mark.coleman

I was talking to my neighbour at the weekend who was over at IM during last week. They had a new Impreza (not the new 01) there.

It had a slighly different back end and modified front, I've been told it was not a MY01 modified, but a replacement. I was also informed It looked more like a smoother all round P1

Apparently, the current shape MY01 may not be around much longer.

Jza

Great.....

Better get the add in the paper now then!!

Jza

TopCat

we need a pic, someone?

turbo spudgun

so the bug eye is on the way out already???
and just when i thought everyone had the looks grow on them
i'll believe it when i see it. i will not buy another scooby until the looks RADICALLY change, and i'm not talking morettes here.
IM...bring out a car that makes me WANT it, not lump it
till then i'm more than happy with my current car, very happy in fact

gaz1048

Do you really thimk that Subura worldwide will spend millions designing and launching and advertising a new model to change it within one year?

Do you not think that the motoring press would have sold their souls for a scoop of this magnitude?

Has Subaru and Fuji heavy industries ever backed down from a controversial design of the imprezza (remember what people did say and still do about the old style?)?

Has the work that has gone into branding the Imprezza via the WRC been wasted? Is the success of the WRC going to have no effect on people like Turbo Spudgun? Who obviously rate looks over the drive?

People, wake up and smell the coffee!

This car was probably a WRC with all the kit or some experimental model that is a concept only? Do you think Subura have ceased thinking about the next model? Of course not it takes years to design a car.

Gaz1048 (very miffed at this MY01 knocking) drive it and offer an opinion based on that experience. If you drive a car based on it's looks get out of your "old" style and put it next to an Audi/M3/Ford Focus. You will see exactly what I mean.

(modified for grammar)

G

[This message has been edited by gaz1048 (edited 06 August 2001).]

turbo spudgun

gaz
i wasnt having a pop at my01 owners at all. ive owned pre bug eye models, and was always keen on the looks aswell as the drive.
the bug eye may drive well, but its hideous IMHO.
if looks didnt matter, we'd all be driving evo6's
as it happens, i love the way my current car looks, as well as the driving experience. it costs less than a bug eye with mods, and will kick its ****
dont get me wrong, i love scoobys, but dont you remember the computer mock up on the front cover of autoexpress( i think) a year ago? it looked great. modern, mean and cool. i find the bug eye looks a backwards step. if it didnt work for ford with the scorpio, why would it work for subaru?
and ive STILL only seen a handful on the road since its launch
gaz, do looks of a car REALLY mean nothing?
look at the success of the tt. not the greatest drivers car, yet it sells very well. do keen/appreciative drivers ONLY drive subarus? of course not. cars have to have that certain something, as well as being a drivers car.IMHO the bug eye doesnt have that certain something.
looks like i'll be waiting sometime before i own a scooby again.

DavidRB

Firstly, Subaru are reknowned for making small changes to the Impreza practically every year. They repeatedly tweaked the front end of the old car. It's one of the advantages of being a smaller company (the main disadvantage is being left behind in the technology & quality stakes!).

Secondly, remember what happened to Ford in the early 90's with the Escort? Can't remember which model it was (probably mk4), but it was soundly ridiculed by everyone. Within 18 months, they had a facelifted version with an oval grill and extra tail lights added to the bootlid.

The Scorpio also didn't sell because of it's looks and was eventually killed off.

Companies are aware that "bad" looks can kill sales. Unfortunately for us, Japanese designers rarely design cars that appeal to European tastes. Most people who buy cars rate looks very highly whether we think it's silly or not. Why do you think Nissan has been such a dismal failure in recent years? Why do you think Vauxhall sold hundreds of thousands of Vectras?

"Like it or loathe it" styling is fine on a niche market car, but it's a risky proposition for one trying to appeal to the mass-market.

Subaru must be aware that the lights are unpopular if they offer their own "official" upgrade. More to the point, they must be very annoyed that the WRC car uses different headlights from the road car unlike all of their competitors. The whole point of motor racing is to sell cars, so fielding a rally car that doesn't look like the road car tells you a lot about the general opinion of the MY01's appearance.

mark.coleman

You know, I'm really getting pissed off with this site. You place a post on it, whether the information is just guidance or some word and mouth.

What happens, some **** decides they want to **** you off in a manner that's not required.

I appreciate people have their opinions, but why not just shut the **** up or change the way you respond to a post.

I came on here to give and get information and have found it very useful, but come on.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way either.

Mark, on a sensitive Tuesday morning.

BarryK

Perhaps it is the P2?

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by gaz1048:
<B>Do you really thimk that Subura worldwide will spend millions designing and launching and advertising a new model to change it within one year?
[/quote]

Let's not forget that the old car did indeed get a mid-life facelift, changing the headlamps and putting a couple of creases in the bonnet. If there's one change that the MY01 needs, it's a change to the headlamps, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some changes for MY03 that give it back some of the aggressive look of its predecessor.

I certainly won't be trading in my MY00 otherwise!

Andy.

turbo spudgun

mark
exactly who is the **** whose p155ed you off?
you made a post that was of interest to everyone, and having re-read the thread, i dont see anyone having a go at you.
i think its been an interesting thread so far, my only criticism so far would be the actual topic title. impreza news is too vague when your scrolling down the general questions.
i think there would be many more comments if people had read the thread. if it were called "bug eye looks ditched by subaru?" or something more contraversial, i imagine you would have a flaming folder by now, aswell as a few flamed ***** on here
i hope you havent misinterpreted any comments of mine, as i genuinely try not to have a pop at people who take the time and effort to post here, i enjoy the banter for one
not one but two turbos spudgun

pslewis

I would assume that Subaru would have little choice but to change the look of the new car if it is not selling in the required numbers.

Lets face it, its going to be cheap enough for them to tart it up to look good isnt it? - new headlamps, restyled frontal cosmetics, new rear spoiler ........ not expensive at all if it rescues an icon from the style rubbish bin!!!

Its the owners of the MY01 that will be REALLY badly hurt by such a move, they will have the 'ugly' model and thats how it will always be known as - and as such will have all the appeal of that hideous pile of cr4p called the Scorpio!! It will be like trying to sell a brown, rusty Marina on a wet, freezing January evening!!

Talking of bl00dy awful cars - what does anyone think of the Focus Saloon??? what a mess!!!! why? why? why? why?

Pete

[This message has been edited by pslewis (edited 07 August 2001).]

Josh L

Regardless of whether PSLewis is right, I have to admit that that was the reason I cancelled my order for an '01. I felt that it would be changed within a year or so, and didn't want to have one of the early models.

I hope it is a facelifted '01 though. I've always thought that Subaru seem to manage maximum effect from a minimum of changes. The front end of my P1 (the standard bits) made my '98 like positively ancient.

Josh

LEE P

Well GAZ dont take it personel, you cant buy a car and expect everyone to like it, i have looked at imprezas over the years and longed for a better interior, i had audis over the last ten years and ever since my quattro 20v i never found anthing to match it even though steering bit vague. so iwas waiting for my01 to come out as promised a better trim, saw pics on front page of autocar and it looked mean and modern, told dealer if it looks like that i will have one, but it didnt, so i didnt, went for last of old shape and thought bollocks to the trim as i spend most my time looking out windscreen, and glad i did, test drove all the pretty cars, bmw 328 audi s3 s4 but nothing came close to the driver feed back i get from my00. like the ridgedity of my01 but it felt less raw and steering is over assisted, i feel anyway. so if they change it you wont be the first one to be stung by the dreaded balloon payment. but i may even change mine if the sort those eyes out and give that steering more weight. p.s like the flared arches on the salloon. Lee

LEE P

There you go mark your 15th reply its now a flaming folder, i know what you mean some threads people take far to personel, we all dont think the same or it would be boring, there is banter and banter and ive learnt never to mention cars and bikes on the same thread, it gets abit heated. Lee.

LEE P

wey hey here come the flames!

mark.coleman

Are you see, it took my response to being pi$$ed off for people to read through again to suggest their reply was a little hasty. I applaud you.

I'm all for posting new topics and replies on here, but what I try not to do is attack persons comments from word and mouth, unless I feel it was directed at me.

It would be an interesting new topic to see how many people feel their airs have been directly attacked in the wrong way instead of constructional comments.

I still think the site is great generally.

On the self critism side, I should maybe have started the topic as Impreza Rumour.

Mark

gaz1048

Mark

If it was me that pi55ed you off, then my apologies. I went into rant mode. Comes from having to rant at work and I hadn't switched off. Sorry.

I agree with Turbo Spudgun, a bit of banter. I don't agree with him on our taste of motors but from reading some other threads he is a guy I would like agree to disagree with.

As for the thread, well touched a raw nerve. Going to pick up my baby, a MY02 on the 1st and have been very excited. Completely in two minds given this thread. I agree they may alter bits but that is the course of a evolution of a car. Wholesale changes would seriously damage residuals and I have a balloon payment to consider.

I like the look of the new age one as it is. It is a little more discreet than the old model. IMHO of course

I love the car, I love the handling and performance, I love the write up it gets from the motoring press. I love the price of all the above for 21k. At the end of the day I am an accountant who is a worrier by trade in IT industry which is getting nailed at the moment.

I have to make a decision.......

G

JackClark

Sales not meeting expectations, I doubt that!! I see just as many 01's as I do old shape on the road - and you can count APAC and the US into that.

All you haters will get used to the looks or go off and buy some of those ugly Morette things.

Dazzler

Mark, the title was fine - it caught my attention immediately.

As for the MY01 slating. It's a little long in the tooth now chaps.