Next-gen Subaru WRX STI?!
May 28, 2009 | 02:26 AM
#1
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| Teamspeed Pro
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,594
From: Dubai, UAE
Next-gen Subaru WRX STI?!
It's fair to say that Subaru has enjoyed a run of strong product in recent years, as well as an exponential credibility increase in enthusiast's eyes, essentially ever since the automaker began shipping over the Impreza WRX back in 2001. Those considerable achievements aside, it's likewise fair to say that Subaru has yet to well-and-truly crack the aesthetics portion of the modern carbuilding equation, having produced some daring (if ungainly) entries like the origina B9 Tribeca and a series of aggressive yet unpretty Impreza variants. And while we applaud originality, we think the folks at Fuji Heavy Industries could use a consistent design force, a man (or woman) with a mission that's out in the public eye as something of a known quantity. Think: General Motors' Ed Welburn, former Mazda-turned-Tesla wunderkind Franz von Holzhausen, former BMW lightning rod Chris Bangle, etc.
All of this is not to say that the man behind the WRX STI rally car renderings shown here has the answers, but we know one thing: When passing these images around Autoblog's (virtual) offices, we all couldn't help but say something to the effect of: "Oooooh, damn that's hot!" – a phrase we can't remember associating with Subaru, much as we love driving the vehicles themselves. In any case, these images come courtesy of one Lars Martensson (apparently better known on the interwebs by his handle 'GRID)', a man who spends his days crafting 3D renderings for videogames (Rallisport Challenge 2 for xBox, Battlefield 2 for PC). To us, this Swede has a handle on what the STI needs to be: Squat, mean, and purposeful. Okay, so perhaps the cut-down greenhouse wouldn't leave much room for taller folks (much less a helmet), but if one of these were parked in our driveway, well... we'd happily squat a little.
Source: Autoblog
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All of this is not to say that the man behind the WRX STI rally car renderings shown here has the answers, but we know one thing: When passing these images around Autoblog's (virtual) offices, we all couldn't help but say something to the effect of: "Oooooh, damn that's hot!" – a phrase we can't remember associating with Subaru, much as we love driving the vehicles themselves. In any case, these images come courtesy of one Lars Martensson (apparently better known on the interwebs by his handle 'GRID)', a man who spends his days crafting 3D renderings for videogames (Rallisport Challenge 2 for xBox, Battlefield 2 for PC). To us, this Swede has a handle on what the STI needs to be: Squat, mean, and purposeful. Okay, so perhaps the cut-down greenhouse wouldn't leave much room for taller folks (much less a helmet), but if one of these were parked in our driveway, well... we'd happily squat a little.
Source: Autoblog
May 28, 2009 | 09:33 AM
#3
Teamspeed Pro
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 31,976
From: Minnesota
Maybe I'm in the minority here but I think it looks absolutely horrible. It's all swoopy and rounded in the front and back but then it's all straight lines and hard corners in the middle. It just doesn't flow...
Looks like it'd make a great rally car though...after it's been rammed into a tree.
Looks like it'd make a great rally car though...after it's been rammed into a tree.
May 28, 2009 | 11:26 AM
#7
Teamspeed Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 5,659
From: Plano, TX
Looks awesome, but I'd bet money that production model will look more like the current generation with a few design cues from this concept.
I highly doubt the street version would have a roofline that low, rollcage, or as wide of a stance.
I highly doubt the street version would have a roofline that low, rollcage, or as wide of a stance.
