Imprezzed

Here's the thing.

I'm completely okay with Subaru basing the next WRX on the Impreza. I've heard it's a stellar platform, although I've never driven one myself, and it could easily handle some more power. And that's exactly what the WRX is, an Impreza pushed to its limits. That's what it always been.

However, when Subaru announced their pledge to split the lines, many enthusiasts cheered. I unabashedly booed. While the general populous welcomed the thought of a poised, polished, purpose-built sports car, I began to think about a WRX more in line with the purpose of an M3 than the raw econobox-on-steroids it had always been. And that's terrifying, not because I don't like the M3, but because an M-Series BMW costs M-Series money.

The fact of the matter is that there is no reason to produce a more "refined" or "adult" WRX. Subaru used to make something of that nature, and they couldn't sell enough of them to justify keeping it in the lineup. For those of you that haven't already guessed, I'm talking about the Legacy GT. For anyone looking for the characters I just expressed, this was the car. It was every bit as fast, and handled nearly as well, only suffering because of the slight weight penalty it had. When Subaru upgraded the GT to WRX levels in 2005, several people cheered, same as they did for this next refined, purpose-built WRX, yet the sales numbers really never fleshed out or backed the decision up.

So where does that leave the new WRX? Well Subaru hasn't really addressed the Impreza-skinned mules spotted by various news outlets. Many are hoping it's a red herring, but I'm hoping it's the truth. Because I like the idea of a $35,000 car that can whip a Caymen on the track in the day, and then take you camping somewhere off the beaten path that night. As the differentiation rises, so will the price tag, and ultimately the spirit of the WRX will be lost. After all, if we wanted what they've been promising us with the next Rexxer, we'd all be driving Legacys. Or M3s.

And that, that's the thing.
-Shawn