Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine 2014 | Page 34

WHAT’S NEW ON THE OUTSIDE The all-new exterior styling on both vehicles pays homage to Subaru’s racing heritage. It’s a wider, lower evolution of the Impreza (the model that gave birth to both the WRX and WRX STI) designed to deliver a more aggressive and refined look. The front is sportier with a solid-looking nose built around the new hexagonal grille. The headlights have been redesigned to emphasize the car’s wider, lower stance. But one thing hasn’t changed. Both the WRX and WRX STI still come with that distinctive, yet functional hood scoop that’s part of their heritage. This time it’s a little lower and a little wider for better intake efficiency and driver visibility. Look at both vehicles from the side and you’ll notice a cleaner, more aggressive stance, much like a wild animal in launch mode. The front pillar has been pushed forward and the rear pillar transitions smoothly into the trunk to create a smoother, more flowing silhouette. Completing the jungle metaphor are the more pronounced front and rear fenders. They look like muscles tensed for action, barely containing the power that the wheels beneath have unleashed. Plus, the wheel arches on both cars incorporate cooling vents that draw heat away from the engine. But that’s their technical function. What they really do is make both models incredibly tough looking. In the back, the rear diffuser* is now integrated into the rear bumper. Combined with the new stainless steeltipped quad exhaust pipes, it emphasizes the car’s lower centre of gravity. This combination further adds to the new, sportier appearance of both cars. Look closer and you’ll see the new, sculpted LED taillights that accentuate the wide fenders and improve aerodynamics. You’ll also see that the spoilers are back on both models, albeit new and improved. The WRX STI Sport & Sport-tech models feature a massive rear spoiler for increased downforce while the Both models have been improved to allow all the power from the Subaru BOXER engines and all the traction available from Subaru’s symmetrical equivalent WRX models feature a smaller, lower-profile rear spoiler that also reduces overall vehicle weight. * ditor’s Note - According to Wikipedia, E “A diffuser is a shaped section of the car underbody which improves the car’s aerodynamic properties by enhancing the transition between the high-velocity airflow underneath the car and the much slower freestream airflow of the ambient atmosphere. The diffuser itself accelerates the flow in front of it, which helps generate downforce.” full-time AWD to be fully realized. The suspension was tuned for improved handling and performance, but also with an eye towards better comfort and reliability. Other changes include stiffer springs, larger diameter stabilizer bars and dramatically increased torsional rigidity for all suspension components. Subaru engineers also added a new Torque Vectoring system to improve agility. Essentially, this system senses when you’re turning and applies a small amount of brake pressure to the inner front wheel during the turn. This distributes more of the engine torque to the outer front wheel to improve the vehicle’s cornering capabilities. It pairs with the standard Vehicle Dynamics Control system to create crisper, more connected handling and unrivalled levels of control. WHAT’S NEW UNDER THE SKIN Sometimes it’s the changes that you don’t see that make the biggest difference. That’s very much the case when it comes to the all-new 2015 WRX and WRX STI. Chassis and suspension improvements are often overlooked when discussing new cars because, well, there’s nothing to see. And let’s face it; they’re just not sexy. But true driving enthusiasts will tell you that this where the pure driving enjoyment comes from. So Subaru invested heavily to improve the foundation that holds these two cars together. 32 Watch a video of the WRX STi in action!