So this is the 2008 WRX. Glad I bought the 07!

[Raza]

No, not at all.  The Impreza's face works though.  In order, from my favorite to least:




(ignore the fact that it's an STi)

[Eye of the Tiger]

All of them work, but I like the STI best.

[Raza]

All of them work, but I like the STI best.

STi or STI?  There's a difference.

I've driven an STI.  I may need to drive it again, but I did find it a bit dull and not as fun as a standard WRX.

[Eye of the Tiger]

STi or STI?? There's a difference.

I've driven an STI.? I may need to drive it again, but I did find it a bit dull and not as fun as a standard WRX.

Ok you got me. What is the difference?

[the Teuton]

Ok you got me. What is the difference?

It's been the STI from 2005 on.  It used to be the STi from 1992 until 2004.  It's like when Mercedes-Benz changed the 500SL into the SL500--it's the same kind of thing.

[ifcar]

No, not at all.  The Impreza's face works though.  In order, from my favorite to least:




(ignore the fact that it's an STi)

Agree, though I don't care for the current taillights.

[S204STi]

Bugeyes + BBS wheels = teh hotness.

[S204STi]

It's definitely a Mazda3 chop.

It's definitely not.

[the Teuton]

I'm a fan of the big-ass foglights.  Bugeye 

[S204STi]

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1230616

"Are the Motor Trend Pictures real, or just another lame photoshop attempt?
While the images may have been chopped a bit in post production to optimize contrast and color, they are of the actual vehicle. Every manufacturer holds press events these days to introduce their cars exclusively to members of the press. The press may sometimes drive, shoot photos, inspect and even test the cars with the manufacturer's permission. This is where "First Looks" come from in auto magazines everywhere. What we know right now, is that Subaru allowed the press to photograph the new car in a studio (to avoid the public eye) and gave them a healthy dollop of specs and marketing hype in the form of a press release. Magazines will all be reporting on basically the same information, including as much or as little of the press release material as they feel is necessary for their readership.. and most of them will have images of cars shot in the same studio. Expect them to be chopped onto different background images though... so that it looks like they actually got to drive it (this lends magazines more credibility in the reader's eyes.. ironically enough). These images are probably created by placing the car into a nondescript background and giving the wheels a motion blur to create a sense of rolling motion.

But, how can this happen? Isn't there an embargo on this information before the debut at the New York Auto Show in 2 weeks?
Magazine publishers have a lot of pressure to get their rags out than they have time to worry about breaking embargoes by a few days. Motor Trend was sending out their May issue a month early (like most magazines these days) and apparently assumed that the other major rags would also be running the same story (..and there may be. Right now, we don't know). One of the magazines reached the public much sooner than expected (publishing houses care even less about embargoes) and now we have images.. early.
How do we know this isn't an elaborate April's Fools joke from Motor Trend??
It being published in the May issue would be your first clue.

I'm not going to spend any more time discussing why these photos are the real thing. Anyone still doubting at this point will just have to wait for the NYAS (or for some other magazines' May issues to hit the shelves)
"

[Raza]

Agree, though I don't care for the current taillights.

I actually like the taillight quite a bit. 

But, this is possibly my favorite picture of an Impreza ever:

[Raghavan]

Black bugeyes + BBS wheels = teh hotness.

[nickdrinkwater]

I like it!

[Rupert]

Subuazda, anyone?

Ugh.

[ro51092]

I like them in this order:
1. Bugeye
2. Aero-grille
3. Normal-looking (blobeye)

[the Teuton]

I like them in this order:
1. Bugeye
2. Aero-grille
3. Normal-looking (blobeye)

I'm not going to start.  If I did, I'd be starting with GC models and working my way down. 

[ro51092]

I was just talking about the GD's

[Raza]

It's been the STI from 2005 on.  It used to be the STi from 1992 until 2004.  It's like when Mercedes-Benz changed the 500SL into the SL500--it's the same kind of thing.

True, but the power split changed also. 

[850CSi]

Makes a world of difference IMO the black part.

[ChrisV]

I'm not going to start.  If I did, I'd be starting with GC models and working my way down. 

Agreed. Too bad we only got the 2.5 RS and not the STi...

[the Teuton]

Here's a link to the background of the photos:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/29/fool-us-once-most-recent-08-impreza-shots-are-photoshops/

And ChrisV, believe it or not, the 2.5 RS was a mishmash of WRX parts from Version 1 (Subarus have versions, not Evos) to Version 6 and a 2.5 from the Legacy.  I wish we got the other WRX models, too.

[S204STi]

Some more pics:

[Eye of the Tiger]

So, I guess this means it's not a photochopped Mazda 3 

[the Teuton]

Uhh...no.  I love the interior and think it's a bit of a throwback to the wrap around first gen's like mine, but the exterior is waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy too conservative to be a WRX.  They need to step it up with bot the WRX's hp and the STI overall.

[S204STi]

Oh well. Some positives: should be about as quick 0-60 and through the 1/4, should have more useable torque lower in the RPM range, and should handle nicely with the Legacy underpinnings.

[ifcar]

[the Teuton]

There may be hope yet.

[Raza]

Looks good as a sedan.

[the Teuton]

The official pic isn't quite as good, but it's liveable.



How do you say that the seats look like they came out of my L wagon is Japanese?


And the i model without the hood scoop...
 

[S204STi]

No more fender bulges on the Sedan...darn.  Otherwise this sedan looks much better than the hatch, unlike currently where it is a bit of a tossup.

Thanks for posting up those new pics!