VIDEO: Subaru WRX filmed testing out on the roads

We were all overjoyed when the Subaru WRX Concept was unveiled in New York earlier this March, with the original PlayStation-generation in particular dreaming of the rebirth of super fast and stylish Scooby STIs. It all came crashing down shortly after when early spyshots of the production car showed none of the Concept’s verve and visual tenacity.

Now let’s see if a video of the next Subaru WRX in action with accompanying soundtrack could get your hopes back up again. Here we see a full-bodied prototype (which sadly means the design has probably been finalised) testing out on the roads, apparently being evaluated against a Mazda3 MPS.

To me, that brings the Subaru WRX down to a new low as the MPS, as quick as it is, is hardly a worthy benchmark to judge the future WRX against. A WRX should set its own standards, like it did in its heydays in the past. With no new Mitsubishi Evo on the horizon, it better set it really high too. Anybody with me on this?

The Subaru WRX is expected to offer anywhere between 265 to over 300 hp in its most potent STI form, using the 2.0 litre engine in the BRZ as a base. It should get its own direct-injection unit and hopefully a big fat turbocharger to go along with Subaru’s traditional symmetrical all-wheel drive system. Let’s just hope it can wow us with its looks too.

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Hafriz Shah

Preferring to drive cars rather than desks, Hafriz Shah ditched his suit and tie to join the ranks of Malaysia’s motoring hacks. A car’s technical brilliance is completely lost on him, appreciating character-making quirks more. When not writing this ego trip of a bio, he’s usually off driving about aimlessly, preferably in a car with the right combination of three foot pedals and six gears.

 

Comments

  • Someone staple a high quality picture of the Subaru STI concept onto the forehead of Subaru’s chief designer. And pictures of 22B Impreza flying into the air, onto the forehead of chief engineer for this cat…..that’ll be great.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
    • Let show Korean what is a high performance and good handling car! just the look is useless if the handling sux!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
  • no specs yet? sounds like the STi is coming with its single scroll burble now..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Okay…here’s my dream car. It seems to be fatter now. And….Lot’s more higher and winged than the concept.
    Let’s hope that It won’t be overpriced as I dreamt it as my dream car everyday.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Pls dont tell me its benchmarking against the mazda 3 mps

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 8
  • Arjen on May 23, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    Better be above CLA45’s 360 plus horsepower

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Heeman on May 23, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    Hey Hafriz, what’s wrong with a Mazda3 MPS? You think you know better than the Subaru guys? I bet you’ve never even driven a MPS before.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 28 Thumb down 11
    • Hafriz Shah (Member) on May 23, 2013 at 2:35 pm

      No such claims from me. But yes, I have driven the Mazda3 MPS.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 14
      • Heeman on May 23, 2013 at 3:07 pm

        In USA, WRX direct competitors are the likes of Ford Focus ST, Mazdaspeed 3, Lancer Ralliart. What’s wrong in benchmarking against MPS?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 22 Thumb down 13
        • Grandma Police WRX STI on May 23, 2013 at 9:31 pm

          Do you understand the meaning of benchmark? Benchmark means the top of it’s class. And the MPS is somewhere I dunno where, but definitely not at the top.

          Yours truly,
          Grandma police WRX STI

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 6
    • PauKaya on May 24, 2013 at 12:02 am

      im behind hafriz in his statement. The Mazda MPS is a great car, but its a FWD Pocket Rocket with mad torque steer. The Impreza STI used to be a rally car with road intentions and was basically the most usable performance car you could buy, you could easily steer it around and feast on supercars. The only true competitor then was its WRC rival the Lancer Evo and to a lesser extend the Skyline GT-R. Right now, with Subaru out of the WRC it seems that the Impreza STI lost a lot of its USP and is just too unrefined in the current gen where people demand cars with luxurious interiors. The impreza sti is a bit of a sad story really, with fuel prices ever rising less and less people demand a raw fuel guzzling rally rocket, opting for luxo sub-par performance hot hatches like the Golf GTI. I’d say, bring back a proper Impreza with the big wings, aggressive wheel arches, gold rims, doors with frameless windows, improve it by making it look sleek, and yes, bloody rejoin the WRC or some other event.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 0
  • sp33d3mon on May 23, 2013 at 2:46 pm

    New low as the MPS? What are you smoking buddy?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 13
  • evo x on May 23, 2013 at 3:21 pm

    dear mr.paul,

    wrx = ms3 = ralliart

    sti = evo

    simple.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 5
  • Extrimist on May 23, 2013 at 6:52 pm

    Subaru WRX STi must exceed the specs of it cousin; Legacy B4 2.0GT DIT.

    Legacy B4 2.0GT DIT spec:

    Engine: FA20B Turbo
    Torque: 400Nm (@2000-4800rpm)
    Power: 300PS

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • Dvino on May 24, 2013 at 11:30 am

    Yeah Hafiz, im with Heeman.”New Low” really? ..thats kinda hurting man :)
    PauKaya bro,
    I used to own a DC5R before MPS. Guess what, on a personnel opinion a heavily modified DC5R has more violent torque steer than the MPS ( even though the torque is not as high as the MPS). Its fun man!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • PauKaya on May 25, 2013 at 2:12 am

      dont get me wrong brp. MPS. great car. Would recommend it if it wasn’t for berjaya’s S**tty attitude (no test drives, toyota, im indirectly looking at you too and you attitude towards toyota’s 86 test drives)….

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
      • I’m actually test drove MPS twice via dealer before I made up my mind.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 6
        • PauKaya on May 25, 2013 at 12:59 pm

          Good for you. Not everyone was as lucky. Though i presume now they are more relaxed as i keep getting notfications on discounts and offers for the mps.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • i’ve driven the mps, its a great engine thrown into a basic fwd chassis..not a great handler. Subaru with their awd system is way superior. Mayb they benchmark not only with the best but also with the worst.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  • 4G63T DSM on May 24, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    I’m with Hafriz. Benchmarking the WRX with the MPS is just silly.

    One. The MPS is FWD and handles compleatly differently
    As quick as the MPS is, it’s a far cry from the AWD road rockets.

    In actuality, the WRX (in North America) at least is rather mild, and handling wise, it’s one step down from Mitsubishi’s own AWD pocket rocket.

    The guy defending the MPS probably don’t remember the rally rich genesis of these cars. And how much these cars continual existence is being eroded. These cars were all weather giant slayers. They would run rings around super cars at a drop of a hat…more so when the weather turns sour.

    I bet he hasn’t driven a high powered AWD in bad weather before. He hasn’t clued in just how amazing these AWD cars are. I have ice raced my AWD on ice tracks. Try that in your FWD turbo.

    My Mitsubishi AWD was nearly 4 secs a lap quicker in the wet than a track mustang which was 3 secs faster in the dry. The AWD gave an 7 second jump in damp/wet conditions.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2
  • GT-Rider on May 24, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    At same speed, MPS handling is not good as mine.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 5
  • This is nothing but a test mule. It’s not the car that is coming down the pipe. The final version of the BRZ was a cleaned up version of the concept. They smoothed lines and got rid of stuff that wouldn’t be allowed on the road. This is a box to test parts.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 3
    • PauKaya on May 25, 2013 at 1:01 pm

      I hope so. But i seriously doubt it. Looks too production ready here.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Joe Radzif on May 27, 2013 at 11:42 am

    What’s wrong with the article?
    I read it and it is OK…
    what do you expect guys?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
 

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