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01-17-2001, 10:02 AM | #1 |
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98-01 RS are to WRX as 5 cyl Audis are to Newer Audis
Sorry about the confusing title.
What I'm suggesting is that the arrival of the new WRX will have the same effect on the 98-01 RS enthusiasts as the arrival of the Audi A4/A6 had on fans of older Audis. Look at the Audi on-line community and aftermarket: 1) Audi I-5 owners HATE owners of newer Audis. When I had an Audi 80, I subscribed to the Quattro list. When I got the S4, I had to go to Audiworld to get info. I went to s-cars.org--ostensibly the site for Audi S car owners, only to find that they redfined most of the site to only have information about EARLY S Audis (I-5 turbos). Get the picture? 2) Audi tuners have largely abandoned the older cars in favor of the A4/A6. Only a few companies still make performance parts for the I-5 Audis. 3) Older Audis' resale values have plummeted. Why buy one when there are thousands of easily chippable A4 turbos on the market? 4) Audi doesn't even make parts for older Audis anymore. I tried to buy a new headliner (a part that fails on EVERY Audi) for my 80. The dealer: "Don't have it. Can't get it. Why don't you buy a new Audi?" Basically, Audi destroyed a healthy enthusiast community by introducing the A4/A6 series. They disenfranchised thousands of loyal Audi owners. They sold out their quirky but fanatical following. Is that what RS 2.5 owners have to look forward to? In two years, will all the aftermarket vendors have abandoned the RS for the more popular and easily tunable WRX? Will fights start to erupt on this board between RS loyalists and Newbies in WRXs? The pattern is clear...
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01-17-2001, 10:09 AM | #2 |
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I hope not on the fights. Would it be a good idea to create a separate section for the new WRX?
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01-17-2001, 10:10 AM | #3 |
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The resale value on the 80/90 was already horrendous even before the A4.
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01-17-2001, 10:25 AM | #4 |
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red, IMO it would make sense to have separate sections for separate interest areas that don't overlap. For example, if the Powertrain forum becomes overrun by WRX owners talking about chips. Or if the General forum gets filled up with speculation, photos and hypothetical questions about the new WRX. Not that that would ever happen...
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01-17-2001, 10:50 AM | #5 |
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Since the 2.5 will continue on as the standard engine in the rest of the Impreza line (as I understand it, correct me if I'm wrong) I doubt that it's aftermarket tuners will be gone overnight. When/if the engine is completely replaced, as the I-5 was, tuners will gradually stop making parts for them. Remember, this is still the engine being used in the "sporty" Legacy GT. Although I hear that it may be swapped out in the next couple of years for the F6 or something else not yet released.
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01-17-2001, 11:50 AM | #6 |
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I kinda get Jon's point but it can't really happen that way to the Impreza.
The EJ series motor shares a whole lot of parts since the original 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0. (only one of which was seen in the US until very recently, now we'll have the 2.0L turbo.) this is quite a bit different than when Audi switched from the 2.2L 10v inline 5 to the 2.8L 30v v6 and then 1.8L 20v turbo inline 4. The point about the 2.5L SOHC also becoming the standard motor for all models is a valid one. (Of course the Impreza was the only model that didn't have it standard previous to now.) It isn't going away overnight. |
01-17-2001, 02:06 PM | #7 |
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That's not even true. My parents have a 5000CS Q and they hardly hate newer Audi owners nor have they ever had any problems getting parts. I'll agree that the aftermarket for these cars isn't that big. Values have plummeted because that's what car values do, especially on cars that are expensive to maintain and operate. Few people are willing to pay the money it costs to keep one of these cars in perfect running condition because of the cost/benefit ratio. Generally speaking while the value of a car drops the price of parts stays about the same.
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01-17-2001, 02:09 PM | #8 |
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Nothing like this will happen on i Club. We will provide home for all Impreza and Subaru owners in North America.
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01-17-2001, 02:11 PM | #9 |
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Hey, Jon Bogart, thanks alot. Will fights break out between the two camps? I did'nt know that there was more than one camp. I don't think that this kind of division on the board even entered into anybody's mind until you suggested it. Thanks for planting the seed though. Good job.
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01-17-2001, 02:26 PM | #10 |
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Ok, heres the thing. Both these cars have been available in Austrailia for a while, and places like MRT make parts for the 2.5.
I think that it might be reckless to extrapolate based on Audi experience. btw, their resale has always been, um, less than desirable. WE ARE ALL SUBARU BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!! |
01-17-2001, 02:26 PM | #11 |
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I was commenting based on personal experience: first as an 80q owner, wondering if Audiworld (then A4.org) even knew that Audi made cars before 1996. Later as an S4 owner, I had the pleasure of stoney silence or even derision when posting to the quattro list.
Imprezer--more power to you. jlittle--didn't mean to pee in your Cheerios. Please feel free to rate the job I'm doing going forward. |
01-17-2001, 02:39 PM | #12 |
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Jon who?
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01-17-2001, 02:55 PM | #13 |
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I hope not, you better not jinx us.....
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01-17-2001, 04:00 PM | #14 |
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i just hope rallispec, cobbtuning, isr, larry, etc will keep supplying parts for the ej25....parts for the rs are rare as it is...if our specialty shops abandon us..then where will we go?...but i have a good feeling that they won't let us rs owners down..or atleast i hope
[This message has been edited by suby ej25 (edited January 17, 2001).] |
01-17-2001, 09:49 PM | #15 |
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It is of course the intention of the board owner, plus most of its members, to maintain harmony between "new" and "old" Imprezas and to keep their interest. There may even be some joshing from one side to another (indicated by a ). But there will always be some provocative fighting talk and general slagging off (re the guy who sells turbo kits for a 2.5 and dismisses the production 2.0L turbo as unreliable and weak-kneed and generally a Gore-voting waste of time, or the legions of people threatening to go off and buy S4s because they hate the new look).
So that's how it goes. The Audi comparison is probably not a good one - Subarus remain quirky, whilst modern Audis are about as conventional as they get (read that how you like ). |
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