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Radical new Subaru WRX under development



The Japanese brand is going luxury-first with its all-new Impreza sedan, has the XV concept to turn into a baby SUV, and is planning a seriously quick WRX and STi as its frontline motorsport hero cars. But one Subaru insiders says it's not certain that the WRX name will actually survive the massive makeover.

Work on the all-new WRX has been made easier by Subaru's involvement in the joint-venture Toyota sports car that is currently known as the FT-86 but is expected to hit Australian showrooms as the Toyota 86. The new direction for the WRX has emerged following the preview of the all-new Impreza last month at the New York motor show, and talk of an Impreza-based WRX that would arrive a year later with a new and more- powerful engine.

But a Subaru insider now says the new WRX will be a totally different beast to the Impreza, and will employ totally different mechanical components. This image, revealing how one artist sees the new WRX, shows the new two-door model with a shorter wheelbase and heavy-duty bodywork. "Apart from a few nuts and bolts, every part on the WRX will be unique. Even the engine and body," says the Subaru source.

From now on, the Impreza will compete as the company's core model with a fuel-efficient, naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre boxer four engine. The car's wheelbase has been slightly lengthened while the A- pillar has been brought forward 200mm to maximize interior space and comfort levels. But the WRX will not use these parts and the company has clearly learned from the current car which has teddy bears for springs and marshmallows for dampers.

"Up until now, the Impreza and WRX used many common parts, which translated into entry-level Imprezas that were over-engineered," says the Subaru source. "The basic chassis and suspension had to employ certain parts necessary for the WRX. That drove cost up and, well, at the end of the day many entry-level customers did not want or understand the significance of such high-tech parts."

So the next WRX, on the other hand, will employ the very best from Subaru's parts bin, starting with the company's rally-proven all-wheel drive system and its bulletproof turbocharged boxer engine. "The first thing you must understand about our all-new WRX is that we have developed it from the ground up to win in motor sports events. That's why we have focused so heavily on weight issues, not to mention a shorter wheelbase that permits faster, more precise turn-in. Marry that to our proven AWD system, and we think we have a winner."

The new WRX could even signal a return to the top level of the World Rally Championship, where Subaru would run up against Ford, Volkswagen and the dominant Citroen team. "Obviously the rally model will be based on the top-of-the-line STI car but, unlike previous Impreza WRXs, this new WRX will be more hardcore and less forgiving on bumpy road surfaces."

He admits the FT-86 work with Toyota has helped the WRX. "If the truth be known, we were able to focus so deeply on the motorsports element with the new WRX because we developed a sister car with the Toyota FT-86. Bosses gave us permission to go all-out because that car exists."

Work on the upcoming WRX includes consideration of a turbocharged 1.6- litre boxer engine pumping out around 160 kiloWatts, while a twin- charger system involving a supercharger is being tested as well. The car's body is rumoured to be a little bigger that a Toyota Yaris, while its tread width is said to expand significantly.

i see storm clouds a brewin

SWEET!!

In other words, they're cheaping out even further on their standard cars, like their parent company, completely abandoning any remaining standards of quality and durability. The rising Koreans thank you, stupid Japanese, for following in the short-sighted, lazy, arrogant, and greedy footsteps of the US manufacturers. Thankfully, the domestics have woken up as I can't think of a single Japanese car from anyone but Mazda that interests me regardless of price anymore or that I would even recommend to someone else. That was a quick descent.

It's kind of sad actually.....I understand what Subaru is trying to do....but they are diverging from their humble beginnings and may be taking a larger bite then they can chew. The new Impreza that was just debuted is essentially the new Justy....honestly! Take a look and read the article: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/motorshows ... preza.html

The WRX line is going to be separated into its own category to be able to compete in rally and other motorsports events, but in doing what Subaru is doing they are throwing their existing market to the curb. The people that wanted a sport 4-door that is pratical, looks good, but still had some balls. They've essentially created a market void which is forcing people to look at other Subaru models....which I don't think there's much that's going to fill the gap, or look to other manufacturers.

If I had to predict what the crystal ball is seeing, we may see things converge back after several years if their experiment doesn't go the way they think it will.

That new impreza is ugly. Looks like a civic.

Is it just me a does the rendition look ridiculous and cartoonish? Almost like an early 80's AMC AMX

Wow, that new Impreza makes my 2012 Focus look like an Audi inside and out (sure I hate Audi's engineering, but they do look nice). Thank you, Subaru/Toyota/Honda for making this overstyled Ford look like an elegant future classic! Except for the occasional advantage of AWD (which I've never needed even living in New England), that looks as laughably "competitive" as the Cobalt was against my Mazda 3.

...revealing how one artist sees the new WRX...

Relax people.

It's not the high school rendering that bothers me, it's the information.