Beanboy Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 High content, limited release, rear engine AWD halo car to be sold in the 45K range. A fairly lightweight (say 3000 pounds even), fairly powerful (405HP) 2-seater you can drive through the winter, but looks good cruising on summer nights. Much lighter than most of the competition, as well as being practical enough (AWD, decent clearance) for folks to drive year-round. Be a good way to test out new 2.5L turbo bits/rally program stuff Engine and Transmission Forged internals, better breathing heads, direct injection, variable vane turbo STI 6-speed manual All expensive at first, but direct injection, new block/heads will trickle down in time to other models, so Subaru should be able to get some money back from development. Engine/transmission configuration already is set for rear engine AWD design, so no need to redesign major components, just support stuff like intercooler/accessories perhaps. Doable on Subaru's budget. Chassis Work with Toyota and use knowledge from rally experience to create a lightweight 2-seater chassis based on shortened Legacy platform, use plenty of high-strength steel (will trickle down), aluminum and rally chassis strengthening techniques (more welding for example). Driving dynamics. Lighter than most of the competition, but more powerful than the real lightweights. Takes the STI to a whole new level in terms of brake feel/response, steering, handling, etc... But it shouldn't be too punishing of a ride on regular streets. Keeping the weight fairly light and rally experience should help Subaru meet these goals. Market Only one with AWD in the price range, along with not being too light/low power or too heavy and ponderous. A decent niche, and there should be a enough current/past STI owners that want a little something more from Subaru. Basically a rear engine version of this: http://news.hspn.com/content_images/2006/old/prodriveP2-08.jpg Then again, using a front engine layout and just removing wheelbase from the new WRX chassis might work even better... -B http://www.standardshift.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fzanetti Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 High content, limited release, rear engine AWD halo car to be sold in the 45K range. A fairly lightweight (say 3000 pounds even), fairly powerful (405HP) 2-seater you can drive through the winter, but looks good cruising on summer nights. Much lighter than most of the competition, as well as being practical enough (AWD, decent clearance) for folks to drive year-round. Be a good way to test out new 2.5L turbo bits/rally program stuff Engine and Transmission Forged internals, better breathing heads, direct injection, variable vane turbo STI 6-speed manual All expensive at first, but direct injection, new block/heads will trickle down in time to other models, so Subaru should be able to get some money back from development. Engine/transmission configuration already is set for rear engine AWD design, so no need to redesign major components, just support stuff like intercooler/accessories perhaps. Doable on Subaru's budget. Chassis Work with Toyota and use knowledge from rally experience to create a lightweight 2-seater chassis based on shortened Legacy platform, use plenty of high-strength steel (will trickle down), aluminum and rally chassis strengthening techniques (more welding for example). Driving dynamics. Lighter than most of the competition, but more powerful than the real lightweights. Takes the STI to a whole new level in terms of brake feel/response, steering, handling, etc... But it shouldn't be too punishing of a ride on regular streets. Keeping the weight fairly light and rally experience should help Subaru meet these goals. Market Only one with AWD in the price range, along with not being too light/low power or too heavy and ponderous. A decent niche, and there should be a enough current/past STI owners that want a little something more from Subaru. Very well said neighboor... Difficult to come to reality though... i really have lost my hopes for Subaru to be the maker of my next car, unless something really drastic happens...(I really hope so...) Flavio Zanetti Boston, MA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigInALegacy Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 And WTF is that? (That space-aged Subaru) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwannaSportSedan Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 That is a Prodrive P2. It isn't an official Subaru, but it does use Subaru components. Built from a hacked up Subaru R2 and custom chassis, custom body, and STI drivetrain, with prodrive's anti-lag system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTlegacy06 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I would think manual would be better for that set-up, as the linkage could be combined for both transmissions. Not only that, but the sound of the run, and the in car cam, seems like manual to me. I could be wrong about it being an automatic since very little is seen or known about that tib (even on Hyundai sites that I used to be on) but I'm 95% sure it was automatic but obviously a custom one far from anything Hyundai makes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Chassis Work with Toyota and use knowledge from rally experience to create a lightweight 2-seater chassis based on shortened Legacy platform, use plenty of high-strength steel (will trickle down), aluminum and rally chassis strengthening techniques (more welding for example). Then again, using a front engine layout and just removing wheelbase from the new WRX chassis might work even better... The new WRX and STI are built on the 4th Gen (05+ Legacy chassis) and the STI has all of the aluminum bits you could want. Rally strengthening would be easy enough. Would really be a halo car and I imagine very exclusive. SBT - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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