bluto22b

In the latest SWRT newsletter he states (his words not mine):

"We watched the battle at the top of the rally and I wish I was involved. I can’t wait to get back into those fights again, but for now we have some problems and we need to work together as a team to find the solutions. It’s difficult not just for me, but everyone. There’s a lot of hard work from all of us to be done and I hope that at the next event we can be getting a bit closer."

Problems? No doubt about it: Subaru have serious problems period. How the hell they can still market the newage shape with no new model due next year is way beyond me. The game has moved on and Subaru are getting left behind by the competition both on and off the WRC circuit. For instance most of the new breed of hot hatches are both cheaper to buy, insure and run than a Scooby. A Golf GTI will keep pace with an unmodded WRX 2.5 and will hold its value better too. Did I mention better breeding and build quality as well? I am afraid Subaru will lose my business this time I will move away from the brand. Apparently some dealers are giving WRX 2.5's away for less than £16k. I bet that is doing a lot of good for the residuals of models registered in March this year No I am turning German not Japanese, I have got my eye on a lovely Audi A4 Avant 2.0T FSI special edition at my local dealer. 217bhp and 222lb ft straight out of the box, interior quality light years ahead of Subaru and easily on the pace of a WRX wagon. I know where my money is going next....

Blutes

d5hof

you'll get bored come back, they all do

tony95

must admit i've had ago in an s3 audi(with revo remap)
very nice, keeping the scoob for now. might try get the wife to swap her corsa for one tho'

scooby2!

Agreed there are some interesting cars around at the moment in the same price range, but there's nothing like a scooby for putting a grin on your face!!!

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

Blutes,

There is a new hatchback being released in May, allegally IIRC.

The base impreza weight is far tooo heavy for competitive WRC. The other WRC Hatch's can use the Make up weights in optimum posistions for Balance and achieving a much lower centre of gravity. IMHO

Tony

bluto22b

Yes Tony you are right, Subaru have a lot of catching up to do. They are no longer the producer of the only car to produce over 200bhp from around £20k. They seriously need to move the game on into the league they were in back in 1996-99 with their road and rally cars. By the way, I took a test drive in an A4 Avant 2.0T FSI 220PS model today and I am hooked! They are fantastic to drive, seriously. I would never imagine that an Audi could handle that well but I believe it is the tuned Golf GTI engine which makes the car, it has bags of low down torque. It feels faster than my MY02 PPP wagon and pulls harder right up to the redline.

Blutes

stilover

Must admit, I think my new car will be German too. Quite fancy the new S3. Failing that a second hand 911.

The new Evo X Concept look nice though. I'll wait till there both out.

bluto22b

The new S3 looks good. It is not quite big enough for my dog though. I need plenty of room for him on long jaunts, he tends to tiddle if hemmed in, my mate was furious when he emptied his bladder all over the boot of his brand new Polo TDI when we went fly fishing. I think it may have been the tackle to blame though.

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

Subaru are about the only manufacture whose car is 4wd in wrc and as a production car. Change the rules I say

Generic User

Indeed, there was a time when you could buy homolgation specials. Now we have nothing that comes close. Just imagaine a homoglation 206 or Proton

As for Subaru, they are bit of a one trick pony...they haven't really changed much since the Legacy Turbo from 16years back. Yes they've redesigned this and that, but it's to the same original criteria and just a gradual progression rather than a complete re-think...Sort of a Japanease 911.

Unless they make anything of this new B9.

C2forWRX

subaru must have problems. i cant believe my dealer is open to be honest. i have seen one new shape on the road since it was released and it wasn't even a turbo. the blobeye was so popular i just cant understand why they have changed it when everyone knows there big changes for the 2008 version.

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

I was taken around the Nurburgring in a Diesel focus and a Cupra R amazing handling. but "Hot Hatch" 2ad+2's are not for my lifestyle. Unfortuantely to Produce a Classic version Scoob nowadays to comply with EU, US regs, health and safety etc etc it would no longer be a 4-5 adult seater Saloon Car but a "Hot Hatch" 2+2.

Tony

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

More to do with the Car Market than the model, only cheapys or Tree hugging models are doing well at the Moment. I've heard Prodrive sold more PPP's for the 05 Cars than International Motors have sold 06 Sti's

Franchises are having Problems, there was a rumour that Mr Bob Edmiston (IM owner) was looking to selloff or "Float" IM

back on topic

The new 2007/8 Models due out March and October will hopefully be a key turning point for Subaru in both WRC and the market place.

I think Petter only signed again for Prodrive because of the Impending new 07/08 Model which will be smaller and agile unlike the 06/07 Impreza

IMHO

Tony

scoobynutta555

Bluto. It's taken you 5 years to cotton on to Subarus frailities

I will NEVER own a newshape Impreza as long as they produce ugly, uninspiring and bloated models.

Back to the future with typeR's, P1's, Ra's, 22b's. They should be running these out instead of the crap that they produce now.

bluto22b

Yes you are right but loyalty is one of my key strengths. unfortunately Subaru have exceeded this strength with me this time and I am afraid I will have to leave the marque behind and move on. However I still believe this forum has the best members and nearly always provides a challenging read. To that end I will always be a member and continue to contribute.

markmarkymark

Flame on .... (lol)

I have been in a T reg Classic or what ever it is .. and its crap - ok fast but old and dire ....

So I have a MY06 STI PPP and its crap as well is it ? Time has moved on and this is what Subaru have decided to do - to get a balance between performance, safety, interior etc. Its not a BMW, its not an Audi, its a 27K 315 BPH machine that is still up there with the best of its kind ....

It is fast - no doubt its fast
Its relatively safe
It can handle a family of four in reasonable comfort
It can take the grass cuttings to the dump when required
It can take four people on holiday (with luggage)
It can to the weekly shop (fully loaded)
It can put a smile on the face
It can do more over the above collectively than anything else I have tried.


Mark

AudiLover

there will be a S3 sportsback I think

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

Thant pretty much sums up my Take on it

After my STi02PPP I went back to a classic Type R and totally regreted it. I just love my Type20

IMHO

Tony

GarethE

iTrader: (1)

Already working towards a new S3 in March next year - 4 scoobs covering a total of nearly 300,000 miles in 8 years - time to move on for me

andythejock01wrx

Yep, fast cars are great, but fast cars made of yoghurt cups with duff brakes aint so great.

Subarus haven't become crap - the competition's simply cottoned on to what it needs to do. Scoobs are still good value for money performance cars with the added bonus of 4wd.

scoobynutta555

StickyMicky

the classic can do all of them things.

what is your point?

sounds like a case of "my cars newer so it MUST be better"?

markmarkymark

My point is that I think its better - it so happens to be newer...

This is of course an opinion and nothing more..

Barmyclown

Maybe a change in the rules for rallying is what is needed. Not going back to the mega expensive homologation specials of the group b days. But more of a compromise. Along the lines of, if you want to rally a car you have to produce a car with the same engine size , type , layout with the same transmission layout aswell.
So if you wan to rally a 2 litre turbocharged 4 wheel drive car. You have to produce one for the road, Nothing special is needed, so for subaru the old 2ltr wrx would qualify it to rally in the top class, But peugot would not qualify as they don`t have a 2 litre turbocharged 4 wheel drive production car.

Jase

Blueblaster

Good grief!! Going to be really boring here, but 300,000 miles at a generous 30mph is 10,000 gallons. At £4/gallon that is £40,000 you have spent on petrol alone. I know diesels are boring but you could have saved £20,000 had you gone for something else. Add to this the insurance, servcing and general maintenance and I want to cry. Yes I am boring, but if you are doing 40,000 miles a year perhaps something more frugal might be worth a look?

Barmyclown

This is why, were replacing the missuses car with a polo diesel or a fabia diesel. this way we have a car that can go to the moon and back on a thimble of fuel, to keep running costs down especially on long journeys. All so I can keep me beloved scoob.

Jase

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

Jase,

First french rule was to stop the 6R4's the next was to hit the Japs and germans 4WD cars as they were winning everything.

If Subaru's new Car starts winning everything expect another rule change to keep the french happy.

IMHO

Tony

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

BTW

Prodrives full focus may not be on this 2006 model as little left to win Perhaps resources are now being concentrated on the new WRC model comming out and impending F1.

Tony
Ton

EVOLUTION

Classics are not as safe as newage cars, the law kind of says that, check NCAP ratings, you may be a little shocked


And the classic is more raw than the newage models, more refined.


so in that way of putting things, he right,


i like all the models TBH, classic are a different beast to the newage, but they are starting to look dated now, unless you own a 22B, then i will eat my words

Chelspeed

> Maybe a change in the rules for rallying is what is needed

Nice try but the old GrpA rules (take a 4wd, turbo 2 litre car and go rallying) were deliberately changed to the WRC rules (take a car of medium size, use any 2 litre engine from your model range and bolt on a turbo and 4wd) to get more companies rallying.

About 5-10 years ago there was only Subaru and Mitsubishi likely to be rallying as Ford moved on from the Escort Cossie to the Focus and no-one else had or were prepared to make twenty off specials with turbo and 4wd. So to propose a rule change to stop Loeb winning everything while understandable isn't going to happen.

While I'd love a 4wd turbo focus cosworth (but wouldn't be interested in a 4wd turbo Xantia for some reason) the current car making markets seem to rule this out.

So what would you prefer a world rally championship with only Scoobie in it or the current rules? OK we'd all like to see Petter winning but is this the way for it to happen?