Those good folks at Subaru, whose rally cars have struck fear into the hearts of competitors for years, have finally seen the light. After giving us the WRX version of their Impreza and then the expensive, but great fun WRX STI, Subaru has figured out that there must be a few frustrated folks, who need an suv, but long for the "fun to drive" aspect of a performance sedan. Bingo! You gotta it, they are going to mate the STI drivetrain to the capable, but boring small Forester suv. A stroke of genius? Well, we'll see in a minute.
Here it is in the famous Subaru rally blue. Just the little trucklette for taking the kids to soccer practice, but going the long way around. Amaze their friends!
So, is this a stroke of genus or not? One actually might wonder why it took them so long to put big power and great handling into their most popular model. They sure aren't the first ones to think that, a super powerful suv might interest a few buyers.
GMC did it back in the early '90's with their insane Typhoon. I was at a Ferrari owners club outing (no I don't have a Ferrari, I was there by dumb luck) and when it came to give test drives to the innocent bystanders like me, I made an unusual decision. The Typhoon wasn't sold in Canada, but one of the Italian stallion owner's car was in the shop, so he brought his specially imported Typhoon. Me, I figured that I could get a drive in a Ferrari anytime (always the optimist), so I quickly lined up for the Typhoon. What a hoot! That thing went like crazy and actually handled extremely well for what it was. Since then, I've actually driven a Ferrari, but I've never come across another Typhoon.
GM did this again with the Chevy Blazer SS.......
Never big sellers, but they filled some sort of a need. So, you can see that, Subaru was far from the first, but certainly the first Japanese brand to go this route. The Germans have been putting nutty power into their trucks for years, like this ML63......
.........500+ HP! Those crazy, but fun loving Germans, sure do know how to tick every box when it comes to way over the top power. Even their sexy new GLA is stepping up with an AMG version, the GLA45.......
And, of course, BMW hasn't been far behind with their M series of sport utes........
So I guess, Subaru finally figured that there must be a market, so why not give it a try and create a halo model for their competent, but slightly boring Forester line? If it has worked for these other companies, then for sure Subaru figures that lightening will strike them as well..........
Well, we'll see, but thank you very much anyway.
Any one wonder what the CMC (Car Modelling Cat) has been up to lately, since we haven't seen her handy work for a few months? Check out Tuesday's blog........
Until next time........
Hi Barry, and thanks for another great post. The SUV is here, and that's a fact. And even so, it's interesting how SUV owners' tastes can vary just by making your way west. I don't know if it's something to do with one's neck turning a steadily intensifying red color until you reach the Rockies or not but I've found that SUVs out here are usually just BIG. Diesel-powered 3/4 tons and 1-tons, Expeditions, Yukons, Tahoes, and even Lincoln Navigators and Cadillac Escalades. They take these, install performance chips, high-output injectors, then huge wheels and tires, topped off by the ultimate masculinity enhancer of all: a lift kit sending them up to the stratosphere. Of course if the truth be known, the higher the lift kit, the shorter the stature of the owner. Don't get me wrong, there are still lots of Beemers, Audis and Porsches but the American made iron still rules the road. Personally, I'm glad that companies such as Subaru are working on something that scores more in the practical range than the gawdy. I wish that our domestic brands would pursue things in that direction more than they have in the past. I will say, to Detroit's credit, that the performance/luxury SUV market is limited, and after so many attempts to enter that market, (even with an edge on the performance and reliability) they'd rather stay with something that sells well for them. Still, it's going to be interesting to find out what happens with the new Subaru. I wish them luck.
ReplyDeleteGeorger, just read an article about Ft. McMurray and one of the pics showed a big bruiser of a pick-up (you know those Freightliner conversions?). Doesn't surprise me that Wild Rose Country is high on the 'Murican Iron. I think Subaru will sell very few Forester STI's, but at least they are doing it.
DeleteThanks for all your comments - much appreciated.
Barry