SUBE555 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Guess I'd just have to suck it up and redo the interior in black fabric as found on these seats and have these installed: [img]http://www.japanparts.com/Pic/pic003/027-015.jpg[/img] I just don't see the need to spoil a car with dumping leather into it. Good example in my book, Pontiac with the $33k+ GTO. Besides, the JDM doesn't require leather in the SpecB. I'd be willing to pay the same, but for the good fabrics and seats as shown. Guess I am just about the most addament person against power leather seats. The only thing I like in the whole bin is the heated feature which is nice for us northerners. Also a good place to go relax after quarreling with signficant others, go out to garage and settle into those nice heated seats. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPower Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 :roll: :roll: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBE555 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I just hate slipping and sliding during performance driving in a fun vehicle. Its purpose defeating. Perhaps they can prove me wrong, but thats all my experiences so far. I sure don't mind the Escane in the STi, its nice and soft and comfy yet firm as how the seats should be. I'm not saying the GT seats need to be the same, but following the same path- performance, slipping in a seat, even the least bit kills the purpose to me. I just had to reply to that one for you. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJ20H-TT Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Hopefully the Sti will have seats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team23jordan Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 ^ hopefully GT version have seats too :lol: maybe i should stop cause its not funny at all silly me Perrin BIG maf intake Perrin Turbo Inlet HKS SSQV BOV Megan Racing header with UP (ceramic coated) HKS DP (WRX) DMH E-cutout Custom 3" catback UTEC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waflowers Posted January 21, 2004 Author Share Posted January 21, 2004 SUBE555, I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I'd love the performance version (Legacy STi? That would validate this site name!) to come with seats like you keep posting. And Brembos and Bilsteins maybe. Heck, let's just call it a USDM Spec-B! :o :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Zevil Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 That's the thing, I just can't imagine Subaru releasing a "spec-b" variant to the apple-pie and baseball american consumer. In most cases they won't understand the differences and why the pricing is different. To americans it's "if it costs more then it's better". Personally I would be suprised to see an STi legacy make it here, but for some reason that's the only performance model that would fit in with the american automotive idiosyncracies. NIB HIGH FOOTBALL RULES! :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tide Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Well I'll still be crossing my fingers and waiting for more news from waflowers. 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skylab Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Consumer interest is why it took untill 2003 for the STi to arrive on the American Market. If it happens, it will take a few model years to get a special edition car. We are fortunate that we even got the STi...thanks Mitsubishi! Competition is good. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waflowers Posted January 21, 2004 Author Share Posted January 21, 2004 I understand exactly the point of view of the skeptics, and I must say I'm a bit skeptical myself. OTOH I've been trying to look at this from all sides and I can see no advantage to Subaru to "leak" disinformation about something they have no plans to do. They are getting me to wait when they could have my $$$ instead. During that wait time I might fall in love with a vehicle from some other manufacturer and then they lose me as a Subaru customer. (Note that this is [b]extremely[/b] unlikely.) If it doesn't happen I'll be annoyed (also not a good thing to annoy your customers) that I waited for nothing instead of spending all summer driving a shiney new Legacy GT! So instead of focussing on the contents of the message, as enticing as it might be, let's look instead at the message itself. Can anyone think of anything to be gained by "leaking" this sort of disinformation? I can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 [quote name='PPower']First off, I think anybody mentioning waiting is somebody who doesn't really need to buy a car immediately and anybody aware of it even in August is in the minority. I could see a model with the Limited "package" standard and the STi engine/transmission. Hopefully it would have wider spaced gears if that were the case. The pricing of $32k is very plausible so long as it doesn't have the DCCD and front LSD. The leather/sunroof would take the place of those pieces cost wise. Sooo, if a Legacy GT is $1000 more than a WRX sedan, then a Legacy could be $1000 more than the STi Impreza. I don't think it would cause a problem even at 280hp, and you know I'll tell you why I think so. Let's take somebody who DETESTS leather like SUBE555. It would be a better example if he were older and didn't want to consider the boy racer look of the STi but liked the car. So he is planning on getting the base GT at 26k because the enthusiast wants it STRIPPED. But now, he can suck it up to pay for leather/moonroof/power seats :shock: to gain the Brembo brakes?, BBS? 18" wheels w/ summer tires, suspension, and maybe 30-50hp more (and maybe the heavy duty 6MT that the 30hp more than makes up for). Any true enthusiast that has the financial means to do so would pay the extra money to step it up. The added pieces would be fully worth the additional $3500-$6000 increase over potential prices of the GT($26k?) and GT LTD($28-$28.5k?). BMW 330's performance package is about $3500 for similar things, and those are BMW prices.[/quote] I think that hardly anyone "needs" to buy a car. That's the beauty of the USDM. We chase the next best thing, until the next best thing comes along. :D Don't forget that you won't see the STi 6-speed in the Legacy because it's too heavy. The other question is performance, vs "performance." My performance car is light and nimble, and doesn't have leather (slide around during hard cornering) and a moonroof (weight). Subaru might well do it with this "performance version," but it will definitely cannibalize from Legacy sales, if people are in fact considering a Legacy. Most affected will be the GT Limited, with its near $30K price point. When you're talking a $30K car, $30K vs $32K isn't worth worrying about, really. Why move "down" to a GT Limited? Now, there is talk of a lightened 6-speed box coming, but it is at present, just as much of a rumor as this "performance" model. I could see an upmarket Legacy getting this gearbox, leaving the 5-speed for the more pedestrian GT. As has always been Subaru's style, I don't see the Limited having a manual option. The GT Limited has, as far as I can recall, been automatic with the full plate of options already on the car. Ultimately, I dunno, and who the heck does, except for some folks at Subaru? I'm sure some enlightenment will come at the Chicago Auto Show, as well as in the intervening months between the show and the release of the GT. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPower Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Adding a performance version in the same year would really improve the Legacy's odds at earning a Car of the Year from at least somebody. The Legacy itself will be a year and a half old by the time the US magazines do their 2005 COY awards, so that is a lot of time for the competition to rise up and counterstrike. A performance version would really help round out the whole Legacy line. Yes, a sport model is normally introduced a year or two later to attract attention back to the car. That is normal, but I think that this time is different because the importance of the launch this year is more important to Subaru. Notice how little attention the Legacy drew at the NAIAS. Next to 0. This year of introduction is REALLY important, and maybe gathering a LOT of attention the introductory year would be more beneficial than the normal procedure. The WRX was important, but not nearly as important as the Legacy line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 [quote name='waflowers']So instead of focussing on the contents of the message, as enticing as it might be, let's look instead at the message itself. Can anyone think of anything to be gained by "leaking" this sort of disinformation? I can't.[/quote] Buzz, which is cheap advertising. It keeps the name of the car and car company in play without anyone having to spend a dime on magazine or television space. :D Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPower Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Yes, it probably would cannibalize sales of the Legacy some, but that's really the wrong word. What it would do is cause people to upgrade and spend more money. That's a good thing. Like somebody already said, this could be for release in September 200[b]5[/b]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBY Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 [quote name='gtguy']I say true wagon, because the WRX wagon isn't really a wagon, as much as a sedan with a backpack.[/quote] Very true but packed properly it's amazing how much crap you can fit in there, I go 2 night camping with a family of 4 no worries. Space for an extra cooler of beer with WRX performance is what I'm after :D BTW, it's called a WRX "Hatch" in other markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPower Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 [quote name='gtguy'][quote name='waflowers']So instead of focussing on the contents of the message, as enticing as it might be, let's look instead at the message itself. Can anyone think of anything to be gained by "leaking" this sort of disinformation? I can't.[/quote] Buzz, which is cheap advertising. It keeps the name of the car and car company in play without anyone having to spend a dime on magazine or television space. :D Kevin[/quote] It is a bit of buzz, but not the right kind. This kind of buzz would be likely to put off people from buying a GT only to end in disappointment when the car doesn't materialize. Then you've lost the buyers because they've built themselves up to really want the better car and then don't want to "settle" for the regular GT they already passed on. We could be the ones really making a mountain out of a molehill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 [quote name='PPower']We could be the ones really making a mountain out of a molehill.[/quote] Naaah. We NEVER do that! :lol: :lol: Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waflowers Posted January 21, 2004 Author Share Posted January 21, 2004 [quote="PPowerIt is a bit of buzz, but not the right kind. This kind of buzz would be likely to put off people from buying a GT only to end in disappointment when the car doesn't materialize. Then you've lost the buyers because they've built themselves up to really want the better car and then don't want to "settle" for the regular GT they already passed on.[/quote] Preston, I was going to answer gtguy with a similar answer but you beat me to it and probably stated it better than I could. Buzz being excitement for a product or brand is good. Buzz for a product which never appears turns into a backlash that loses direct sales and indirectly influences even more potential customers; that's very, very bad! So it still doesn't make any sense to me why info like this would be leaked unless it is a virtual certainty, despite the fact that "conventional marketing" practice wouldn't have a vehicle like this appear for 1 year or two, if ever, against the announced GT. I'm wondering if the speculation re. the resounding silence from the NAIAS unveiling might have something to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBE555 Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 I've been keeping tabs on this thread but really haven't had too much of a chance to really exercise my thoughts on this topic until now. First, I just recieved a followup on the info, another source unaffiliated with the first gives it a high likelihood and mentioned the same timeframe. Looks like the ods are on the way up. :) The GT could indeed work the medium level aspect for them as the WRX does for the Impreza line. The prelim estimates I see with 5MT on the GTs sits at about $24,995 to 25,995 base for the sedan, add about $1k for the Wagon, add about $1,500 to $2,000 for the Limited package. So... GT Sedan (5MT) - 24,995 to 25,995 GT Wagon (5MT) - 25,995 to 26,995 GT Limited Sedan (5MT) - 26,995 to 27,995 GT Limited Wagon (5MT) - 27,995 to 28,995 I have reasoning behind my thoughts and if desired we can start a pricing thread behind the theory of my pricing strategy. Moving on, placing it on a line of being the corporate exec/manager car on a budget, it would probably have leather standard (if the rest of the car is up to tune, I could live with the leather) along with a number of the Limited features. The $32k slot is probably a pretty fair mark, give or take a grand if it sits more on the side of performance than all-out luxury. I would however like to see the HIDs present, and possibly the Mac depending on its cost. Some of the things that it may get on the tech side of things: -The rumored and anticipated lightweight DCCD-less 6MT (the short 4.444 FDR with Spec B ratios in first 5 with a tall 6th just for fast cruising would be ideal) -3 LSDs are a possibility and for a car of this stature, something that it should include -A bit more sporty engine tune which could span anything from just more than 250hp, to a more likely 275-300hp range with a tune likely closer to the STi though with a bit more linnear turbo spool, the 7000rpm redline will probably be present in this model -Brembo brakes (though the current 4-wheel vented brakes should do rather well, particularly if coupled to stainless brake lines and more aggressive pads) -A bit more sporty suspension, which likely would include springs, possibly sway bars, and who knows if upgraded struts or rear links would also be present -Wheels would likely be revised to a different variety, 18" Spec B or BBS are both possibilities, though something entirely different is possible, I would rather see the Spec B's if that size is chosen (the OE wheels are generally half the cost of the BBS for similar driving/strength characteristics and easier cleaning) -The body could recieve some additions in the area of bumper covers and lower side sill spoilers, but I wouldn't expect too much here. Don't expect shorter bumpers unless the production models compress a bit. Those are some things I would expect to see for $32-33k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tide Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Seriously Waflowers, look into this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waflowers Posted January 22, 2004 Author Share Posted January 22, 2004 [quote name='SUBE555']First, I just recieved a followup on the info, another source unaffiliated with the first gives it a high likelihood and mentioned the same timeframe. Looks like the ods are on the way up. :)[/quote] This is excellent news. I'm fairly thick-skinned but on another forum there are people publicly wondering if I'm "jerking their chains". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPower Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Just don't jerk your chain or anybody elses in public. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 hey waflowers, i've been reading both forums and i was a believer from the beginning! your news made my day. just get us more info!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waflowers Posted January 23, 2004 Author Share Posted January 23, 2004 I'm going to try and take my guy (who was just a conduit, he got it from a factory rep) out to lunch tomorrow. If that doesn't work, maybe Saturday or early next week. I'll report everything I remember. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPower Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 [quote name='waflowers'] I'll report everything I remember. :)[/quote] Just have a coke then. I don't want you passing out and forgetting what he spills to you. No matter how drunk you have to get him, just tell him there's rum in that coke you're having. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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