playdoh43

sorry it my comment came across kind of rude, no pun intended. i was just trying to reference that "looks" is a subjective matter.

Skythe

**** changes when you can have something that you hated on for so long. You learn to appreciate and learn to love....sometimes for worse. It ain't pretty...it never was. But damn does that bitch move!! It's like bein real horny and all you have access to is that one broad from work that you been pushin off your nads for the past 6 months. You say **** like, "umm..she don't look that bad" YOU PURPOSELY look for things to like about her, so you can justify engaging in coitus. And after you do it, and it was great, all of a sudden, "i never knew she was this pretty."

The *****-trap nevar fails.

Same damn story, different chapter.

JRichter

Big wing probably not exactly needed but I doubt they put it on there just for looks (because it's ugly). These bits are actually functional on these cars but I see your point.

"Aero tweaks come at the expense of looks--or is that vice versa? The new airplane-inspired front fascia is said to be slipperier and more efficient, which allowed a smaller hood scoop to be fitted. A new STI-specific roof vane spoiler borrows the Evo MR trick of pulling the airflow down against the rear glass to allow clean air to act on the rear wing, thus increasing its effect. No word on how much extra downforce is made, but we assume it's up from the previous 2005 STi's 50 pounds at 100 mph."--Motortrend.

The little things on the top of the Evo are said to keep it more stable as well.

bascho

I have no doubt that the wing and all that other **** come into play at high speed......but only a professional race driver will feel the difference. I am confident that they put this crap on to make it 'look' like the rally version (which actually needs them) and not because they needed it for stability while cornering in the mall parking lot.

JmurphRx8

~Can you please elaborate on how it's not a rally car? The car is perfectly capable of going off road, and doing what it's made to do ( I would know I do it all the time). Yea I do drive my car to work but it's my daily driver, so i have no choice. Should we make the assumption that jeeps and suv's arent actually off road vehicles, yet all the cladding thats put on them is actually just parts tacked on for looks? My point is, yea not everyone uses the car for its initial intent, but it's still rally car non the less. And I have to say i find your fast and the furious comment a little ignorant. These cars have looked as they do for years before fast and the furious was even thought about. personally i find that the fake vents on the rx8 seem a little fast and furious, as they searve no real purpose. I am in no way trying to spark a fight, i love both cars, hense the reason i've owned them both. I just find your comments a little ignorant.

cas2themoe

Good review. Ofcourse a car that performs so well is going to attractive those who know about it. But in most cases, your "average" person looks at them and say umm ok and turn off into another direction. Both the STi and Evo have that look. Most people will remember it as the car that was very fast but very ugly. Its a car that's here today and gone tomorrow. Doesn't have a classic good looking body that people will remember. You're right if only Subaru and Mitsubishi both put some design efforts into them. I know a lot of their design comes from it being a rally car. But don't you think it would have been a little smarter if they implemented some sexy exotic sports design into them? Dealers wouldn't be able to keep them on the lot if that were the case.

And like I've said before, the little bit of more performance the STi and Evo give you over the RX8 doesn't make up for its lack of quality and design(inside and out). I want to like them but I cant.

DARKMAZ8

Actually, it doesn't look half bad. Much better then the previous.

cas2themoe

Atleast the 06's look better than the previous models. But thats not saying much.

lshu

I would think you are a little ignorant as well, since the the vents on the rx8 are functional, not fake.

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=71141

bascho

I know the STI and EVO are built to resemble rally cars.....but I've watched rally racing on tv, there is no way you are going to bomb a turn in the gravel road the width of the car at 120mph in your stock STi. That doesn't mean you can't take your STi on a rally course.....but without extensive mods, you are not going to hit the speeds necessary to actually benefit from the wing. Yes, stock Jeeps and SUV's are not 'off-road' vehicles....they just resemble them......and the plastic skid protection is for looks. Can a Jeep be modded to actually be a great off-road vehicle.....yes.....but so can a Miata. We are talking about stock looks and abilities.....the STi/EVO do not need giant wings for street use. The wing is there for a certain 'look' and that 'look' happens to have been copied by every other import racer. I know the EVO and STi had a certain look before the F&F movies......but they didn't always have the giant wing made famous by the F&F movies. The STI Limited is a step in the right direction.....IMO.

JRichter

Giant wing was made famous by the racecars these cars are based on which was necessary in the development of the rally cars as a boxy sedan shape is not very stable or slippery aerodynamic-wise. A car needs stability when it's flying.



There may be a select group of F & F followers that may be into these cars strictly because of the movie (I don't remember seeing a WRX in F & F), but there are probably ten times as many people that know what these cars are about and where they came from long before the movie ever existed.

It's always been common practice for parts used on race cars to make there way to production cars anywhere in the world for function, looks, and promoting sales.

RevTo9K

Actually, it's just the opposite... to use these highly functional aero components on the WRC cars, they HAVE to be on the production car. They aren't allowed to make any bodywork changes above a certain point on the car. So, I have them on my car in order for professional drivers to get their downforce, and try to win championships.

...and I'm ok with that.

RevTo9K

Yep. The Skyline GT-R, the EVO, and the Subaru. For years, the three cars that we couldn't get in the US, and now two of them are here, and one is coming soon.

It's a really good time to be in the market for a sports car in the US.

Rhawb

Ya know, after covering up the big "pig snout" part of the grill in the pictures with my thumb, the new STi is actually a kind of sharp looking car. If they'd just take out that stupid middle part that disrupts the flow of the front end, they could have a reasonably classy looking car (not $30k classy, but since a 2.5 RS base starts around $20k, it would be nice for its class). Why that big ugly snout needs to be there is beyond me - take it away and I'd have a much easier time owning one.

bascho

Well if that is the reason then I can understand that. The Domestics had to do similar production runs of race-engine equip'd production cars to use a certain engine in Nascar. I find it strange though that Subaru and Mitsu are the only ones that have to make this production requirement. I have seen plenty of Peugeot, Lancia, Ford, etc rally cars in rally races with giant wings and their production models don't have giant wings......how are they exempt?

bascho

Are they sports cars or rally cars? make up your mind.

JRichter

Rally is a sport. A car is a car so a rally car is a sports car.

bascho

Well, then 'sports car' can include just about everything. Nascar racing is a sport so that means the Taurus and Fusion are 'sports cars' too. The F-150 & Ranger are raced in off-road and Craftsman Truck which are sports.......so they must be 'sport trucks'. The Focus is used in rally racing.....so I guess that is a 'sports car' also. The Crown Vic was raced in Cannonball events, which is a sport.....another 'sports car' for Ford. Wow, Ford only makes a few cars/trucks that are not 'sports cars'.......who knew.

JmurphRx8

~good point, I forgot to mention that

JRichter

We can all agree that an STI and EVO are closer to the rally cars they are based on than a Taurus and Fusion are to the Nascars they are supposed to be based on, can't we?

yiksing

Conclusion is all these EVO fins (aka vortex generators) and the tiny roof spoiler works in conjunction with the big wings at the back so the car land on the rear wheels when they go airborne.

The new STI fascia looks better in my opinion than the previous bug-eye or teardrop headlights. Just take a good look at the base model without all the add-on kits and lips and its decisively looks more refined. Then again, the best looking one is still the pre-bugeye version.

bascho

From what I've seen of actual rally cars through in-car cameras.......I don't think the production STi/EVO is any closer to the race version than the production RX8 is to the tube frame/carbon fibre body GT racer version.

But if it makes you feel better about your car and the ridiculous wing to think you have a actual rally car.....then more power to you.

JRichter

The first thing I would do if I bought one of those cars would be to take the wing off - I'm not a wing man. My point is the wing doesn't exist on that car because of Fast and Furious movies. Why did those movies ever come out...

bascho

I agree with you on that......I don't think the wing is there because of the movies either. But because of the movies, the giant wings are now considered rice more than rally.

I like that, "I'm not a wingman".

nt5k

Uh, no. All that has to happen to meet WRC requirements is to have 25k road going sedans and a number of kits to transform them to WRC cars. Subaru could make do with just a regular Impreza to meet those requirement.

Did you ever see a Hyundai Elantra that was as powerful as the STi? Right, you didn't because it wasn't a requirement for them to have one to be able to race in the WRC.

The STi/Evo exist only to be sold as another car in the lineup and has nothing to do with WRC requirements.