But as we saw on a recent visit to Mach V Motorsports
Well crap. Next time you're in the area, I owe you lunch and a tour or something.
Photography Credit: Dan Hurwitz
Are the days of sporty Subarus dead? It wouldn’t be too hard to argue “yes.” The STI is dead, with a rumored successor both years away and electrified. And if you’re in the high school parking lot longing for an AWD performance sedan, odds are you’re dreaming of a Tesla, not an Impreza.
But as we saw on a recent visit to Mach V Motorsports, it’s too early to truly count Subaru out. We sampled two new Subarus, both with a smattering of aftermarket parts, that company owner Dan Hurwitz says prove that the brand hasn’t lost its way—it’s just grown up a bit.
The same could be said of Mach V. We’ve known the company for decades, and it’s been fascinating to watch them grow from a little performance shop to a major player in the Subaru aftermarket, including a recent expansion in warehouse space to better serve their online business.
Photography Credit: Tom Suddard
We drove two different 2022-model Subarus, both of which represent major changes. As Dan explained:
“The BRZ was facelifted in 2022 (along with its twin the Toyota GR86), but it's still based on the same platform. The most significant changes are the motor, which grew from 2.0 liters to 2.4, and gained 28 hp and 33 ft.-lbs. compared to the old model; and the chassis, which Subaru claims has 50% more torsional stiffness than the older model from some strategic bracing and welding. The car really drives great; where before everyone who drove the original BRZ/FR-S said, 'Needs more power,' I don't think people say that so much with the new car.
"The 2022 WRX, on the other hand, was a full platform change. The WRX is now based on the company's Subaru Global Platform architecture, which means the chassis is shared with cars like the Ascent and Outback. The car is maybe a bit bigger than I would prefer, but it is stiffer and more refined than the older model. Interior quality and sound isolation is improved. The powerplant is again enlarged to 2.4 liters from the older WRX's 2.0 liter motor, and the new FA24 is torquey and responds well to tuning upgrades.”
But as we saw on a recent visit to Mach V Motorsports
Well crap. Next time you're in the area, I owe you lunch and a tour or something.
Displaying 1-1 of 1 commentsView all comments on the GRM forums
You'll need to log in to post.
