Intended as an internal memo between Subaru of American and its dealers, details regarding the 2009 Impreza WRX have surfaced on the forum site North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club (NASIOC).
Immediately rendering all 2008 WRX inferior, the memo states the 2009 model, which will only be available with a manual transmission will receive an upgraded engine making 265hp, that's 41hp more than the 2008. If you want an automatic transmission, you'll have to settle for a new model called the Impreza GT which retains the same 2008 engine making only 224 hp.
The 2009 WRX also gets an upgraded suspension, STi style front grille, standard aero package, new gray coloured wheels and red stitching on the steering wheel and seats. STi's ordered with the premium package also get a moonroof included.
Leaked Memo Puts 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX at 265hp
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX
41hp more
By Brian Potter
July 18, 2008 8:00 PM
Filed Under: Japanese, Leaks, Subaru
Comments
JTZ
July 18, 2008 10:20 PM
NICE!!! 265! hmmmm i might have to reconsider the WRX now ...
Goldfinger
July 18, 2008 10:33 PM
What have they done to the car that won rallies? it looks like a daewoo.
carreralovr
July 18, 2008 11:04 PM
Indeed, such a pity. The old car was by no means a great looker but the image it projected was attractive. I will laugh at every poor soul that buys this incredibly ugly beast.
Tuner_Mad
July 19, 2008 1:00 AM
So it will have the same power as the JDM spec SGT just with a 2.5l engine? Well, its nice to see Impreza's getting faster.
The Impreza isn't ugly. just looks kinda 'un-original' being a hatch. Look how many hatches are on the market.
AG4
July 19, 2008 2:52 PM
It will actually produce 18 more hp than the current JDM Impreza S-GT (247hp) which I belive is only available with an automatic. The STI-style grill on the 2009 WRX is very welcome, I was never a fan of the Impreza's eggcrate grill with chrome trim.
AG4
July 19, 2008 2:58 PM
*Correction to my previous post, the JDM Impreza S-GT is available with a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed auto.
Ash
July 19, 2008 1:45 AM
Sorry mate, you are way out numbered, this is ugly, are Subaru selling any at all?
carcrazy1234
July 19, 2008 3:07 AM
i saw an sti version of this, gold rims and everything and white paintjob, brand new.. very nice car, but it should be renamed. this doesn't deserve to be a wrx.
Xanavi23
July 19, 2008 4:03 AM
Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder. You all think its ugly, i think it looks great. Nice sportwagon/hatchback with heavy flared out fenders. It all looks awesome.
carcrazy1234
July 19, 2008 6:14 AM
this just doesn't have the presence like it did with almost all the previous models including the circle eyed headlight model and even the alfa romeo designer designed sti.
DeRay
July 19, 2008 7:47 AM
I have to agree with xanavi23 I think it is nice and better than the styling in 06 and they have always offered a wagon of their Impreza. and in the states subaru is not selling as much as its competitors across the board and they were in search of something that would appeal to more people yet still have better performance than the previous models and they did a good job. You think it has lost its looks but it still retains all that wrx performance.
leons
July 19, 2008 8:36 AM
hey guys that design sucks..look at that front end just cheap 90's asian style..i cant understand how you fall in love with that or say beautiful.
Tuner_Mad
July 19, 2008 11:56 AM
@ leons-
If you say it is ugly, I bet you haven't seen one in real life. The STI really looks aggresive, and even the normal WRX looks pretty good too. Don't judge something on what you haven't seen.
leons
July 19, 2008 5:02 PM
hmm.the problem is my friend has got one of those cars and some people having idea without knowing or thinking thats dangerous man ;)
Goldfinger
July 19, 2008 12:39 PM
Well like it or not the figures will tell if it sells well , The first time i saw colin mcrae drive one of the old versions on the rally of great britan , was just amazing and everyone i knew never said a bad word about it! But you have only got to look at the front to tell Saab has had a big influence on subaru this year ... they should have redesigned it but not as drastic as this. all people want it a road going rally car which has good looks and sounds great . I for one will not even look twice at this car , because it has no soul. And yes i have seen them at silverstone rally circuit.
Tuner_Mad
July 19, 2008 2:39 PM
This is the problem here. People judge a car by their looks. It's no about whats on the outside that counts. Who said the Impreza isn't a road going rally car? it is still competing in thw WRC, and it still has the Boxer engine note.
and btw, if you've seen them at Silverstone, that means they are selling well already.
Goldfinger
July 19, 2008 3:14 PM
What one car on a rally track makes them popular loland it was being overtaken by a mitsubishi EVO old type .
IT has no soul man .
Xanavi23
July 19, 2008 3:30 PM
Gold Finger, how can you say it has no soul ? The WRX still uses the EJ20 in some markets thats been in use since the '94 imprezas all be it improved since then. The 2.5 isn't that much different either. The car has soul, alot, its a car that has gradually evolved and has lived a great life in its time with all the rally titles.
Goldfinger
July 19, 2008 4:16 PM
Well ok when i say soul i mean it just doesnt come out on to the market and is a great car , take the audi s1 for example , that is a car loved by many due to the fact it was a beast to drive .The earlier imprezas and legacys had colin mcrae , richard burns , tommi makinen to thank due to their rally succsess , which made the car an icon , then people loved the car so much it was driven with passion and soul which evolved the wrc models etc, it has everything really to do with how it looks and how much respect it has gained over many years .And now they have changed the design it has lost all sexiness and i really think that this car is just so ..plain and boring.
Tuner_Mad
July 19, 2008 4:33 PM
3 things: 1) Colin and Richard are both dead, and Tommi drove Mitsubishis
2) You can't really decide how the new car is doing since has recently come into the WRC.
3)I agree with Xanavi. It still has the same many similar things since its been made. Same 4wd drivetrain, and same boxer engine, despite being slightly increased to 2.5l. Its still a rally car, and that is the true soul of a Subaru Impreza.
Tuner_Mad
July 19, 2008 6:21 PM
Lets just end this dicussion. This is gonna end up taking alot of usless posts.
Goldfinger
July 19, 2008 6:24 PM
WRC & Subaru History The deep blue and bright yellow Pleiades stars of the Subaru brand is one of the best known in the rally world. Way back in 1990 with the Subaru Legacy and later in 1993 with the Impreza the Subaru name was became synonymous with rallying with Colin McCrae and Carlos Sainz becoming more and more successful with a triumph for Colin and Subaru taking the world title in 1995.
With a second place in 1996 and under the new World Rally Car rules and using the new Subaru Impreza WRC and drivers McCrae, Piero Liatti and Kenneth Eriksson, Subaru took the 1997 manufacturer's title.
1998 once again saw McCrae take the driver's championship but in 1999 he decided to switch teams to Ford. Richard Burns & Juha Kankkunen signed for Subaru and Burns finished second in the 1999 drivers league. With a poor showing in 2000 Burns came to the top again in 2001 winning the driver's title but decided to move to Peugeot so Petter Solberg took over as top driver and Tommi Makinen provided back up for the 2002 season.
Tuner_Mad
July 19, 2008 6:37 PM
Ok, now you've gone way OT, and talking about alot of random ralling stuff. If you think that the soul is completely about just the rallying, thats just your opinion. I won't argue with people's opinions.
Goldfinger
July 20, 2008 9:52 PM
Im not talking random stuff this is subarus history off the website and tommi did drive for subaru.
Goldfinger
July 19, 2008 8:09 PM
All i was trying to say is it takes along time to make a car worthy of being called an icon..
I hope i didnt sound like i was having a go .. :)
Xanavi23
July 19, 2008 8:40 PM
Well, the Impreza has done its part, it won rally, and even the years it didnt win, it didnt lose because it was an inferior car. So it did its job. Now all that its gonna take is time and how people remember it before its considered a car like the Delta Evoluzzione.
Aesthetics
July 20, 2008 9:55 AM
looks absolutely meaningless, dead, characterless, nothing, just there and walk pass, no effect, no impression, no expression.
it has the same effect as a newspaper.
Xanavi23
July 20, 2008 2:31 PM
Subjective, your opinion, to me everytime i see a new Impreza, it grabs me...and im not even talking WRX models, even lower.
Tuner_Mad
July 21, 2008 1:30 AM
Not sure. The STI has to stay at 300bhp to be as close to a road going rally car. Maybe they can make more powerful versions like Mitsubishi with their 'FQ' Evo models.
Goldfinger
July 21, 2008 10:27 AM
34 , i bet you just missed the group b rallies then? i mean to go and watch them.
Xanavi23
July 21, 2008 4:40 PM
Yea, sadly i did...a particularly amazing time in Rally history despite the sad loss of human life in one of the cars. I wonder if we'll ever see allowances made to manufacturers like that again.
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