Call me an old fogey, but why oh why doesn't Subaru realize that we old fogeys are the ones who want the roomier car and the sleeper looks in our hot rods? We'll gladly trade pure performance for a bit more comfort, and we don't want cars that scream "wannabe racer".
Put that motor and those wheels (in 17" versions) into a Legacy GT, slap a bigger sway bar on the back end to neutralize the handling, add a few sporting touches to the interior, pop a couple of those B4 pieces on the outside (but keep it subtle), and call the resultant blitzmobile the Legacy GT-A (Great Traction with Attitude) or GT-R (Great Traction with a Rally car's heart). Then advertise it against the tiny little A4 and Bimmer 3-series as "AWD with Attitude for, count 'em, 1-2-3-FOUR full-sized adult passengers", or "AWD for adults who occasionally find themselves looking out the side window" (picture of GT-R sideways on gravel road, plumes of dust billowing from all 4 wheel wells), plunk a price tag right near $30K on it, and watch the things fly out of the dealer's lot. Make the wild rear spoiler and front air dam optional for those folks who just have to have a really wild looking ride.
The WRX Impreza can carry the wings-and-things crowd and the Legacy GT-R can woo low-profile hot rod fogeys like me - not to mention putting that "adequate" word to rest once and for all.
Right on buddy! I'm not an old foggie (although compared to the I-clubbers I am) but @ 26, I'd snap one of those up in a heartbeat! 4 full sized passengers with subtle sporty looks and performance under the hood!
I love the new look of the Legacy. So elegant. But the B4 RSKs are even nicer! I will get one of those before a WRX anyday..... or have both. Yup. Cus sometimes I much rather arrive in a Legacy than a loud brash Impreza.
Recently this chat room debated stretching the Subaru brand from its current "good value, solid and dependable" positioning to include performance as well. Here's an update from the 11/20 Advertising Age issue:
"SOA will shift the focus to performance when it launches the redesigned 2002 Impreza line. ... Current buyers are pushing 50 ... the 2002 Impreza is targeted at 35-year-olds. ... the launch won't feature Paul Hogan. (However), the actor will appear in two new TV spots ... for the Outback and Forester..."
Two pieces of bad news for me in all this -- first, I'm now too old, by their demographics, to lust after a WRX. Second, the advertising is going to make these things even hotter in the marketplace than otherwise. Couldn't they just keep these things a secret long enough for me to buy one at a reasonable price?
you are a certifiable genius. Subaru should put you in charge of product development. Love the GT-R & GT-A. (Why doesn't the spellcheck recognize Subaru??)(Why doesn't it recognize "spellcheck"?)
WDB, re: <2021</A>>, I agree wholeheartedly! Great "GT-R" spec and marketing plans. But I'd also want the B4's motor (2.0l turbocharged). Other than that, perfect! Hmm.. I guess I just described the B4 RSK.. so SoA, please import that!
I will not run. If elected, I will not serve." Thanks for the vote though :-) Hey, with all the recounts going on maybe there's a write-in shot.
Mikesmi, sure bring the B4 motor on. But it doesn't take a genius :-) to figure out that the Impreza motor is already US-certified; all they'd have to do is bolt it in the Legacy. The whole concept could be achieved off-the-shelf as it were. Not to mention that the turbo means that you could "chip" the motor like they do the A4 1.8 to bring on an extra 20 to 50 HP. Heh heh.
Okay, skip the name change, but still take the parts I mentioned and call it the US-spec B4.
Cheers, The Leader of the Fr--- err-ahh, Albert Einst---- err-ummm, wdb
Today I saw for the first time on the road (have seen 'em sitting on a car show floor before) both a Toyota Prius and a Honda Insight. Spotted them both within 10 mins. of each other in the vicinity of the University of Texas campus. Don't know if this was a wild coincidence or if there was some sort of hybrid car demo at UT (I lean a little toward the former since, while the Prius was all shiny with dealer tags, the Insight bore plain ol' plates and was in need of a good washing; not really in show-off condition). The Insight still struck me the same as when I saw it at the car show last spring: terribly small but quite nifty-looking in a Honda-Civic-Of-The-Future sort of way. The Prius this time didn't strike me as quite as unattractive as it did at my initial car show viewing. Part of my original car show reaction to the Prius might've been skewed by the fact that all the photos I'd seen of it beforehand made it look quite attractive, so I was disappointed that, in person, it looked oddly hunched up and terribly slab-sided. My reaction today was a little milder; instead of outright ugly, it just struck me as a not-quite-properly-proportioned Toyota Echo. Beyond that, my street sightings were brief enough that all I can say about the cars was that the Insight slid by very quietly. (There was a little too much traffic noise when I saw the Prius to even be able to judge that about the Toyota.)
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am trying to keep updated on the site as much as possible, but have been so busy lately. I would like to comment on all the suggestions from all the participants, but time constraints often have the best of me.
I think however, that a lot of good points have been raised, and I would like to see a lot of the same products that you all would. I think the core similarity we all have is our love of our cars!
Keep the discussion alive and your interests, likes, and dislikes voiced. Someone is listening!
I should chime in here ... Greg has been very helpful in trying to keep me a Subaru Canada customer. (I think everyone remembers I've been having a few problems with my '00 OB). Recently he sent me (without solicitation) a Subaru scarf and toque. I was pretty impressed with that kind of customer service.
Don't forget to click on the Topic Title link, on the top of this Conference's topics' list page to reorder the Conference alphabetically, so you can find your Club's topics easier ;-)
Bonnie Rick Conferences Manager, Edmunds.com Town Hall
Comments
has the US version...
No spoiler
No Side markers
So long as it moves, they could paint it Pea-green with Chocolate Brown interior and I'd be interested!
-mike
Bob
Ken
I really like the dual tip exhaust though!
-mike
Either way, the aftermarket will cash in big-time. Can you imagine how many bi-planes they'd sell?
-juice
Put that motor and those wheels (in 17" versions) into a Legacy GT, slap a bigger sway bar on the back end to neutralize the handling, add a few sporting touches to the interior, pop a couple of those B4 pieces on the outside (but keep it subtle), and call the resultant blitzmobile the Legacy GT-A (Great Traction with Attitude) or GT-R (Great Traction with a Rally car's heart). Then advertise it against the tiny little A4 and Bimmer 3-series as "AWD with Attitude for, count 'em, 1-2-3-FOUR full-sized adult passengers", or "AWD for adults who occasionally find themselves looking out the side window" (picture of GT-R sideways on gravel road, plumes of dust billowing from all 4 wheel wells), plunk a price tag right near $30K on it, and watch the things fly out of the dealer's lot. Make the wild rear spoiler and front air dam optional for those folks who just have to have a really wild looking ride.
The WRX Impreza can carry the wings-and-things crowd and the Legacy GT-R can woo low-profile hot rod fogeys like me - not to mention putting that "adequate" word to rest once and for all.
Drooling over 227hp,
-wdb
Bob
http://www.new-impreza.com/
-mike
"SOA will shift the focus to performance when it launches the redesigned 2002 Impreza line. ... Current buyers are pushing 50 ... the 2002 Impreza is targeted at 35-year-olds. ... the launch won't feature Paul Hogan. (However), the actor will appear in two new TV spots ... for the Outback and Forester..."
Two pieces of bad news for me in all this -- first, I'm now too old, by their demographics, to lust after a WRX. Second, the advertising is going to make these things even hotter in the marketplace than otherwise. Couldn't they just keep these things a secret long enough for me to buy one at a reasonable price?
(Elder fogey)Ross
Bob
In case anyone else is interested in our website, the address is http://www.subaru.ca.
Greg
Ross
..Mike
..Mike
Mikesmi, sure bring the B4 motor on. But it doesn't take a genius :-) to figure out that the Impreza motor is already US-certified; all they'd have to do is bolt it in the Legacy. The whole concept could be achieved off-the-shelf as it were. Not to mention that the turbo means that you could "chip" the motor like they do the A4 1.8 to bring on an extra 20 to 50 HP. Heh heh.
Okay, skip the name change, but still take the parts I mentioned and call it the US-spec B4.
Cheers,
The Leader of the Fr---
err-ahh, Albert Einst----
err-ummm, wdb
The Insight still struck me the same as when I saw it at the car show last spring: terribly small but quite nifty-looking in a Honda-Civic-Of-The-Future sort of way.
The Prius this time didn't strike me as quite as unattractive as it did at my initial car show viewing. Part of my original car show reaction to the Prius might've been skewed by the fact that all the photos I'd seen of it beforehand made it look quite attractive, so I was disappointed that, in person, it looked oddly hunched up and terribly slab-sided. My reaction today was a little milder; instead of outright ugly, it just struck me as a not-quite-properly-proportioned Toyota Echo.
Beyond that, my street sightings were brief enough that all I can say about the cars was that the Insight slid by very quietly. (There was a little too much traffic noise when I saw the Prius to even be able to judge that about the Toyota.)
I think however, that a lot of good points have been raised, and I would like to see a lot of the same products that you all would. I think the core similarity we all have is our love of our cars!
Keep the discussion alive and your interests, likes, and dislikes voiced. Someone is listening!
Greg
Way to go Greg!
Bob
http://www.new-impreza.com/
Don't forget to click on the Topic Title link, on the top of this Conference's topics' list page to reorder the Conference alphabetically, so you can find your Club's topics easier ;-)
Bonnie Rick
Conferences Manager, Edmunds.com Town Hall