lead by the newly redesigned 2008 Impreza, Subaru of America has posted its highest sales number for September in the last 20 years.

all the fuss over the redesign has brought an "I told you so" to the table.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-02-2007/0004674533&EDATE=  

meanwhile wrx sales are down and in light of the lancer ralliart, subaru is already talking about a quick redesign

:
Car Crazy: A lot of people aren't exactly flipping out over your new 2008 WRX design. Are you guys planning on freshening up the design in the next few years?

Mahoney: I shouldn't be giving this info away until we have our next meeting (Mahoney laughs), but what the hell (Mahoney laughs). The answer is yes, we are actually, sales have been down considerably since the release of the new car, so we've decided to give the car a very early facelift for the 2010 model year.

Car Crazy: Wow...2010 would be an early facelift, when would the car officially hit showrooms?

Mahoney: Probably sometime in late 09, I'd guess August or Septemberish.

Car Crazy: The new Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is getting a turbocharged 2.0 liter 235 horsepower I4 with 255 lb.- ft. of torque, these numbers are significantly better than your current non STI WRX model. Are you guys going to take that lying down?

Mahoney: Oh trust me, we know about the Ralliart (Mahoney laughs), that's a big part of why we're facelifting and updating the WRX, we are NOT going to take that lying down (Mahoney laughs).

Car Crazy: Is the 2010 (WRX) model going to get more power to combat the Lancer Ralliart?

Mahoney: Absolutely, its going to get a huge power boost in order to steal sales away from the stylish and agressive looking Ralliart.

Car Crazy: What are those numbers?

Mahoney: Nothing is set in stone right now, but if I was a gambling man I'd say it'll end up with 260 horsepower and around 265 lb. - ft. of torque. We're also going to increase the 2010 WRX STI by around five horsepower and torque as well (that's 310 horsepwer and 295 lb.- ft. of torque).

Car Crazy: What about the looks of the STI and WRX, what's going to change?

Mahoney: The STI's looks will stay pretty much the same, it's the regular WRX that's going to get much more agressive styling. You're going to notice a lot of STI stlying cues in it's new facelift.

Car Crazy: Is the price going to stay the same as the 2008 model?

Mahoney: The WRX will get a slight pricetage increase, I'd say around a $1000, nothing major. The car is going to get almost a 40 horsepower increase, so if you look at the price to performance ratio, it's a very good value. A car that costs around $26,500 isn't really all that much for an all wheel drive 260 horsepower turbocharged rocket.



so you were saying, i told you so what?    

I dont see how this is an active post... Anyway I have to be late to the party and say Im not the least bit surprised that the new WRX has been taking a sales faceplant. The STI is not going to remedy the problem for Subaru either. It looks good, but it looks like a homologated rally car that didnt make the cut. The new WRX just looks like the chubby little sister of an almost rally car cheerleader. From what I hear she (08 WRX) is also predictably spongy and lethargic in bed (the road).
 I know I've taken the analogies too far, but Subaru needs to rethink its strategy. I haven't seen ONE commercial featuring the WRX in the last couple weeks Ive been watching TV. They clearly know somethings wrong. On the other hand, I find myself wondering what the Forresters 2.5 has in common with the rest of the clan. Devious Subaru.