Impreza WRC2003 Revealed

SJ Spode · 26 Sep 2002, 14:59 (Ref:388888)

From www.swrt.com

This afternoon at the Paris Motorshow four times World Rally Champion Tommi Mäkinen revealed a prototype of next year's Subaru Impreza World Rally Car - the WRC2003.

Looks better than the current one IMO. Now if we can just get it back to being a two door model...

Speeddemon555 · 26 Sep 2002, 16:35 (Ref:388940)

That car looks impressive. Much shorter wheelbase than the current Impreza.

429CJ · 26 Sep 2002, 17:59 (Ref:389014)

Looking good! They have reshaped those horrible looking round headlights, even. And shorter wheelbase surely helping against tiny red Pug.

rdjones · 26 Sep 2002, 18:47 (Ref:389044)

That looks much better than the old one............

mac · 26 Sep 2002, 22:29 (Ref:389317)

They had to make it smaller. With Mitsu punting the Lancer, Subaru were going to be the only manufacturer with a medium sized car in the field (excluding Skoda). They had to reduce it's size in some way.

It looks great too. Let's hope it goes as well as it looks.

**touringlegend** · 27 Sep 2002, 22:58 (Ref:390245)

Must say it beats the current Impreza hands down on looks, I have never liked those circular headlights!

alfasud · 30 Sep 2002, 07:09 (Ref:391852)

Does anyone know the actual size of the new Impreza WRC2003.... e.g. overall length and wheelbase when compared with say Peugeot 206?

alfasud · 30 Sep 2002, 07:11 (Ref:391856)

And yes, Mitsubishi need to use a smaller base car too.... is the Mitsubishi Mirage smaller?

SJ Spode · 30 Sep 2002, 08:10 (Ref:391901)

Quote:

Originally posted by alfasud
Does anyone know the actual size of the new Impreza WRC2003.... e.g. overall length and wheelbase when compared with say Peugeot 206?

The info released from Subaru doesn't mention anything about a shorter wheelbase (& it doesn't look that different in the pics.)

Lee Janotta · 1 Oct 2002, 04:58 (Ref:392743)

Am I the only one who thinks it looks a _lot_ like a Nissan Sentra?

Around the grill, at least.

(edited due to original image being too large)

SJ Spode · 1 Oct 2002, 10:50 (Ref:392918)

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Am I the only one who thinks it looks a _lot_ like a Nissan Sentra?

Around the grill, at least.

429CJ · 1 Oct 2002, 17:59 (Ref:393331)

No, it does not look any shorter in other pictues, like straight from the side, it was just an optical illusion!
And that front end looks more like a Legacy Blitzen...what is Nissan Sentra?? Some relationship of old Sunny?

mac · 1 Oct 2002, 21:57 (Ref:393493)

Yeah, I thought that. But then people up the top started talking about this shorter wheelbase.

Dino IV · 2 Oct 2002, 19:21 (Ref:394280)

The SWRT.com site mentions this dimensions on the current 2002 car:

Overall length 4405mm
Overall width 1770mm
Overall height 1390mm
Wheelbase 2535mm

Let's see what the updated figures will bring in a while. As said above, dimensions look identical from the pictures. Compare www.swrt.com/cpimages/100246.jpg with www.swrt.com/cpimages/176443.jpg.

DNQ · 3 Oct 2002, 00:22 (Ref:394512)

I still miss the real WRX! The one from a few years back, the original and the best. But I gotta say, that's not a bad looking vehicle.

StuiE · 6 Oct 2002, 19:56 (Ref:397045)

I don't like it, it looks too much like a Teggy Type-R, and I miss the Carbon Fibre light pods with the intakes, they were nice. There is something about it that makes it seem nose heavy to me.

Lee Janotta · 6 Oct 2002, 22:30 (Ref:397171)

A Civic in a WRC forum... Man, that thing would be such a _perfect_ tarmac car. I've never figured why Honda has so little interest in rallying. I mean, it's basically the only motorsport venue they haven't conquered.

JAG · 6 Oct 2002, 23:13 (Ref:397195)

I'm sure there was a Civic in the BRC a few years back driven by someone like David Higgins. I think it was Group A and was competing against Kit Cars.

SJ Spode · 21 Oct 2002, 11:15 (Ref:409140)

Apparently the Subaru team are already out testing the Impreza WRC 2003 prototype in Spain, and will move to Andorra to test on rough gravel.

**garcon** · 21 Oct 2002, 14:37 (Ref:409295)

Wheelbase will be the same - it's only a facelift for the road car, though I don't know what else they're doing to the WRC.

In theory, if they can get the weight and centre of gravity down, it should be a better handling car than the shorter wheelbase 206 cos it'll be more stable/less twitchy.

Sadly, I fear the Impreza WRC2003 will once again be chasing a few seconds behind the Peugeot and neck & neck with the Focus. In Colin's hands, even the Citroen may be quicker. At least it'll still be quicker than the Mitsu ... until the new Mitsu WRC hatch that is.

JAG · 21 Oct 2002, 14:52 (Ref:409302)

Supposedly weight is reduced and weight distribution improved. The improved aerodynamics alone are the equivalent to an extra 6BHP.

429CJ · 21 Oct 2002, 17:15 (Ref:409419)

About the Hondas in rallying. The winner and a runner-up in group N under 2 liter class in Finnish Championships were driving Hondas - Civic Type R was best & Integra type R coming second on points. And that in series witch don't have a single tarmac event, but half a rallies in snowy conditions!

kev · 22 Oct 2002, 12:38 (Ref:410154)

Ooooh! I like it!
Yes, mush better looking than the current model.

There are a few Civic's , CRX's, etc rallying in this part of the world. Usually they are quite competitive.

kmchow · 27 Nov 2002, 01:17 (Ref:437631)

I have found the current Impreza to be barely adequate in size right now. And then in '03, they decide to shrink the car even further?

Wrex · 27 Nov 2002, 01:27 (Ref:437635)

Quote:

Originally posted by DNQ
I still miss the real WRX! The one from a few years back, the original and the best. But I gotta say, that's not a bad looking vehicle.

I agree mate, but then again I would

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