It's been more than five years since Subaru pulled out of the World Rally Championship (WRC). The recession hit car manufacturers as hard as the rest of the world, forcing them to pull out of the race that made driving legends like Subaru's Petter Solberg. However, the decision to pull out may have been for the best.
Following the announcement of its withdrawal, the car maker reiterated that its participation in the WRC has achieved its purpose: brand recognition. It bagged three manufacturers and three drivers' titles over the course of its WRC career. Lessons learned in these fruitful years of racing have been applied to future designs.
The embodiment of Subaru's experience in racing were incorporated in the Subaru Impreza, most notably the WRX. Don't let its look fool you; it may look like a souped-up sedan on the outside, but it has the heart of a racecar. Autoblog's Steven Ewing takes the new 2015 WRX, coming soon to several car dealerships near New Orleans, for a spin. Here's what he has to say:
Extra Gear for Extra Oomph
"The six-speed stick clicks into gear with solid action, and the nicely weighted clutch pedal is perfectly matched with the throttle input. There's a very natural-feeling clutch take-up point, and the throttle is extremely linear and easy to modulate."
Even other car companies understand the benefits of adding an extra gear to the standard five-gear transmission. With only five gears, once you reach the fifth gear the engine will be forced to work harder at higher speeds and RPM. In retrospect, this amounts to reduced fuel efficiency, which many American motorists take seriously.
Turn Tighter for Less
"The steering ratio has been quickened to 14.5:1 (up from 15:1), and Subaru's own engineers admit that the WRX has sharper turn-in than the BRZ coupe. It's true - this thing goes exactly where you point it, immediately."
Steering ratio refers to how much you have to turn the steering wheel to turn the wheels to an angle. A lower steering ratio means a driver can make tighter turns for less sharp steering. The average steering ratio ranges between 12:1 and 20:1; the new WRX can turn 1 degree by steering at 14.5 degrees, an improvement over last year's model.
Overall, the WRX, as with successors to car lines, is a considerable improvement over last year. In fact, it has improved so much that some say it warrants its own line from the Impreza. Subaru's racing heart is still pretty much alive in the WRX, with numerous New Orleans area car dealerships preparing for its arrival.
(Article information from "2015 Subaru WRX," Autoblog, December 16, 2013)
