Gutmann pug

Hello matey,

As your the daddy at this sort of thing ...

Did the MY02 (bug eye) change to the MY03 blob eye overnight december 30th? I ask this as I didnt think the blob eye was released till Feb or something???

greasemonkey

Hardly the daddy, more like the annoying pesky swat at the front of the class!

Anyway, answer depends where in the world you're talking about

The MY03 specification cars were put into production at the Subaru factory in Japan somewhere between August and September 2002. Entire motor industry works to these sorts of timescales as it takes several weeks to ship cars from factories to markets on the opposite side of the world to get them into showrooms for the "real" new year.

In the case of the UK, International Motors certainly did delay the official release of the MY03 cars, as they had stockpiles of MY02's left, and held the new ones back until the bugeyes had been sold (which they eventually accelerated with a £3000 discount, something that's hurt the residuals of the entire marque since).

Gutmann pug

I only ask coz when you ask what MY a person has it doesn't necessarily mean he has a certain model does it? In reaility if a person has a MY03 he may have what I call an STi7 bug eye or an STi8 blob eye? I thought it was as easy as that. The next question has to be is it a Euro spec or Jap spec to determine engine etc?

This probably goes out the window with the minor changes made 2003/2004 (square boot lock) though lol, as I'm not sure if that is STi9 or STi10? so even im confused.

greasemonkey

Yeah, it does! Provided the person you ask gives you a correct answer you'll know pretty much exactly what they have.

No. If someone tells you they have an MY03, it'll be a blobeye. All model year 2003 cars are "blobeyes". Similarly all MY2002 cars are bugeyes.

It is as easy as that!

Yep. If someone tells you they have an MY03 STi Type UK you can tell from that exactly where it's from, what it looks like and what the spec is.

There aren't many fundamental differences between the MY03 and MY04 cars. The boot lock is the most obvious way to tell them apart!

This is exactly why I've taken such a dislike to this "number" system as applied to the new age cars. It has now degenerated to the point where it means nothing and has become silly and counterproductive.

You've now got a situation where MY04 STi's are variously referred to as STi8's, STi9's and STi10's by different people. The "system" is no longer a system, it's about four different systems, each with their own supporting "logic", and you don't know WTF anyone is talking about without asking what model year and market the car is.

If you must use this "number" business, an STi Type UK with a square boot lock is technically an STi10, but frankly it'd be better if people just stopped thinking numbers and used MY and market instead.

Gutmann pug

I do kinda agree with you the only bit I struggle with is the manufacture year bit..... If you ask someone with a Feb 2003 registered bug eye what MY his car is I would suggest he will say a MY03, because he is thinking about when its registered rather than when its manufactured......Other than that I agree with what you say

greasemonkey

It's not manufacture year, it's model year, and that's an important distinction.

If he said that he'd be incorrect.

We know from experience here that most people can get a handle on the model year thing when it's explained to them. It is not manufacture year, and it's not registration year either.

To put it another way, MY2003 cars look like, and have the same specification as the ones you'll find in the 2003 Subaru dealer brochure. Similarly, MY04 cars look like, and have the same spec as the ones in the 2004 Subaru dealer brochure.

The entire motor industry works this way, and it's not too hard to comprehend when you think about it.

It's not like the change from classic shape to bugeye, or bugeye to blobeye happened on a random, or gradual basis. There was a specific day in the Subaru factory when they stopped making old shape Imprezas, retooled, and started making bugeyes. Similarly, there was a day when they stopped making bugeyes, retooled, and started assembling blobeyes. There was a day when Ford stopped making Escorts, retooled and started making Focuses.

That day is called the model year changeover, and the cars will continue to be made to the same basic specification for the following 12 months (or sometimes six in the case of companies like Ford).

Obviously, if a manufacturer in Japan wants to get his new model cars in showrooms on the other side of the world in time for January 1, he needs to start making them several weeks early, which is why new the MY changeover in most car factories happens a good three months before the "real" new year.

Gutmann pug

Other than the fact that dealers wont necessarily change broucures every year, you have sold it to me and from now my car is a MY03....


cheers mate

gary

greasemonkey

The car manufacturers/distributors will issue a new brochure every year, so the dealers certainly should change them on an annual basis!

If they don't (or hold the new brochures back for a few weeks), there'll be a commercial reason - like when International Motors deliberately held the MY03 cars back as the last of the bugeyes was being flogged off. Not much point putting the MY03 brochure in your showroom when all your demonstrators, and all your stock, are bugeyes.

Gutmann pug

Hit the nail on the head my friend......Its about cash flow and not being stuck with cars they have previously ordered or have in stock.

Anyway cheers for the answer, I wont trouble you anymore..

cya

greasemonkey

No trouble at all, glad it helped!