flynnstudio

I've noticed a growing sentiment in the auto press moaning that the scooby has 'had it's day'.

I've thought long and hard about it and I've decided it's just 'crass lazy bandwagon journalism'.

Why do I think this ?

I bought a book filled with 100's of journo magazine articles on the 911 from 1977 to 1989 and virtually everyone of them stated that the 911 was getting 'long in the tooth' or 'it had had it's day' or 'it's looks were getting past their best'. They all hailed the 928/944 as the greatest car and the naturaly replacement or other flash in the pan so called exotics - history has prooved that's just sh*t. They said 'a new breed of hot hatches' were taking the performance mantle - what a load of sh*t. My 22 year old 911 could still wipe the floor with any hot hatch made today never mind then...still looks amazing and still in an engineering marvel...

and they are doing the same with the scooby - it's just journo-bullcrap - maybe cos subaru UK aren't spending the dosh with the ad agencies of late there is a kind of industry backlash - who knows but it has nothing to do with engineering, looks or ability - it's all about 'flavour of the month' and filling column inches with mindless drivel...

how can a sub 5.0 sec 0-62 car with a gem of a boxer engine, that has the practicality of a family saloon *and* do over 140mph+ with 4WD!!!with incredible handling and reliability be nothing less than a piece of engineering genius...please don't tell me a FWD Astra is 'having it large' due to 'technical superiority'...dumb brute force maybe but there's no technical grace to it...

As for looks - Even the MY06 faclift is bloody cool IMO- if you see the rally WRC car in testing - that front end looks as cool or as focused as any of the BWW fronts of late...

It's just 'journo-pap' and should be utterly lambasted...once these 'new breed of hatches' is worn out and sat rusting in junk yards there will still be 10 year old AWD, flat four scoobies bloodying noses of new pretenders and looking super-fine while doing it...

Dspeed

I totaly agree! It was car of the decade one minute and then its "past it" I dont think so. It has still continued to improve since that aclaim, all be it with a few styling hicups and as you say the spec speaks for it self. I belive that because of its imidiate sucsess the writers have exhausted there writing capability and instead of write the same thing agian they are changing tact to somthing that is less chalenging.

NXG

Typical press MO. Build 'em up, knock 'em down mentality. It'll hopefully all change once the WRC gets under way and they start getting some results in. As far as my road car is concerned, they can think what they want, I (and many others on here) know that the 'grin factor' for these cars is very high. We don't buy them to look cool pulling up outside a 5 star hotel, we buy them because they go like stink and when driven 'normally' are a hell of a lot more likely to stay on the black stuff than 99% of the other cars we daily come accross.

Just my tuppence.

Alas

The journo's are paid to write that stuff. The more debate they kick up, the better they are doing their job.

Oh ..... and have to agree with flynnstudio about the 911. Still one of my faves although would prefer a MY90/1 for my taste.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I always thought the press intially raving about the scooby being so good was wrong. Don't get me wrong, it's a great car, but I don't think it deserved the credit it intially recieved from the press (especially in bog standard trim). I always considered that the **** rantings from the press of how fabulous the impreza was/is, was overrated. I would possibly crown it as one of the most overrated cars of its time. But that crown firmly belongs to the Aston Martin Vantage imo ( old shape - not the current one)

Now I just wonder if its a case the press now realising it was not "that" good to start with. Or simply marketing bullcrap beacuse they have nothing better to print.

wide

The times they are a changing!!
I still like my scoob thats what matters

flynnstudio

Playstation generation journalists talking utter sh*te - that's all it is...

jeremy

I thought Evo mag, were meant to handle all that. I thought as they claimed they were finally the guys who would do the demanding road testing- drive the ***** off of cars, comparing all comers present and past! More text and less ads/pics.

Now at the magazines its really all a new generation, some guy named Towler is head of road tests at Autocar and some guy names Bovington is head at evo. The old experienced guys like Barker, Meaden, Harris and Sutcliffe mostly work as independant contractors getting an isolated piece in every few months. The big tests are now left to the new guy, much much easier I assume.

flynnstudio

Yeah, Jeremy, I like the sound of that magazine....Just about every magazine today totally and utterly lacks any real passion..

"oh yeah it had 500bhp. we really liked it ( when we could stay awake). It was really fast and handled really well on the french roads, that enough for ya ? ok - heres some pictures of wheel arches...goodnight" zzzzzz....

nik52wrx

The Impreza is still the main man

I have never owned a car that turns so many heads..end of
!

Alas

But thats down to the cars you've owned - if it was a Ferrari/Lambo etc think they may turn a few more heads than a Scoob.

nik52wrx

I am not talking b.s. I can honestly say no mater what manufacturer i have favoured i have always bought thier sportiest model. The Subaru turns heads...end of! VW, Toyota, Ford, Renault,Peugeout..tried them all.

I take it you dont own an Impreza otherwise you would have noticed the same reaction as me.

Of course a Lambo would turn heads as would a delorean (excuse spelling)....you dont see them everyday

Alas

I've had 3 Scoob turbos. 10 years ago they were "noticed". Nowadays its more likely to be outside the Job Centre or McD's that much notice is paid.
I'm not slagging off Scoobs, just doubting the head turning ability nowadays against other cars such as Evo's etc.

flynnstudio

mmmh..so your suggesting that the journalists have are a bunch of psuedo-elite wannabe aritsocrats and it's sheer snobbery that's at the root of this current wave of anti-scooby sentiment - makes them even more prickish in my book.
All great cars seem to go through this mid-life crisis. However, unlike most cars that lose their way the scooby is still as potent and technically glorious as it ever was.
I know in 6 months time anyone in one of the 'new generation of hot hatches' regardless of image is going to find the application of power tedious and that their 'flavour of the month' has been shunned for a new tart in this celbrity five second attention span media feeding frenzy whilst we will still be exploring the seemingly endless potentiality of our scoobies...what's more it is now joyfully available to all - regardless of social class!

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Bingo....the you have the "lets all jump on the bandwagon" mentality. There was a telling coment from one of the "non-regulars" in Evo a few issues back in reviewing the new 2.5 STi Type UK. He said words to the effect of: Some say the Impreza is getting a bit long in the tooth, but this was still the best drive I've ever had up the .......... (don't recall the location...sorry)

The rice rockets may not longer be original, but they are still very effective and huge fun.

NS04

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

My Scooby recently turned more heads than a Bentley continental coupe Sure, passers by wanted to see who was driving the gentleman's car......but they also wanted to see what upstart was making that menacing rumble......

NS04

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

NS04: New school Continental (VeeDubYa) or old school continental. (Mulliner park ward)??

I found the old ones turns heads...especially in the full "T" trim. The new ones don't seem to bat an eyelid.

Best head turner I've driven is a Aston Martin Virage Volante with the Vantage body option. **** car, but boy did it turn heads.
Scoob never seemed to turn the right heads though IMO

(my Landy turns more heads that the Scoob...although I suspect for all the wrong reasons though...good conversation starter though )