Can you blame the car companies though? They are cashing in on the name and the recognition. Soften that baby up, add creature comforts, make it quieter, and they will make more money. Enthusiasts like us don't make car companies rich, they can only make them poor. The general half enthusiast/consumer makes them $$$, so you're right, the cars are gonna sell better, which is the goal. They were purpose built niche cars, but now it's time to cash in on the names a bit, and make the cars sell better. The rawness of these cars deterred many people from buying. In the end it's all about $$$$$.

With that said, I look at these cars as daily drivers only, not fun sports cars, so softening them up is right up my alley. I really want the new STI!!!!!!!!!! Perfect daily driver/ winter beater for me, and if I can afford it, I'll replace this Speed 6 for one next year, or the year after.

I got my S2000 like you have your EVO, only you use it daily. :)

Got a chance to sit in a couple 2008 STI models. The 1st was a red base model. The other one was white on gold BBS rims with navigation. I know this kind of phrase has been beaten to death, but it looks a helluva lot better in person. The dealership I was at sells both Mazdas and Subarus and on the showroom floor was the new STI and a new Mazdaspeed 3. I've always liked the lines of the MS3 but, side by side, the STI just looks smoother, lower to the ground, more aggressive and much wider. The rear of the car (minus those goofy tail lights) with the quad exhaust and 8.5" rims looks mean as hell too. There is also easily more room for wider rims/tires. The front of the car is sorta bland. Maybe that's not the worst thing in the world when it comes to attracting attention, but I'm not in love with it. There is however ample room for a nice FMIC upgrade.

Inside the car I can say that I was honestly impressed. It's not quite on par with the setup in my wife's Infiniti FX35 but the dash layout is clean and simple, the steering wheel is telescopic, the gauges are attractive and the controls on the steering wheel are intuitive. The touchscreen navigation system is the same setup my buddy has on his '08 Tribeca (which he loves). The AUX allows for an iPod and apparently there is a bluetooth feature available shortly from the factory. The sales guy knew nothing though and it was obvious. When will they learn that BS is for Accord and Camry buyers. Performance car shoppers have forgotten more about said car then most salesmen ever knew.

One observation I had is that the STI seats don't have the kind of aggressive bolstering I'd hoped for. I'm 6'3" and 230lbs too so I'm not quite sure who Subaru was building them for. Only a spirited drive through the foothills can confirm this but I'm not too optimistic. The JDM Recaros are supposed to be nice, I hear. :)

One final thing for anybody who refuses to ever consider a hatch. I used to be one of you. Then I started seeing them win rallies all over the world. So what. Then I got married. So what again. Then we had a baby. Sold. The shear amount of crap that can be thrown in the back of this thing is mind boggling...strollers, toys, their friend's strollers and toys, pets, soccer balls, ice chests filled with beer and steak, etc. Put down the back seat and this thing becomes outright cavernous, probably 75% as big as the FX35 with the seats down. Anyhow the real test comes when I can finally drive it.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/..._and_dyno.html motortrend has an article up

the Sub has a ugly front.

The Evo is actually looking good now. Has better interior than the past.

From what I've read and seen on video the new EVO is faster on the track.

I vote EVO.

I'll wait till I can drive them both myself. I like the utility of the STi and I'm not sure I want to pay 40k for a Mitsu. (The GSR looks like it will get crappier interior)

I used to think the new Imprezas looked like Hyundai cars... fast forward a few months to now, I think it's very agressive looking and sexy.

a little off topic but here is YouTube. 08 STi vs 08 NismoZ.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=V5zXyPqMj3U

it's a driver's race. neck and neck.

Not exactly...

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...1407471&page=9

That's disappointing for the Evo to come in at 5.2 sec for 0-60. I just can't imagine plunking down that kind of coin for a 5.0+ car. I guess there's always next year.

what are you talking about? i just read the whole thread and it did not say one thing about anything regarding to "not exactly". it just shows you a picture and the same link I posted. ???

The guy driving the STI is admittedly a novice. With identical skillsets behind the wheel of each car, there's zero chance of that 350Z Nismo hanging with the STI.

so do you know the guy's skill set in the NISMO?

Supposedly he's been out on the track a few times. That's all I know. The STi belongs to a shop called Harmon Automotive IIRC. They have a few threads on IWSTI and NASIOC because their '08 STi was one of the 1st in the country.