ImprezedRS
05-07-2001, 09:32 AM
here is what they said in my local newspaper on the WRX, this was scanned and converted to text format so if anywords are not right i will correct them.
At long last the wait is over.
For years Subaru has dangled it's Impreza WRX rally sports sedan over the heads of American auto enthusiasts yet denied us the opportunity to get our hands on it.
Previously available in Europe and Japan only the new 2002 WRX has finally come to US shores and is making a big splash everywhere it lands.
And although we aren't getting the twin-turbo, 280 horsepower missile that they have overseas, we are getting one of the most value-packed compact burners available.
The unique exterior on the four door sedan we tested was the first thing we noticed.
Styling cues include muscledup wheel wells over thick Potenza sport tires, a compact lowered body with side skirts and air dams and an unconventional front end.
Unconventional mostly because of the modifications necessary to cool the overachieving 4-cylinder turbo engine.
A huge hoodscoop feeding an air-to-air intercooler is the most prominent feature, but an under the bumper intake looks equally menacing.
The pair are flanked by over- sized headiamps and foglights that give the WRX a sneering face.
Under the bulging hood is a turbocharged and intercooled flat-4, aluminum top and bot- tom engine that produces a rousing 227 hp and 217 lb-ft of torque.
The turbo is a Mitsubishi sup- plied unit that generates a lusty 14.2 pounds of boost and really kicks in at about 3200 rpm's.
Rowing through the 5-speed manual transmission and get- ting past the turbolag is easy as the 31 00 pound sedan cruises from zero to sixty in about 6 seconds.
The surge from the potent turbocharger is a rush as it pins you to the seatback and delivers usable power to the full-time four-wheel-drive system.
A rally inspired and tightened chassis nets a staggering 148% increase in torsional rigidity over the stock Impreza and the 4- wheel drive keeps the sedan firmly planted and unshaken.
In true rally-racing form, the WRX is easy to control with the use of throttle, brake and over- steer. It's active rearend easily power-slides and more easily gets back in line with proper technique.
Braking is solid with twin-pis- ton calipers grabbing I 1.4-inch vented rotors up front and a smaller, single-piston unit grip- ping a solid rotor in the rear.
Both are standard anti-lock and deliver short and controlled stops.
The interior is a mix of aluminum and aluminum looking surfaces with the usual power features, controls and safety items including standard side airbags.
Pricing is not set yet, but the rumors say a loaded WRX will probably be around $26,000. - Craig Hymovitz
At long last the wait is over.
For years Subaru has dangled it's Impreza WRX rally sports sedan over the heads of American auto enthusiasts yet denied us the opportunity to get our hands on it.
Previously available in Europe and Japan only the new 2002 WRX has finally come to US shores and is making a big splash everywhere it lands.
And although we aren't getting the twin-turbo, 280 horsepower missile that they have overseas, we are getting one of the most value-packed compact burners available.
The unique exterior on the four door sedan we tested was the first thing we noticed.
Styling cues include muscledup wheel wells over thick Potenza sport tires, a compact lowered body with side skirts and air dams and an unconventional front end.
Unconventional mostly because of the modifications necessary to cool the overachieving 4-cylinder turbo engine.
A huge hoodscoop feeding an air-to-air intercooler is the most prominent feature, but an under the bumper intake looks equally menacing.
The pair are flanked by over- sized headiamps and foglights that give the WRX a sneering face.
Under the bulging hood is a turbocharged and intercooled flat-4, aluminum top and bot- tom engine that produces a rousing 227 hp and 217 lb-ft of torque.
The turbo is a Mitsubishi sup- plied unit that generates a lusty 14.2 pounds of boost and really kicks in at about 3200 rpm's.
Rowing through the 5-speed manual transmission and get- ting past the turbolag is easy as the 31 00 pound sedan cruises from zero to sixty in about 6 seconds.
The surge from the potent turbocharger is a rush as it pins you to the seatback and delivers usable power to the full-time four-wheel-drive system.
A rally inspired and tightened chassis nets a staggering 148% increase in torsional rigidity over the stock Impreza and the 4- wheel drive keeps the sedan firmly planted and unshaken.
In true rally-racing form, the WRX is easy to control with the use of throttle, brake and over- steer. It's active rearend easily power-slides and more easily gets back in line with proper technique.
Braking is solid with twin-pis- ton calipers grabbing I 1.4-inch vented rotors up front and a smaller, single-piston unit grip- ping a solid rotor in the rear.
Both are standard anti-lock and deliver short and controlled stops.
The interior is a mix of aluminum and aluminum looking surfaces with the usual power features, controls and safety items including standard side airbags.
Pricing is not set yet, but the rumors say a loaded WRX will probably be around $26,000. - Craig Hymovitz