Carmel Valley Road slithers south and east away from the coastal hamlet of Carmel-by-the-Sea, traversing the mountains and eventually depositing its travelers in the agricultural plains of central California. For most of the 42-mile journey from Highway 1 to Arroyo Seco Road, the pavement is a slim ribbon of uneven asphalt with slight shoulders, sometimes squeezed by the rocky topography to just a single passable lane. Ancient trees cast permanent shadows on the roadway, swallowing daylight in an instant and spitting out pencil-point beams of sunshine through their canopies. The terrain climbs for most of the southeastward drive before it plunges toward the lowlands. Though sparsely populated and lightly traveled, treachery lurks behind every blind corner in the form of lumbering farm trucks, death-wish bicyclists, and the occasional shirtless local on an ATV. The road is unlike any other in America — in fact, it more closely resembles the unimaginable European tarmac that often makes up the special stages in the World Rally Championship. It's no wonder, then, that Subaru chose this road to showcase the newest generation of its rally-developed thoroughbred, the 2008 WRX STI.
As good as this car is, I wish they could lop off that section in the middle where the rear doors are.
i hear that, brother (or sister, i don't feel like checking).
i'm not really sure on this car yet, though. taillights/grille just kill me.
Look twice, save a life. Motorcycles are everywhere.
If you think the Subaru Impreza hatch is ugly in pictures, see it in real life. I thought it was disgusting, then I sat in one and played with the bells and whistles. Loved it.
...a nice read and the new STI seems like a great car, my only issue w/the article was this...
"The last bit of technology to program before blast-off was the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC). By default it is designed to preserve life at the expensive of fun, dialing back throttle and modulating the brakes at the first hint of disaster."
...otherwise keep up the good work
05 Impreza 2.5RS Sport Wagon Current Mods: [OEM Fog Lights][Avon Tech M550 A/S]
...a nice read and the new STI seems like a great car, my only issue w/the article was this...
"The last bit of technology to program before blast-off was the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC). By default it is designed to preserve life at the expensive of fun, dialing back throttle and modulating the brakes at the first hint of disaster."
...otherwise keep up the good work
it says you can turn it completely off except for abs
"The fact that German cars are more reliable than Japanese cars is not surprising in the eyes of the car enthusiasts who actually drive German cars and know that they are bullet proof when it comes to reliability." - Invincible
"From the heavy rumble of a stormy night, through the trumpeting of mighty elephants, to the roar of a raging lion, the SuperVeloce performs the grand opera for 12 cylinders, 48 valves, and 8000 revs!"
"The fact that German cars are more reliable than Japanese cars is not surprising in the eyes of the car enthusiasts who actually drive German cars and know that they are bullet proof when it comes to reliability." - Invincible
On-road, I think the new Impreza wagon is a very good looking car. :shrug: I don't know how - because I disliked it with passion the first time I saw it in photos. And one can't argue with the performance of the STI
But I really like this car, save the bright-chrome rear tails. The interior is still "okay" but light years ahead of the last.
1. Seats are absolute garbage 2. Something about the interior makes me feel clausterphobic (you sit in it as opposed to on it like the previous sti) 3. Quality of materials used is questionable interior wise. 4. It's a kia rio with the old sti drivetrain.
Modified by 20aeman at 1:18 AM 12-1-2007
Quote, originally posted by Rukh »
Listen up, buddy, I've had both - I eat plain bagels with cream cheese all the time, and I know people who've brought me onion bagels to try. I've toasted them both. I've even had poppy seed bagels and bagels and lox with capers. I'll pit your onion bagel against my plain bagel with cream cheese any time anywhere, just meet me halfway.
I mentioned this in another thread...but I saw one of these in black on I-10 the other day...heading in the opposite direction, and while I noticed it, and identified it....it had ZERO of the previous gen WRX visual effect...it honestly looked like another go-quick hatchback. Now perhaps in gold and blue livery it would stand out a little - but the immediate visual impact was about 10% of that of the previous ugly-econo-monster look...
...a nice read and the new STI seems like a great car, my only issue w/the article was this...
"The last bit of technology to program before blast-off was the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC). By default it is designed to preserve life at the expensive of fun, dialing back throttle and modulating the brakes at the first hint of disaster."
5-door, 305hp, AWD hatchback? Sounds good to me! And the extra helping of butch the WRX received in the move to STI takes care of my stylistic complaints of the standard Impreza. It's expensive, but compared to the other cars on my "Next Buy" list, the Mini Cooper S JCW Stg. 2 and the BMW 135i, it is certainly in the running. I want!
1. Seats are absolute garbage 2. Something about the interior makes me feel clausterphobic (you sit in it as opposed to on it like the previous sti) 3. Quality of materials used is questionable interior wise. 4. It's a kia rio with the old sti drivetrain.
Modified by 20aeman at 1:18 AM 12-1-2007
Biggest Apple to orange comparison ever, 2 totally different cars i every way, shape or form. Still don't see how many people will cross shop an STI w/ a 135 or 335. Aside from power and either base sti vs base 135 price or fully loaded sti vs base 335 price they couldn't be more different cars.
Otherwise i agree w/ the seats but can't comment on the rest since I haven't had a chance to check out an 08 interior yet. And the drivetrain is different, the DCCD is more adjustable dual AVCS on both intake and exhaust cams, bigger topmount intercooler.
Also the 40k is w/ every option (the whole 2 of them), base price is only 1500 over last years. I don't think it will take too long before they're selling for little above invoice
You are honestly trying to tell me this is an improvement?
Over this?
The new seats and steering wheel suck 10X more, the car is the same power-train... and they want $1,500 more base...
Subaru seriously @%ked this one up.
I agree, this will be crossed shopped against BMW, I mean, after all if the point of this car is to offer maturity and performance with a refined ride and interior... BMW just bitch smacked them into last decade.
Evo please...
Quote, originally posted by BRealistic »
Audi, Porsche, Lambo - and the RX8's reliability question scares people away? Do you work with........?
Wow Corbic. Where did you get a chance to sit in a new STI? The seats sound like they may be better as my biggest complaint with the seats in my current car (which are the same as the previous STI sans alcantara) has to do with the short thigh cushion.
Oh and why are you comparing the new car to the old JDM version, which has a nicer interior and better seats than we ever did?
the car is the same power-train... and they want $1,500 more base...
It's on a shortened Legacy platform now, which means the multi-link rear suspension among other improvements over the old Impreza chassis the 04-07's are on. I do agree that after owning a Legacy I couldn't step down to the Impreza interior quality, and the new framed doors don't have the same solid thunk of the older frameless ones.
I have to agree with everyone who said they'd go with a 335i over this. When you move into mid-upper 30s (once you add the forged wheels, which were stock on the old STi) you start to compete with other cars that are not only fast, but nice on the inside and respectable as well. That said, I do think it looks fine in red, and depending on incentives the IMBA deal might make it appealing. Has the invoice price been released yet?
Proud member of the Colorado Elitist Know-it-all D-bag club, Boulder chapter.
Where are you guys seeing 40k? I couldn't find that.
Fully loaded w/ BBS and Navi is around 39k MSRP. and w/ VIP pricing will be around 36k
but i agree. Base 335i Sedan is the same and a Base 335i coupe is more than a Fully loaded Sti. 335i sedan w/ Navi and sports package is 5k more and figure the coupe will be 6k more.
The point is that I, at least, would take a base 335i sedan over the loaded STi. Not all of us want to pay substantially more for the coupe. Also, you can get European Delivery on the 335i, which I intend to do at some point in my life.
Proud member of the Colorado Elitist Know-it-all D-bag club, Boulder chapter.
Fully loaded w/ BBS and Navi is around 39k MSRP. and w/ VIP pricing will be around 36k
but i agree. Base 335i Sedan is the same and a Base 335i coupe is more than a Fully loaded Sti. 335i sedan w/ Navi and sports package is 5k more and figure the coupe will be 6k more.
Interesting. I was all set to buy a black one on release. I may cross shop now.
i can't help but entirely disagree. there is nothing modest about the front end of this car.
this is modest:
the picture you ppsted of the sti is anything but. look at tha freakin hood scoop, for starters. i really wish they would use a front mount stock like the evo does. some people might consider a front mount ugly, but to me the hood scoop is far worse.
Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.
I hate to deflate the internet ego's of all of the fantasy buyers out there, but Subaru and BMW aren't the least bit concerned with cross shopping between the '08 STI and the 335.
I can just see marketing teams from both manufactures following this idea closely in an effort to garner the highly profitable and critical "If I had $38k to spend" demographic.
I can just see marketing teams from both manufactures following this idea closely in an effort to garner the highly profitable and critical "If I had $38k to spend" demographic.
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