It's no headlines nowadays reporting US auto manufacturers doing all they could to cope with the recent drastic downfall in consumer confidence, petrol price hike, raw material cost spikes etc. We've heard news of GM and Ford's phenomenal losses, Chrysler's self-entertaining reports of gross profit, Toyota's 39% drop in daily sales figure etc.
At least the good part from all these doomsday news, are the fact that they're all doing they could best to cope, likewise Lexus's cutting of 800 part timers, Chrysler's cutting of 1000 white collars, closing down of auto leasing business, HSBC's withdrawal on automotive lease financing etc.
Subaru on the other hand, as if usual with their brash, 'get-out-of-the-way-slow-cars' attitude, decided the best way to fight this uphill battle, is to increase the horsepower output of it's latest Impreza WRX. (pun intended)
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Having just being launched 1 year back, the new 10th Generation Impreza WRX was given a steroid injection to cope with the market's stagnation; costing the same $25,000 USD; the NewNew Impreza WRX now comes pack with an extra 41hp, given the larger turbocharger, larger exhaust and lower density catalytic converter, bringing output to 265hp; they didn't stop here, tyres are now 225/40/17 compared to the current 205/50/17, suspension was tuned to be 43% stiffer up front and 42% at the rear, as well as thicker stabilizing bars to improve handling all together.
On the outside, nothing was skimped either, Subaru offered STi style grills, aerokits, real spoilers - All STi (Subaru Technica International), with gun-metal finishing. As for interior, the car will now be lavish with checkered carbon black with red stitching, going all the way to the leather clad steering wheel with matching red stitches as well.
Our verdict? Madness, in true Subaru fashion. Kudos to Fuji Heavy Industries for having still - A little sense of humor in true petrolhead character.
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