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That is just way too much IMHO for a high power econobox. I love my car, but that is pretty much what it is.

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I would go for the SRT-4 and save myself 10 grand.

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That's like saying a Mustang SVT Cobra is just a high powered econobox.  They do sell the little V6 powered cloth seat bottom feeder Mustangs too.

The RS and WRX have two very different suspensions, do not share engine blocks, heads, or induction method.  The seats in the WRX are designed for a totally different purpose.  It comes with a 6-disc in-dash changer.  Power locks, windows, mirrors, alarm, and alloy wheels.

Seems kind of arbitrary to me.  The WRX is a very distant cousin to the RS.  The RS is an econobox, the WRX is not an RS.

Ed  

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The parts I'm talking about that make it an econobox are the tinny sheetmetal, the headliner materials and the general quality of construction.  You don't hear this much road noise in a BMW, and the quality of the total package is much higher. Of course that is why they are twice as much. My point was the basic underpinnings are very econobox like.  I think your comparison to the Cobra is very appropriate.  Sure it has gobs of HP, but the body seams are typical wide as the grand canyon and uneven, same as the econobox Mustang.

Don't get me wrong, I love my car.  I researched it extensively and to me it was the best balance of perfomance and practicality, but I am realistic to what it is.

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Yep, and you'd be down to a FWD car weighing 300lbs - 500lbs less still putting up the same performance numbers.  Interesting how the Neon does the 0-60 and 1/4 in about the same time, but the WRX weighs in at a lot more.....hmmmmmm...wonder how that happens?

OH, and BTW the SRT-4 will not even be close to the performance of the STi and EVO, so you'll be left to add the bigger Brembo brakes, bigger turbo, chip, suspension, wheels, etc to get to a pieced together car that only [b]equals[/b] the STi and EVO.  I'll take the factory Subaru warranty and a kick ass AWD system.

If the SRT-4 is the solution to this equation for you, THEN YOU HAVE MISSED THE POINT OF THE EVO AND WRX. [rolleyes]

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The difference in performance is the all wheel drive. Its also the diference in price. No 2WD car can take down a AWD car of the same horsepower, even if the AWD weighs more. Anyone who has watched racing in the last 15 years has seen Audi Quattros "hobbled" by ballest, turbo air intake restrictions, and undersized tires utterly destroy one racing series after another till they were eventually banned virtually everywhere.

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Call me old school, but I don't think I could stomach paying that much for a car that has an inline four, be it tourbocharged or not.

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Nah, I'll just call you midwest.  V8 muscle or bust. [banghead]

Whatever floats your boat.  I'm sure Ferdinand Porsche would have a thing or two to say about your disdain for lower displacement turbocharged boxer motors.

That said, I am a huge fan of the 93-96 RX7's.  My favorite car, bar none.  Fragile though....too bad too.  Very much fun to drive at 300hp+. [flag][wow]

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Yeah, I used to have a 94 RX-7 Touring that was my tuner car. Put a single turbo conversion on it, quite a bit of other stuff. Absolutley great car, just alot of maintnance with it.

I'm not a V-8 mafia guy like some of the muslce car people are, I am just a big proponet of having engines that produce horsepower and are still naturally aspirated.[red]Better for transitional acceleration, or passing.  It goes when you press the pedal, not when the "turbo juice" gets to the pistons.[:D][/red] I've had so many problems with Turbos latley, formerly on the RX and with my Esprit (now there's a sweet car with a turbo four) that I just think it's beter to up the displacement.[red]Racer's mantra:  There's no replacement for displacement. {Very true, but the turbo/supercharger is a great equalizer if you know what you are doing.}[/red]

Subaru is owned by Porche isn't it?[red]I believe that Porsche is owned by the Audi/VW Group.  Subaru is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries -- at least last I checked. [;)][/red] I would love to see a WRX with the flat six out of the Boxster S, now that would be sweet.[red]The Legacy B4 is supposed to make it here with possibly a 2.5L flat-4 and either a bi-turbo arrangement like in JDM or with a single bigger turbo.  270+hp.  S4 killer.  Maybe they will turbo the H6 3L and then we'll have some fun.[/red]