Re: subarooo note

["Mark Nelson" <tahoe@msn.com>]

>>I think subaru makes some interesting, maybe even cool (gasp!) cars, but I
>>don't think they imported or sold many of the neat ones over here, in the
US.
>>
>>In my experience, conventional wisdom says 'Subaru = grandma car, grocery
>>getter, boring, and definatly NOT performance'.
>I dunno about that...Subaru made a turbo AWD coupe(SVX I think was the
>name.)  Combine the turbo, low to the ground, wide, light, and AWD...pretty
>much all the right stuff.  Don't know how quick they are though.  I imagine
>it's nothing spectacular...
>
>I've also heard the new coupe "sporty" model is really something...the
>gold-plated wheels look dumb, but supposedly it's quick, sticks like glue,
>and is fun to drive...
>
>Brett

The engine in the SVX is a beautiful piece...very sophisticated and could be
a VERY potent power plant.  The one downside is that I believe most of them
came with automatics!!!!  Don't know if the blocks are a crappy design like
the Audi V8, in that you can't bolt up a manual tranny to the automatic
block.

As far as sporty, the Impreza 2.5RS doesn't look like a bad car...I've been
wanting to go and test drive one, to see how it compares to the CQ, since it
makes about the same power.  I'm most curious in how it handles without all
that weight of the engine sitting so far out in front, like the 5-cyl, and
being a flat-4, it should have a lower center of gravity.  Remember that the
gold trim is intended to match the WRC Prodrive Imprezas.

I still think that as far as sporty goes, the WRX STI III is one hot car.
Sport Compact Car did a recent comparison between the WRX and a new
Firebird.  In the end, the WRX was a much faster car, and handled much
better.  Seeing a WRX in person, for the second time, at Rim of the World
was pretty cool.  The car has giant STI calipers with big rotors, a carbon
fiber strut bar that had an interesting design to it.  The neatest gizmo was
the adjustable center diff lock switch, down on the center console...there
are 6 settings you can use to change the locking position.  If they import
those cars, I'd be very keen on getting one.  The one thing I don't like
about Subarus is the rather weak drivetrain (at least on the current US
cars)...I don't think it's anywhere near as strong or as bulletproof as any
of the Quattro drivetrains.  The WRX might be a different story...and
besides that, Prodrive makes all kinds of drivetrain components, from
trannies to axles for the cars, so there are some options.

cya!
-mark nelson
mailto:tahoe@msn.com
http://www.quattrosport.com
'90 S2
'90 CQ