(Insert stupid Blog name here)

Well, I predict this season to become a boring VW/Ogier walkover.

I'll admit that's a possibility (and something the WRC Live broadcasters pondered), but I'm hoping things balance out a bit more than that. VW still has a long season ahead of it with a brand new car. I do think Ogier is certainly the biggest threat if the car stays as dialed-in as it has been so far.

 

I don't think Citroën can win the driver's championship with Hirvonen or Sordo. Hirvonen has just been off his game too much the last couple of years. He's been consistent, but consistently slow, usually picking up podium spots due to attrition. Sordo has the potential to be fast, but hasn't had enough seat time back in the Citroën yet. Loeb will end up playing spoiler for Citroën in the remaining two rallies he's running. It'll help them in the manufacturer's points, but not with the drivers. He'll only serve to push Hirvonen and Sordo down the standings.

 

Qatar/Ford's best shot is Mads Ostberg, if he continues to improve. Evgeny Novikov is still too reckless, but he's getting better (I think the switch to Ilka Minor as his co-driver has helped immensely).

 

Once Latvala gets more comfortable with the VW, and if he can keep his car on the road, he'll be solid competition for Ogier. The big question is - will VW give both drivers equal opportunities to win?

 

Anyway... whatever happens, it'll be refreshing just to not have a French guy named Sebastien in the winner's circle all the time.

 

Ummm...

Anyway... whatever happens, it'll be refreshing just to not have a French guy named Sebastien in the winner's circle all the time.

Actually we Germans like that. Schumacher, Vettel...

Forgot to mention... Sebastien Ogier won Rally Mexico the other week.

 

He had some good competition for awhile from Mads Ostberg, but Mads had some problems with his car and dropped out of the running. Mikko Hirvonen was second, having struggled to find rhythm in his Citröen, Latvala hit a rock and crashed out...

 

Wait...

 

Is this a rerun of last year, and they just changed Loeb's last name so we wouldn't notice?

 

Meanwhile, Ken Block, who's too busy driving around parking lots and is only running the one WRC event this year, came in a respectable 7th. I really wish we had a U.S. driver regularly competing in the WRC. Maybe then we'd get some TV coverage.

 

Also, Hyundai recently showed off their spiffy new WRC car, coming next year:

 

 

Wonder who (Petter Solberg) they're going to get (Petter Solberg) to drive it (Petter Solberg)?

So, remember this thread? It's been about two years.

 

I waxed philosophical about the then-upcoming Subaru Impreza and BRZ. Both of which have proven to be stellar successes since their release. The Impreza, while not burning up any tracks, has gotten positive (if sedate) reviews praising its reliability, gas mileage, and relatively decent ride and handling. It's still Consumer Reports' top pick for compact cars, two years running. Not bad. The BRZ meanwhile, along with its stablemates the Scion FR-S and Toyota GT86, has been wowing driving enthusiasts pretty-much universally around the globe.

 

Meanwhile, the Impreza WRX has been downright floundering. Still based on the old (and bugg-utly) Impreza platform, Subie's former rally crown jewel is just tired and old now. Rumors have swirled that Subaru is planning an all-new replacement, and as I posted in another thread's comments last year, a WRX mule had been spotted testing in the desert. But since then, nada.

 

Not anymore.

 

Last week, Subaru sent out a press release stating that at the New York Auto Show (starting this Friday), they'd be showing off a couple of things. One, a hybrid Crosstrek. As far as I know, this is their first hybrid vehicle. The Crosstek is basically a lifted Impreza 5-door. Okay, I get that. Need to appeal to the Prius crowd. Go green.

 

The other announcement stated simply, "In addition to the new XV Crosstrek Hybrid, Subaru will also reveal an all-new performance concept car."

 

Unless this is an STi version of the BRZ... that pretty much means it has to be the new WRX. It's well overdue. But that's a pretty flimsy press release, content-wise.

 

And then earlier today... a French website spilled what looks like some very convincing beans:

 

 

 

Excuse me, while I have a moment to myself.

 

Yep. That works.

 

It definitely fits in with Subaru's current designs. It also just looks downright mean.

 

Of course, it's just as likely to be a fake. But if it isn't, it's a pretty spiffy looking concept, and perhaps not too far removed from reality to make it into production largely undiluted.

 

We can hope.

 

Not that I have any money to buy one. But since this is probably a good year and a half away if it's real, I can start saving.

Well... imagine that. It's actually real.

 

And by real, I mean not a real car yet, but a real concept from Subaru:

 

 

 

According to the press release, this "hints" at the next generation WRX. Its focus is on improving handling, AWD grip and turbo power. The roof is carbon fiber to lower the car's center of gravity, and features a new turbocharged engine and intercooler.

 

Of course, what it doesn't say is when we might see it.

 

We can guess though, based on when the BRZ/Toyota GT86 concept first appeared (October 2009), and when it finally hit the streets (March 2012). So we're looking at what... late 2016?

 

Hmmm... maybe the Impreza is a better example, since the BRZ was co-developed with Toyota and that project sort of was an on-again/off-again thing.

 

Let's see, the first concept for the new Impreza showed up November 2010, and the finished version went on sale November 2011.

 

That's a little better. So we're looking at a year. I can live with that. (Again - not that I could buy one anyway.)

 

The press release is sparse on any specific technical details, but at least we now know they're working on it, and are heading in the right direction.

 

They even made a fake movie of the fake car in action:

 

http://youtu.be/w5x-AHlXkWs

 

What I want to know is - when can I download and drive this sucker in Gran Turismo? And... are they going to make a comeback to the WRC with it?

IMO I a bit "overdesigned" like many new cars are.

It'll probably lose some of that by the time it hits production. It's far-and-away better than the current WRX, which is a complete mess - it looks like it was cobbled together from the ugliest parts taken off of a bunch of other cars at random.

It's far-and-away better than the current WRX, which is a complete mess - it looks like it was cobbled together from the ugliest parts taken off of a bunch of other cars at random.

Not really a problem to improve here, that's for sure.

 

I like cars which don't have those huge C-pillars which have become modern lately.

It's interesting watching how design trends change (and are blatantly copied) over the years. Not always to good effect.

 

I have problems telling a lot of car manufacturers apart now. Even the roofline of the WRX prototype is very Audi-like.

I wasn't expecting my "VWRC" blog title to be so prophetic.

 

So this weekend in Portugal - blah, blah, blah, Ogier won, blah, blah, blah, insurmountable championship lead, blah, blah, blah.

 

With VW, I was hoping things would become more competitive in the WRC, not merely shift dominance from one driver to another.

 

Oh well, see you in Argentina.

 

Not literally. Figuratively.

 

I won't actually be in Argentina.

I wasn't expecting my "VWRC" blog title to be so prophetic.

I told you.

Yeah, yeah.

And just for a change of pace - a French guy named Sebastien won Rally Argentina this weekend. It was Loeb though, as Ogier had some issues that bumped him all the way down the leader board... to second.

 

Mads Ostberg had mechanical problems yet again, and... well, you know. It's all pretty-much the same. I wouldn't be nearly so blasé about it, if we got some TV coverage of it here in the U.S. At least then I could watch the same thing unfold month after month, instead of just reading about it.

 

In other, more interesting news, Subaru was caught testing a camouflaged current-gen Impreza with WRX trimmings. Some are lamenting that this is actually the next WRX, and that Subaru has forgone most of the cool factor of the recently unveiled concept car. I don't think that's the case. I think this is just a mule they're using to test the platform, or it could be a GT version of the Impreza they'll be selling alongside the higher-spec WRX.

 

 

I don't know if the Magic Eye paint job will ever catch on, however.

Why don't you use internet video streaming (e.g. wiziwig.tv). Not 100% legal, but better than nothing.

Nah. Having nothing is better than having to make an effort to achieve something.

So, a different VW won in Greece: Jarri-Matti Latvala's. Mainly because Ogier had some sort of problem or other. And Dani Sordo took second. I didn't really pay much attention, to be honest. They'll post highlights on the web at some point. Still no TV coverage here.

 

As for my Subaru... I had to get the head gaskets replaced. Again. Not cheap to do on a boxer engine. There's no access, so you basically have to drop the whole motor out. While it was getting that done, I had the fender repaired (was backed into by someone - who did pay for it), and got the window tinting replaced (it was bubbling up). I used to think window tinting was sort of silly, until I moved to Southern California. It should almost be required here. It really makes cars more tolerable inside on hot days (and it gets over 100° F where I live). Consequently, I was driving a loaner for three weeks - a 2014 Subaru Forester. Sure, it was a new model, but I just don't see the appeal of SUVs. My 11-year-old Impreza drives better. The Forester felt like a boat. A nice boat I suppose, but a boat nonetheless. On the positive side, it was "free" since I had the repair work done at a dealership.

 

But my car is running a lot better now. Feels pretty-much like a brand new car. Hopefully, these head gaskets will last more than four years, or next time I might seriously reconsider whether it's worth the cost or not.

Meanwhile... Subaru continues testing the next WRX. This time, right down the freeway from here.

 

Apart from the camo, it doesn't appear they're too concerned with hiding it.

 

Cool.

 

Blah blah blah Ogier, blah blah blah Italy, blah blah blah won again, blah blah blah whatever.

 

I used to enjoy rallying.

Well, I predict this season to become a boring VW/Ogier walkover.

BTW: Loeb is going to race for Citroen in the WTCC (in the USA most likely even more unknown as the WRC ) in 2014.

Nope, we don't get WTCC here either. Oddly enough, we get Australian V8 racing though.

 

Loeb's racing Pikes Peak this week. That probably won't be on TV either.

 

Looks like Citroën is trying to get him to drive some more WRC events this year. Must be tired of getting spanked by Ogier.

Nope, we don't get WTCC here either. Oddly enough, we get Australian V8 racing though.

Probably because that's a bit closer to NASCAR.

Except for the right turns. We're confused by those.