted to) would have signed a confidentiality agreement which you had then flagrantly disregarded and would now be out of a job, potentially for good as nobody in this business would employ a person that takes such a frivolous attitude to client confidentiality.

If you would like to discuss this further please contact me either by e-mail or phone.

Many thanks

Mike

Beef

Email me your details and I'll get Mike to contact you.

Please note that he is now out of the office until Monday.

Nick.

Hey, Im interested to see that some guys from prodrive read this site, thats great. I wonder how many Subaru employees log on too?

But, If Beefola saw something out on the open road then fair play, I would have posted up a thread too.

I entirely agree with the confidentiality stuff if someone had signed a confidentiality clause etc etc. But as for open road sightings then thats just fair game isnt it?? these are public highways and this is a public bbs.

Piston Slap ?

Possibly, it was the exhausts that threw me. Twin downturned ones. Odd.

Oh, and thanks Prodrive blokey, i'll contact Mike on Monday to try and clear this up. It is interesting that people from Prodrive read this bbs, any official news on the STi 7 PPP? ;-)
Didn't think so, but i suppose this would make a rather good research area for Prodrive to see what people really want.
Good on them.
Beef (digging slowly upwards)

i thought it would be good to have a bit of rumours, so to get the public excited, or at least this BBS! at the end of the day, it's just a car, not exactly rocket science. it wont be exclusive front page on the newspaper.

Beef,
I'm right with you on this one. I saw it as well, but for me it was at the services on the M40, filling up with City Diesel. I asked the guy about it and he said it's great, not only is it quieter than a WRX PPP, it'll do 270 miles on a tank.

Jason,

You bite good!!!!!

LOL @ Kevin!!!!
;)

Mike,
as a representative of Prodrive on this board (I notice your location says Prodrive not Oxford) I'd have thought that it was a little unprofessional to rise to Beef's account (even if it does seem unlikely)in the way you did.

As you say most of the people on this board are Subaru enthusiasts, putting it mildly, which means that it is likely that the input to the board will range from the mundane to the the ridiculous and some people will take their enthusiasm a little too far.

You are quite within your rights to voice your personal opinion that what Beef was proposing was "complete tosh" but it probably doesn't reflect on Prodrive too well when you say it under their banner.

As a Prodrive employee to react as you did rather than ignore it as another unfounded rumour only lends weight to the thread.

Ian.

Has anyone noticed if beefola and Tiggs ever write in the same threads? ;)

Maybe this is why the Sti PPP is still unavailable..... Prodrive are busy testing out a new diesel rally car in an attempt to tempt back Richard Burns. :-)

Ian

I think Mike was just tying to Scotch another rumour before it goes the same way as the STI PPP and MY03 facelift

After all there are only so many rumours people can cope with.

Maybe we should combine them all so that Beef actually saw an MY03 Diesel with the STI Prodrive Performance Pack. ;) :p

There that's made things less complicated...

OR maybe Prodrive Warwick is the Subaru equivalent of Area 51

they are different people, I know

Ian

You will find that Neil is correct in his statement, Mike was trying to scotch another rumour generated by Beefola.

By saying that he saw the car near Prodrive Banbury, Beef was implying that Prodrive are developing a diesel WRX.

Mike was simply pointing out that we (Prodrive) are not developing a car of this type and even if we were, you would not see it on the road as we have a private test track at our Warwick facility.

Now can everyone now get on with something more constructive like working out what the 03MY facelift looks like..:D:D:D:rolleyes:

Nick.

See I was right about Area 51 too :D

But that doesn't mean that FHI aren't developing a car of this type.... ;)

Can I borrow your test rack next weekend please?

Even the test track is secret.

I went once and they made it foggy, so you could barley see where you were going.

Nick,
I take your point and I agree with what Mike was trying to do, unsubstantiated romours do nobody any good. It just didn't sound like the sort of rebuttal that should come from a Prodrive representative which is what you both clearly identify yourselves as.

The people on this forum hold Prodrive and the people who work for them in high esteme (most of the time .... so when is the Sti PPP available ;-) ) so it was suprising to see Mike reacting in the way he did.

Maybe you guys should have 2 usernames each, one for Prodrive responses and one for personal responses.

Ian.

maybe it touched a nerve?

I doubt anyone from Subaru frequents the board. It is really great to see Prodrive staff on here, and I have been out on track with Mike and he is a top bloke so full marks to Prodrive.

However, when have manufacturers ever listened to the public? :D:D Subaru should have come on the bbs before releasing the MY01 - it may not have been so ugly then. :)

DW

But if Subaru are here, please change the shape of the new Impreza, and not just the front lights - the rear door window bottoms need some work as well - too sharp at the bottom.