Spied: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI - Car News Subie’s top-deck rally rocket gets ready to take off.
BY ERIK JOHNSON, PHOTOGRAPHY BY KGP PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE MANUFACTURER
After all the hullabaloo and hoopla surrounding the latest Subaru WRX’s styling, we were beginning to worry about the aesthetic fate of the hottest version, the STI, but it appears our fears were mostly unfounded. In fact, we kind of like the all-matte-black look this tester has—can we get that as an option, Subaru?
These spy shots, captured at and around the Nürburgring, show that the STI will keep its muscular fender flares as it transitions to a hatchback-only model.
The quad exhaust tips; the aggressive, more-tasteful rear wing perched above the rear glass; and the deep front lip all point to the STI’s retaining its rally-bred high-po character as well. This is especially welcome given early indications that the regular WRX has lost some of its hard-core edge.
We expect the 2.5-liter turbocharged-and-intercooled boxer four-cylinder engine to make the jump to at least 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque for this iteration. (The current car already makes 293 horsepower and 290 pound-feet, so it wouldn’t seem to be too lofty a goal.) The STI will hit streets sometime late this year.
See pics here:http://www.caranddriver.com/carnews/13307/spied-2008-subaru-impreza-wrx-sti.html?al=92