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2007 Subaru Impreza WRC2006 news, pictures, and information | ||
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The New Impreza WRC2007 to Debut in Mexico
The Subaru World Rally Team will start the 2007 season wîth a revised version of last year's Impreza WRC2006. The 2007 Impreza World Rally Car will debut later in the season in Mexico.The car, based on the 2006 model year Impreza, will be used by team drivers Petter Solberg, Chris Atkinson and Stephane Sarrazin as they tackle the gravel, asphalt, snow, ice and mud of this year s sixteen round FIA World Rally Championship season.
Like its road going cousin, the Impreza WRC2006 features Subaru s dynamic new corporate look, styled by Subaru s chief of advanced design, Andreas Zapatinas. But changes to the WRC2006 go far deeper than the striking new appearance. A whole raft of improvements to the engine, transmission, chassis and electrical systems make this the most advanced, and safest, Impreza WRC ever built.
A Base Car Shaped by 13 Years of WRC Competition
The starting point for the new rally car is the 2006 model Subaru Impreza road car. As the basis of a rally winning machine, few cars can match the competitive pedigree of the Impreza. First launched in 1992, the road car has developed in tandem wîth its rallying counterpart and over the last twelve seasons, and 46 WRC victories, lessons learned on the rally stages have been fed back into the production model.
Already renowned for its agile handling, leech-like roadholding and symmetrical all-wheel drive security, the latest Subaru Impreza forges even stronger links wîth its World Rally Championship stablemate.
Like the preceding model, both rally and road versions were styled in Japan by the FHI design team led by Andreas Zapatinas. Externally, a key new feature is the spread-wings mesh front grille wîth a centre section resembling an aeroplane fuselage and sweeping outer sections mimicking the wings. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, the manufacturer of Subaru, has its origins as an aircraft maker.
New headlamps have a 3-D effect wîth cylindrical lamp units. The rear lamps are also 3-D, wîth similar cylinders encircled by claw-type strakes. Revised front bumpers wîth concave horizontal corner spoilers smooth the airflow down the side of the car. In addition, the saloon features vertical air intakes at the side of the bumper for enhanced brake cooling.
A new design of side-skirts adds to the sports stance, being better integrated wîth the overall body design and featuring sweeping swage lines that continue to flow into the rear bumpers. Also new is a roof vane covering the top half of the rear window. This compliments the massive high-rise boot spoiler by deflecting airflow from the top of the roof under the boot spoiler, increasing downforce and high speed stability.
New Solutions to New Regulations
From the start of the 2006 WRC season, leading cars must comply wîth revised technical regulations which, among other things, outlaw engine water-injection and active control of front and rear differentials. So, ten years after the introduction of the computer controlled units, the Subaru team faced the engineering challenge of making their car go just as well but wîth traditional, mechanical differentials.
The two-liter flat-four engine had to be adapted to meet the new technical regulations but Lapworth's team wanted to go further than that. 'We had to take into account the loss of the water injection but we've done a lot of work on the control, fuel system, lightening of components and friction reduction. We've ended up wîth something which is more powerful, delivers more torque and is more responsive and lighter than last year's engine.'
Back in 1999 Subaru was the first WRC manufacturer to introduce an electronically operated semi-automatic gearbox. This year, the ground-breaking six-speed transmission is further refined wîth a new hydraulic system which gives a better control of the centre differential and a faster gear change. The result is that the already rapid gear change is now faster than most Formula 1 cars.
Elsewhere in the car, from front to back, hundreds of other smaller revisions were made to areas including the wiring loom, fuel system, electrical systems and the location of systems in the cockpit.
The Impreza became Subaru's entry into the small-car maket segment in U.S., European, Japanese and numorous other world markets. ‘Subura' a Japanese word meaning ‘unite' has a reputation for reliability and customer satisfaction that is represented in their more than 10 million vehicles sold worldwide.
Equipped with a flat engine (or an internal combustion engine, also called a boxermotor) the Impreza came with distinguishable Subaru characteristics. With an engine choice of 1.5: or 1.8L naturally-aspirated engines that were neither turbocharged nor supercharged.
Available in a 4-wheel drive turbo charged version that delivered 211Bhp and had the distinction of the turbo charger mounted on the right side of the engine. The intercooler is located above the engine, therefore the reason for the big central air vent on the bonnet of the Impreza. On the racing version of the Impreza, the intercooler is located in the front bumper.
The Impreza came with an engine that was mounted longitudinally, making the gearbox and transmission much easier to fit and service.
For drivers searching for a car that provides thrills without major frills, the Japanese manufacturers have gained the status of being the only ones still able to produce a car for such a low price. Subaru Impreza turbo is gaining impressive commercial success due to price to performance ratio, its racing successes and reliable features.
The Impreza turbo's commercial success has led to production of more impressive versions that aren't available outside of Japan. The Impreza GT turbo evolved into becoming a multiple World Rally Champion with three world championship titles.
Common in Japan and Europe, special editions of the Impreza were available, usually coinciding with significant victories at World Rally Championships.
For the 1997 model year, the Impreza received an updated exterior facelift that was followed by a complete interior redesign in 1998.
A first-generation Impreza, turbocharged was never received in the North American market.By Jessica Donaldson
When the Impreza was first introduced in November of 1993, it was available in either front wheel drive or all wheel drive configuration. Two bodystyles were offered, a four-door sedan or five-door station wagon. The two-door coupe followed a few years later, in 1995. Trim levels included the LX, GL, and Sport. Adding to the vehicles versatility, the Impreza was offered with a variety of engines, including a 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0-liter engine. To boost performance further, a turbocharger and intercooler was available on the 2-liter engine. Horsepower for the forced-induction engine was an impressive 208. In the Japanese market, the output was even higher.
Subaru Tecnica International (STi) was formed in 1988; their purpose was to specialize in the preparation of vehicles for rallies. In 1994, they were given the opportunity to create a version of the Impreza to bear the 'STi' nameplate. When introduced, it was only available in the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) and European Domestic Market (EDM). These versions featured performance-tuned engines, transmission, and suspensions. Horsepower was raised above the normal WRX models, and could carry the vehicles from zero-to-sixty in just 4.9 seconds. Top speed was electronically limited at 122 mph. The European market had a slightly de-tuned version of the engine, though performance was still impressive. Additional steps were taken to prepare the vehicles for rally competition. The soundproofing material was reduced, the air conditioning removed, and void of many non-essential amenities. The overall weight of the vehicle was reduced significantly.
The Impreza received cosmetic changes in 1997 and the interior was redesigned in the following year. The design-inspiration for the interior was borrowed from the Forester.
Special edition Impreza's have been introduced throughout its production lifespan. These limited edition models are often tuned for greater performance or given unique cosmetic changes. The purpose is often to commemorate a racing success or to honor a racing legend. Editions include the Series McRae, 555, Catalunya, Terzo, RB5, P1, and 22B. A limited edition version of the Impreza Wagon was even offered for a short time, dubbed the CasaBlanca.
The European market received a performance upgraded version of the Impreza in 1999 which featured an improved turbocharger and 4-pot calibers with larger disc brakes. The suspension was improved and the seating became more racer-oriented with bucket seats similar to the STi version.
While the rest of the world was offered the turbocharger version of the Impreza, the North American market was left to sit on the side-lines. The turbocharger would not come across 'the pond' during the first generation of the Impreza. The Impreza was offered with the 1.8-liter engine with either front- or all-wheel drive. A 2.2-liter version of the engine became available in 1995. The FWD was later droped and all Subaru's became all-wheel drive as standard.
Subaru was unsure of the performance market in North America, and thus, offered only basic engines. In 1998, the year the 1.8-liter engine was no longer available, Subaru decided to explore the possibilities of performance in the US. They offered a performance model dubbed the Impreza 2.5RS. The 2.5-liter DOHC naturally-aspirated engine produced 165 horsepower and had performance upgrades throughout the vehicle, including larger brakes and 16-inch five-spoke gold-colored wheels. Hood vents, rear spoiler, and a hood scoop helped segregate the styling from this 'special' model and its non-tuned sibling.
In 2001, Subaru introduced a larger, more refined and improved, Impreza. For some, the changes were a step in the wrong direction, as the car grew in size and weight. It was tamer beast for the typical day-to-day driving conditions and the extra size meant it was more versatile. Also, the coupe model was no longer offered.
The WRX version, for the United States, with its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that cranked out nearly 230 horsepower became available the following year, in 2002. The US had to wait a long time to get the STi version, which did not enter into production for the States until 2004. To comply with safety and emission control laws in the United States, it was not the same thoroughbred racer as in other parts of the world. Still, it was a very impressive machine. In other markets, the STi was equipped with a twin-scroll turbocharger 2.0-liter engine. In the US, the STi was powered by a 2.5-liter EJ25 engine mated with a turbocharger.
In 2003, the Impreza was given a facelift, mainly due to the negative reaction by some media outlets. One of the more noticeable changes were to the headlamps, which became more square. Another redesign occurred in 2006 on all Impreza's, featuring changes to its headlights, taillights, and bumpers - among other changes.
The Third generation of the Impreza was introduced to the world at the 2007 New York Auto Show, ready for sale in 2008. It will be available as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback.
By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2007
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