Sydney Motor Show - Liberty GT "Tuned By STi" [Archive]

slugdriver

10-12-2005, 09:59 PM

Hi all. The Sydney Motor Show (aka Australian International Motor Show) opened today, and Subaru Australia have released details of a limited 300 run version of the Liberty GT.

Link to official site :
http://subaru.com.au/promotions/?promoid=246

And in the generous Aussie spirit, for those who are too lazy, here it is:

Subaru Liberty GT, Tuned by STI

The Subaru Liberty GT has quickly won a reputation as a classic high http://subaru.com.au/news/images/GT_STI_car.jpg

performance grand tourer, offering the driver a wonderfully responsive and luxurious driving experience.

Performance car enthusiasts now have something new to look forward to with the imminent release of a very special limited edition version of the Liberty GT. Available in January 2006, place your order now with your Subaru Dealer (http://subaru.com.au/dealers/) today.

Only 300 high performance special edition Liberty GTs* have been produced offering:

• Increased power (190kW auto, 200kW manual) with a new STI Engine Control Unit tested and developed by STI for Australian conditions
• Increased torque for improved responsiveness through the rev range
• Lowered Bilstein suspension for enhanced, sportier handling
• 18" STI alloy wheels with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres
• Enhanced STI aerodynamics package
• A refined leather and Alcantara sporty interior with STI insignia and red stitching
• Limited edition badges with STI insignia
• Manual transmission vehicles feature an STI 4.0:1 short shift gear lever, for smooth, crisp gear changes
• Dual STI twin pipe mufflers for a throaty exhaust note
• Sporty Black interior trim with red luminescent instrument cluster

Available in sedan and wagon in both 5-speed manual and 5-speed ^SPORTSHIFTautomatic, the limited edition Liberty GT, Tuned by STI, is sure to go fast.

There’s even a choice of three premium colours:

• Obsidian Black with charcoal wheels
• Brilliant Silver with silver wheels
• Urban Grey with silver wheels

The limited edition model also comes standard with a comprehensive list of luxury appointments including:

• Climate control air conditioning
• Trip computer
• 13 Speaker McIntosh premium sound system
• 8-way power driver’s seat
• ^SPORTSHIFT steering wheel controls (auto version)

Liberty has received the highest possible 5 star occupant rating system in tests performed on behalf of ANCAP (the Australian New Car Assessment Program).

Liberty’s GT passive and active safety features include:

• A six ring safety cell
• Dual front and side air bags
• Dual front and rear curtain airbags
• Subaru symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
• Advanced ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution

Recommended Retail Prices**

Sedan Manual - $59,490 SPORTSHIFT - $61,490

Wagon Manual - $61,490 SPORTSHIFT - $63,490

Specifications and Standard Features

Overall length mm 4665
Overall width mm 1730
Wheel base mm 2670
Front Track mm 1495
Rear Track mm 1490
Min Ground Clearance mm manual trans 135
auto trans 140
Unladen mass kg manual trans 1435
auto trans 1460
Max power kW manual trans 200
auto trans 190
Gear ratios Manual trans 1st 3.166 2nd 1.882 3rd 1.296 4th 0.972 5th 0.738 Rev 3.333 Final drive 4.111
Auto Trans 1st 3.540 2nd 2.264 3rd 1.471 4th 1.000 5th 0.971 Rev 3.545 Final drive 3.900

• Tyres Pirelli P Zero Rosso 215/45 R18 93W
• Wheels 5 X STI Alloy Wheel 18 x 7.5 55mm
• Suspension front Bilstein Strut type with STI lowered springs
• Suspension rear Bilstein multi link type with STI lowered springs
• STI front Strut brace
• Black leather seats with Alcantara inserts and STI logo and red stitching
• Black interior roof lining
• Red luminescent instrument meters
• STI rear suspension lateral links with pilot ball joints
• STI tuned engine management ECU
• Twin pipe sports mufflers
• Aluminium pedal set
• STI short shift gear lever mechanism on manual transmission
• STI Front lip spoiler
• STI Rear boot spoiler (sedan models)
• Tuned by STI badging
http://subaru.com.au/news/images/GT_STI.jpg

The B4

10-12-2005, 10:04 PM

* SEETHING WITH JEALOUSY!!! why can't we atleast get that sound system... Australia is the new Canada.

BLAME AUSTRALIA...
Can we invade them? Do they have oil?

kevjam79

10-12-2005, 10:20 PM

Beautiful!!!

gt_ltd

10-12-2005, 10:26 PM

can u export a few to the u.s.?

Th3Franz

10-12-2005, 11:02 PM

Much better than a lame Spec B! :)

MUD

10-12-2005, 11:24 PM

BLAME AUSTRALIA...
Can we invade them? Do they have oil?

Oh No3! I can't believe you typed that!

That had me & the boyz on crew (work) laughing for a good while! That's hillarious! :D

Hey Franz.... what's wrong with the spec B? I FULLY plan to have the spec B front bumper before long!

The USDM bumper is just FUGLY if you ask me!

Nsaglibene

10-12-2005, 11:36 PM

SOA you could learn a thing or two from austrailia.

mbacis

10-12-2005, 11:51 PM

Am I calculating correctly that the HP is only 268? But this is from a 2.0 correct?

Wonder if we'll ever be able source those cans.

agctr

10-13-2005, 12:05 AM

Yes 2.0L only

And yes Franz, Im TOTALLY FEELIN U on that call.......

Order +1 here.
Ada///M.

See check out my title.... it was only a matter of time.

mwiener2

10-13-2005, 12:33 AM

dibs on the seats and wheels

Aczwild

10-13-2005, 12:48 AM

Damnnit!!!!! Why do we get the shaft on everything!!!!!

redrobin

10-13-2005, 01:28 AM

*
BLAME AUSTRALIA...
Can we invade them? Do they have oil?

Hey

We may be on to something here....!!

If they do invade us, we would still probably get the new Special Edition Liberty GT, but we would then probably only pay the same prices as they would in the US. I wouldn't mind a $30,000 brand new Liberty GT, at that price I could order 2.

The only problem I see would be teaching the rest of the country (i.e the other 56 states of AMERISTRALIA) to drive on the other side of the road.

TSi+WRX

10-13-2005, 07:06 AM

Subaru of America - TAKE NOTE

This is what us Stateside enthusiasts want to see with our "special edition" vehicles.

Taxdude

10-13-2005, 07:11 AM

They get all of the cool stuff and we get fugly red leather. Yea that's fair

PGT

10-13-2005, 07:16 AM

Guys, guys, guys. Not a single part on that car is unobtainable - some of us already have them (like me).

PGT

10-13-2005, 07:17 AM

moved to Subaru News

TSi+WRX

10-13-2005, 07:43 AM

^ Exactly - not unobtainable, but, on the other hand, we enthusiasts should also not have had to work as-hard to procure such items outside of our dealerships.

Offering this model instead of our "lame duck" Spec-B would, IMveryHO, have much better fit with what we Stateside enthusiasts would have wanted to see from SoA/SPT.

PGT

10-13-2005, 07:47 AM

So, you are willing to spend $38-40K on that car here in the US? That's how much it costs in Japan.

TSi+WRX

10-13-2005, 08:00 AM

Me? Yes. Others? No guesses. :)

jah64

10-13-2005, 08:10 AM

So.... how could we score a set of "Sti Sport Mufflers"

Han'sGT

10-13-2005, 08:15 AM

i'm so pissed :mad:

agctr

10-13-2005, 08:16 AM

TSi+WRX

10-13-2005, 08:21 AM

PGT

10-13-2005, 08:21 AM

So.... how could we score a set of "Sti Sport Mufflers"

save up 14 of these:

http://www.bizarrefun.com/FAH600-MINI100LBL.jpg

heightsgtltd

10-13-2005, 09:36 AM

I thought the upgraded stereo was unattainable due to the whole dual A/C issue. Other than that I believe that all other visual and go fast parts could just bolt on.

IwannaSportSedan

10-13-2005, 09:52 AM

Bumpers would have to be replaced, including the beams. Stereo won't transfer for a couple of reasons.

Seats... Fine if you don't mind that the driver's side is opposite, so the passenger is going to get all the adjustments, and the driver won't get as many.

Wasn't somebody saying that this austrailian STI tuned car is a $5kUS upgrade?

Uhhh, McFly, the USDM Spec B is very nearly the same markup for MUCH LESS ACTUAL IMPROVEMENT.

If the USDM Spec B had the OZ STI equipment list, with NAV taken off the standard features list (optional instead, which I would decline...) I think EVERYBODY's tune on the USDM Spec B would be 180 degrees different.

I don't mind the US SPEC B's red leather. I am not diggin the pictures of the US Spec B's exterior color. At least the OZ STI gets a color choice. Silver, dark grey, or Black isn't much of a choice, but at least it is something.

The Japanese STI-tuned legacy gets Silver, WR Blue, and Regal Blue. Much better choices, probably also a little bit more equipment or something, as it sounds like it is a little more expensive than the OZ STI-tuned car. Japan, conversely, ALSO gets the 2.0 GT Spec B, the WR Limited, AND the Blitzen in sedan and Wagon form, so there are a myriad of options, with the STI-tuned car being near or at the top.

And WTF (!!!!) about having all these exterior bolt ons, like exhaust, spoilers, wheels, etc, that WILL fit the North American cars, but are not officially imported. Why should we have to grey import these products? Does SOA/FHI not WANT to make money?

How hard is it to have a catalog, and order the parts from a warehouse; or order them, and have the parts shipped from Japan. We're already doing it behind their back, why don't they want a part of their own damn aftermarket?

:mad:

BTW, might I suggest combining the two OZ Liberty STI threads for an official OZ Liberty STI thread?

mbacis

10-13-2005, 11:24 AM

How hard is it to have a catalog, and order the parts from a warehouse; or order them, and have the parts shipped from Japan. We're already doing it behind their back, why don't they want a part of their own damn aftermarket?

Amen.

PGT

10-13-2005, 01:09 PM

I thought the upgraded stereo was unattainable due to the whole dual A/C issue. Other than that I believe that all other visual and go fast parts could just bolt on.

the stereo isn't unique to this model, it's used in several JDM and Oz models.

almondcookie

10-13-2005, 02:36 PM

What are "Austrialian conditions"? =P. Austrialia has specifically different conditions than the rest of the world? Maybe the wind is different or something down there =P. j/k.

... It's for the 2.0L? Maaaan. Just think if Subaru suddenly announced a STI-tuned 2.5 ECU upgrade. Holy crap. That thing would sell like HOTCAKES. Couple hundred bucks (most likely). Come in to the dealer, unscrew, unplug, plug, screw, drive for a couple hundred miles to let the new ECU adjust and BAM. Smiles abound.

I think I heard when the R33 and R34s (skylines) were on the showroom floor, the parts department had nismo tuned ecu's for sale. The price was something like 450USD. You went from the magically 280hp to 360. Dealer direct. Crazy stuff.

slugdriver

10-13-2005, 09:45 PM

Well one downside is that although sat-nav has just been confirmed for Australian release in the Liberty range, (yay!), it WON'T be available on this limited edition GT or the regular GT! :(

Won't stop me from getting one of these though, in black of course... [Eric Cartman] Sweeeeet! [/Eric Cartman]

BTW, is there any "official" reason why we have never seen the STi 6 speed manual box in a GT?

agctr

10-13-2005, 09:53 PM

Again they kept the 6MT STi short throw for the "Special" SPEC - B only.
Ada///M.

gt_ltd

10-13-2005, 10:13 PM

whats diff between the Australian Spec B and Liberty STi?

agctr

10-13-2005, 10:30 PM

In short....

The SpecB is sold directly by Subaru Australia and the STi is sold directly by STi Australia.
The main difference are, the STi is loaded with STi product and has the same level of creature comforts that the GT has but with added HP. The STi is offered in only 3 colours, BS, OB & UG.

The SpecB is now offered in both 6MT STi short shifter and 5EAT transmissions with similar creature comforts and different spec 18" rims + added chrome and bling here and there. SpecB can be purchased from memory from the entire colour range.

SpecB 6MT = 180Kw
GT = 190Kw 250HP
STi = 209Kw. 280HP (depending upon tune)
Ada///M.

Jon [in CT]

10-13-2005, 10:39 PM

What are "Austrialian conditions"? =P. Austrialia has specifically different conditions than the rest of the world?When you flush a toilet there, it spins the wrong way. I'm sure there are other examples. :)

jah64

10-14-2005, 08:27 AM

save up 14 of these:

http://www.bizarrefun.com/FAH600-MINI100LBL.jpg

OUCH! maybe a Stromung isn't so bad afterall.

Thanks.

PGT

10-14-2005, 08:35 AM

OUCH! maybe a Stromung isn't so bad afterall.

Thanks.

it's made to fit the JDM bumper which is shorter than ours, has 2.25 inch inlet pipes, and would be a sound and appearance mod only. The soundclip I have heard sounds like ass, probably because it was from a JDM 2.0L twinscroll with equal length headers. I love the look and love the fact they are STi, but :rolleyes:

agctr

10-14-2005, 08:38 AM

Lot of factors to consider WHEN you listen to clips, was it a 2.0L or bigger, did the MIC pick up the right tone of the exhaust and indeed did the GT in question have any other mods that affected the acutal tone.
U need a few sound clips to actually say it sounds like rubbish or its time to PONY up.
Ada///M.

PGT

10-14-2005, 08:41 AM

the clip I heard was on the STi website....an official clip from Subaru. If I could get them for $1K and in a fitment that would work with the USDM wagon bumper (two inches longer than the sedan, so 3+ inches longer than JDM), I'd still buy them.

agctr

10-14-2005, 08:45 AM

Thanks Dan.... do u have the actual URL Link to the Subaru site so others can download ?
TIA
Ada///M.

Mo_GT

10-16-2005, 09:59 PM

Guys, guys, guys. Not a single part on that car is unobtainable - some of us already have them (like me).

Thats correct. And not all STI parts on the car are that great for perfromance - take for example the exhaust, its just a pair of mufflers with the same size pipe except its a bit louder than std (i've sourced and fitted the same mufflers to a friends car a while back).

The STi springs only lower the car by 15mm while you could source other that would lower 25 -40mm (if lowering is imp to you).

The only bits you'd find hard to source would be the ECU tune (is it worth the $$ for 10KW? or 14hp), the instrument cluster, red stiching (big $$), etc.

But as a factory package its a great deal tho!

Bye,
Mo

Mo_GT

10-16-2005, 10:10 PM

Put it this way, the advantage here in Oz for us is, we can purchase this STi will all the MODS included and still have our new car warranty. YES owners in all other countries can puchase and install all these go fast MODS, but your new car warranty will be void.
Ada///M.

The warranty is a great point, but its not likei f someone buys and fits a spoiler or lowered springs you loose warranty on the whole car...

Like look at my car, its still under warranty and as a matter of fact have put in a claim for brakes (shuddering) and they will be replacing my disks and pads under warranty.

I just have to accept warranty for the parts that i've fitted - like if my shocks fail or my springs break or something... but these parts again come with their own warranties...

having had a modded WRX before the GT and having claimed a few things under warranty, its not a big deal for light minor mods like on the Aust GT with STi bits.

Its when you go over a certain limit that warranty becomes an issue - like changing turbos, replace ECUs, etc.

Bye,
Mo

Mo_GT

10-16-2005, 10:12 PM

whats diff between the Australian Spec B and Liberty STi?

We don't have a Spec B, do we? Or are you alking abt the 6cy RB ?

Mo_GT

10-16-2005, 10:16 PM

Thanks Dan.... do u have the actual URL Link to the Subaru site so others can download ?
TIA
Ada///M.

here: http://www.subaru-sti.co.jp/parts/blbp_legacy/cat2.html

Towards the bottom of the page where it says "muffler sound" (under the pic of the mufflers).

BTW, remember thatwe get the t/scroll turbo, that means equal lenght headrs - no boxer burble that the USDM GT has.

agctr

10-16-2005, 11:43 PM

ozgt

10-17-2005, 03:32 AM

Saw the "tuned by STI" GT at the Sydney Motor Show yesterday. It certainly looks great!

But have to say I'm a bit disappointed. While it fixes some of the "omissions" in the standard GT (bilsteins, 18" wheels, alloy pedals and other clip-on appearance bits).....
- they've deleted the sunroof!? nobody could tell me why? The standard GT gets the sunroof, the 2.5i "Safety" even gets the sunroof and costs $22k less.... (to add insult to injury the show car is fitted with a sunroof! a small disclaimer on the specification plaque says "note production models will not have sunroof..." or words to that effect)
- no brake upgrade, where are the Brembos they fit to the JDM model?!
- could live without the alcantra inserts in the seats, standard seats would be just fine
- whisper is this is a "runout" model because the twin scroll 2.0l GT doesn't meet the upcoming "euro 3 " emission requirements. The emission compliant version (probably with 2.5l turbo engine) wont be ready for a few months, so Subaru is rushing these through to beat the Jan 1 deadline and keep the GT selling..... but they don't seem to be advertising this fact! Can anybody confirm or deny?

Robdownunder

10-17-2005, 05:33 AM

One of the guys from STI Melb asked me if I thought a Brembo package would sell if available? It's hugely expensive apparently if supplied on an exercise like what they have done with the limited GT's.

I didn't think it would sell all that well because you could buy a hell of a lot of dressup bits for that money muted to be worth a few grand.
Rob.

slugdriver

10-17-2005, 07:25 AM

Guys, some sensational high-res pics of this fine vehicle, for your viewing and wallpapering pleasure!

http://www.streetdream.de/cars/subaru/liberty.html

agctr

10-17-2005, 05:41 PM

Ok pure confirmation that this is a run out hence the extra kit in the STi. Subaru Australia will be bringing out the 2.5 engine, the same as the one currently available to the US GT buyers. The engine will be detuned to meet Australian Standards and Regulations and will be rated under 200Kw.

For the money, I think the STi is a great buy, yes Brembo's would have been nice but with this STi actually being developed here in Melbourne, I would only expect good things from our friends @ STi Docklands. Frank has been working on this project for some months and has put a lot of time and effort into the entire package. Unsure why they did not go with Brembo, the cost may have had something to do with but I think I would certainly check that option box. As for SatNav, still unconfirmed if this is going to be an addition in the STi including Xenons.

With only a limited production number, Im sure they will sell extremely well and retain great market value.
Ada///M.

Still no pics from the launch anyone ?

ozgt

10-17-2005, 06:17 PM

Thanks for the extra info guys. Seriously thinking about buying one of these, but cant help feeling that we have been shortchanged. The "tuned by STI" JDM version costs about AUD$45000 equivalent, and it gets the Brembos and 206kW! Seems STi/Inchcape have spent months in development only to despecify the original version, and adding $24,500 to the price in the process.....! And then there is the missing sunroof from the standard Aussie spec GT.... what the ....?

Almost there but not quite.... Could have been a beautiful thing. Still, it has to be the best offering yet by Subaru in Australia.

When it comes to the brakes, I certainly would have ticked the Brembo box. If Nissan can factory fit Brembos to the 350Z Track and only charge a $3k premium over the Touring version, Subaru should be able to do the same! Of course if STi fits them in Australia, they would cost a fortune, but this shouldn't be necessary

Now, I wonder if I can convince them to get out the can opener and fit that missing sunroof.... Wish me luck!

ozgt

10-17-2005, 06:19 PM

Before somebody jumps on me..... that should have read "and adding $14500 to the price in the process" (not $24.5k)!!

agctr

10-17-2005, 06:49 PM

LOL yeah I thought that sticker price seemed a little pricey, so does the 14.5K but hey I will let it slide. Dont think its ANYWHERE near that amount. Currently dont have a sunroof so missing nothing AND maybe a Brembo Group Buy might be in order. What do u think ?

Re looking at MT or EAT
Ada///M.

ozgt

10-17-2005, 07:42 PM

Thansk Adam, I would be potentially interested in the Brembo group buy, but my gut feel is that to do this aftermarket will cost way more than its worth... (any idea what the dollars would be?) factory fitment is the way to go. Might just have to put up with the standard anchors if I go down this path!

Definitely 5MT (seeing the 6MT is not on offer!) I have a friend who bought the 5EAT GT, and while it is a nice box it is his only real disappointment with the car

By the way, the $14.5k is based on the Japanese list price for the "tuned by STI" Legacy of 3,780,000 yen (at ROE $AUD1=84 Yen), by my calcs AUD$45,000 !! Compared to the Aussie price of $59,490 its enough to make you cry isnt it?! But then again, not only Subaru plays this game in Oz, we are well and truly accustomed to price gouging by the car companies down here.... Just pick any car and check the equivalent price in the USA...!

Mo_GT

10-17-2005, 08:55 PM

Yes true, if u buy an STi WRX or WRX or Liberty GT here in Oz, u dont get the burble BUT all you need is a resonator and u should be golden, or change out yr exhaust system. Cat back should ususally do it.
Ada///M.

Dude, u misunderstood me...

The JDM /Aust GT will NOT produce the boxer burble (unless you change the manifold to un equal lenght and a turbo to suit) as with the USDM GT/WRX or even the Aust WRX because of the turbo and the equal length manifold - hence why that sound clip with the STi mufflers sounds "weak" compared to the Stromung exhaust.

Bye,
Mo

Mo_GT

10-17-2005, 08:59 PM

Brembos all around with pads and disks would cost over A$5000....

agctr

10-17-2005, 09:00 PM

I hear exactly what U are saying based on all that and totally understand.
I also MOD on the M3Forum.com and if I could buy an M for the same price they do in the US, I would have 2, 1 for the track and 1 as a daily driver.

The standard brake package is a real disappointment for a GT STi that will be putting out over 200+Kw, Im looking at upgrading the fluid and the brake lines and hopefully that will give a better overall feel as long as I dont have the scouring issues that the US members have had.

The Brembo cost would be up around the 8K range which includes pads, bleeding, calipers etc etc, lots of $$$$ for a simple upgrade. The last Liberty STi the S202 came stock with Brembo's, just unsure WHY they are not going to release this STi with them as well.
Ada///M.

Mo_GT

10-17-2005, 09:06 PM

- whisper is this is a "runout" model because the twin scroll 2.0l GT doesn't meet the upcoming "euro 3 " emission requirements. The emission compliant version (probably with 2.5l turbo engine) wont be ready for a few months, so Subaru is rushing these through to beat the Jan 1 deadline and keep the GT selling..... but they don't seem to be advertising this fact! Can anybody confirm or deny?

Yes, it will be a runout (SA has a habit of loading up the run out models as special editions). The GT won't be sold here after these cars are sold and we'll see the 2.5 about this time next year.

Mo_GT

10-17-2005, 09:10 PM

RE Brakes.
I'm toying with using the std WRX calipers with someting like the DBA slotted disks (had them on my WRX and liked them a lot), s/steel braided brake hoses and ofcourse a better fluid. That should give my GT enough stopping power for my needs.

agctr

10-17-2005, 09:23 PM

Nothing wrong with loading up the GT with STi bits. The MT LibertySTi will be quicker than the 2.5T anyways.....

Curious if you could use the Stock Calipers and run the DBA drilled & or inc Slotted with upgraded pads with upgraded lines. This could be a cheaper option than the Brembos and the WRX calipers.
Ada///M.

redrobin

10-17-2005, 09:41 PM

Hi Everyone,

I have just had a chat with my friendly Subaru dealer and have placed an order for one in Urban Grey.

If any of you want one you will need to be quick. There are no Black left and very few Urban Grey. Each dealer has been allocated two and once they have sold their allocation, SA won't give them any more, even if they have a client ready to place an order.

Apparently my order was something like 287 or thereabouts and SA are thinking of removing the car from the Motor Show to avoid lots of unhappy people at dealerships trying to order a car that has been sold out.

At least it looks good for retained value and I wouldn't be surprised if a "Black Market" didn't appear before too long in orders being sold before the cars are actually delivered to the original purchaser.

The cars themselves are not being built till the end of November / early December and will begin to turn up in late December or early January.

From what my dealer principal told me, the new 07 model GT's will have a 2.5 ltr single scroll turbo, will NOT be as quick as these limited edition will be and won't be around till very late in 2006 / early 2007 with a power output of about 195 kw. From that point of view, the limited edition may well be a solid investment for some time to come.

Mo_GT

10-17-2005, 09:46 PM

Curious if you could use the Stock Calipers and run the DBA drilled & or inc Slotted with upgraded pads with upgraded lines. This could be a cheaper option than the Brembos and the WRX calipers.
Ada///M.

yeah, you could and it will be much cheaper too but it depends on how much stopping power you want.

gt_ltd

10-18-2005, 12:10 AM

We don't have a Spec B, do we?

ask ada///m..

IwannaSportSedan

10-18-2005, 12:33 AM

That is funny...

The Aussie LGT Tuned by STi is already nearly sold out, and they are contemplating removing it from the show, to avoid anger at showing off a sold out car...

And in the US, the GT spec B is being panned by us, the enthusiasts, and the dealer staff barely know anything about them.

I wonder if they'll ever get the hint...
Real performance = sales = everybody happy.
Markup for not-much-content = dissappointment to the enthusiasts and the sales department.

Robdownunder

10-18-2005, 12:43 AM

There is no reason to not build your own these days,.

The internet has made the world incredibly small when it comes to procuring things.

Visually my GT wagon will just about pee all over the STI wgaon when it becomes available and I have heaps of change to boot.

Rob.

ozgt

10-18-2005, 12:46 AM

Robdownunder

10-18-2005, 12:58 AM

Aussies,

As there is no car club specifically for our GT's, I hope you all seriously consider joining the WRX Club of Vic (www.wrx.com.au (http://www.wrx.com.au)) that caters for only Subaru turbo-charged vehicles?

We'd love to see some of these new rockets in there as well.
:p
Currently owners who have gone from WRX's have bought GT's and there is a healthy mix of them there to.

Discounts on servicing, parts and an excellent magazine make it all worthwhile.

Rob.

agctr

10-18-2005, 12:58 AM

agctr

10-18-2005, 01:00 AM

Thanks Rob,

Joined the Forum yesterday would u believe so well ahead of U......
Also saw a "Very Attractive" picture of u in there too.....
The "Tinter" rocks, you are certainly well respected in that forum.
My STi will be @ yr place for tint as soon as I get the keys.
Ada///M.

agctr

10-18-2005, 01:04 AM

ozgt

10-18-2005, 02:24 AM

redrobin

10-18-2005, 02:59 AM

I find this information all a bit much..... how can they sell a LibertySTi if NO ONE KNOWS anything about them. I have had mine on order since last week but they are unable to confirm anything hence they havent taken my deposit. So I personally think the numbers quoted as"already sold" as total BS.

Ada///M.

I note your comments above and don't doubt the sincerity of your response, but never the less, my local dealer in Sydney had a very good knowledge of the Liberty STI and what was /wasn't going to be included in the specs. I had checked a couple of other Subaru dealers prior to talking to him, mainly to make sure he wasn't considering my order from them as a given. I buy most of my company cars from them, so they know me well.

Anyway, I got mostly the same story from the other Sydney northside dealers, they all knew about the cars, one told me they had sold out their allocation and couldn't help me, but would do a great deal on a regular GT, and the other said come in quick or you will loose out.

Perhaps what my dealer was seeing was a NSW phenominon and he extrapolated it into an assumed national position. Don't forget we have the Motor Show and the Liberty STI is in a great spot on the SA stand, so every visitor to the Subaru stand can't fail to see it if they havn't already tripped over it. It is also now on a sidebar on the Subaru Web Site as well as being reported in some of the Sydney motoring press. In short, if you are a motoring enthusiast in Sydney, you can't help but know about this car by now.

Whatever the case may be in Melbourne (or Victoria), I have my copy of a NSW Motor Traders order for a MY2006 Subaru Liberty GT STI and a signed dealers reciept for my deposit on the vehicle, and no, apart from fleet owners discount, I didn't get any other price breaks on the car, although they did look after me on the aftermarket sunroof and a few other things that I asked for on the car. I can confirm that the STI limited edition will not have a standard sunroof though.

He also showed me, mainly for interests sake as I didn't want a Black one anyway, a copy of an email from Subaru advising all dealers that the Black Liberty STI model was sold out and orders could now only be taken on Urban Grey or Silver. Perhaps that e-mail was only for NSW and not intended for national consumption, but I have no reason to doubt that it was still a genuine e-mail from Subaru. It wasn't until after I had signed the order and we were talking in general that he showed it to me, so if it wasn't a genuine e-mail, why bother after I had ordered ? and if it was genuine, then it must imply a strong order demand.

For what it's worth, the Subaru people on the stand at the Motor Show also have a good knowledge of the Car and they are talking as if it's a done and finalised spec.

I guess time will tell as we see other Australian members of this site try to place orders for these cars. I still stand by my initial suggestion that if you want one, the evidence suggests that you need to be quick, at least in NSW, if not nationaly.

Regards

Darryl

ozgt

10-18-2005, 03:35 AM

Darryl, thanks for all the detail..... interesting that Subaru (Inchcape) dont seem to be consistent with their communications!! I'm curious to know if your local dealer in Sydney is an independent, or owned by Subaru Aust/Inchcape? Most of the dealerships here in Melbourne now are owned by SA. I wonder if they have released a limited allocation to the independents and are saving the rest for themselves...??!!

Very good to hear that they agreed to do an aftermarket sunroof. The official SA line on this seems to be that they wont get involved in aftermarket fitment... (I suspect therefore that your dealer is an independent!) If you dont mind me asking, how much did they charge for the sunroof? Is it a Hollandia?

I live in Melbourne but was in Sydney for the weekend and dropped into the motorshow. My experience there wasn't so good either, the guys on the stand didn't seem to know a lot about the STi GT. They were just regurgitating facts from the brochure and the website. Maybe that was just bad timing on my behalf...

Mo_GT

10-18-2005, 05:35 AM

Mo YES we do have a 3.0R SpecB both now in MT and EAT. The MT has a sweeet STi Short Throw which is very tight and feels really good. This has now been on sale in all Australian states for upwards of 6 months or more.
Ada///M.

I know this, i thought the other person was asking if we had a Spec B GT - as in Japan (Turbo 4cyl), which we don't. The RB is not a "GT".

Thanks anyway :)

Mo_GT

10-18-2005, 05:38 AM

whats diff between the Australian Spec B and Liberty STi?

Just to clarify on what agctr has said,
The Aust "Spec B" is a "3.0R B Spec", its the 6cyl legacy. Not the Spec B as in Japan.

The "Liberty STI" is a 2.0 GT with a few STI parts thrown in. Not the same as the "Tuned by STi" LGT as in Japan.

Hope this helps.

redrobin

10-18-2005, 05:39 AM

Ozgt

My local dealer here in Sydney is an independent dealer, he spends quite a bit in advertising on and supporting the local Sydney Christian radio channel and therefore I try wherever possible to support him by using him as my first choice with Subaru vehicles, products, servicing, etc.

While I can't confirm that the sunroof will be a Hollandia (all my order shows is "Sunroof"), the dealers description of it seems to fit the Hollandia specs...... It has programable function buttons, auto closes when you turn of the car, etc. Sounds a lot like a Hollandia!

My price was $2,000 which is about $500 less than the last time I had a sunroof fitted to a new vehicle that I was purchasing, which was about seven or eight months ago. Just as an aside, my company has 11 vehicles on the fleet, so we do turn over quite a few vehicles for a smallish company.

I've been reading the threads on this car on this site, on the Australian WRX Club site and a couple of other Automotive sites kicking around, as well as the press articles I've seen and a couple of Subaru insiders that I know socially.

It certainly seems that there is quite a bit of conflicting information around, so no wonder everyone is confused to some degree or other.

As far as I can tell, the final specs of the car will be as per the brochure that is being handed out at the Motor Show, except that the final power output is now being spoken of as in the order of 206 Kw rather than the 200 Kw in the brochure.

It also seems that there will be an eight or nine month halt in GT production after this limited edition run while the factory changes over to the 2.5 Ltr single scroll as per the US spec cars. this motor will apparently be around 195 Kw in Australian trim with slightly higher torque than the existing 2.0 Ltr twin scroll.

If this is the case, then it seems that the Limited Edition is going to be the most powerful "Factory standard" Liberty that we will see in Australia (or elsewhere, it seems, but I could be wrong on that) for some time, which has to be good for the retained value of these vehicles as well as the desirability of obtaining one of the 300 as a factory fresh vehicle.

It may well be that SA is over hyping the sales to date, but I have no doubt that the car will sell and SA will have no trouble in clearing the whole 300 in quick time. Has anyone been into a Holden dealer to try and order one of the special run out gold Monaros lately? They were gone within a couple of weeks of being announced as they were desirable vehicles, and the same will happen to the Limited Edition GT as it is also a highly desirable "image" vehicle as well as being an exceptionaly good car.

Another point is that while there has been a bit of comment by agctr and you regarding SA over doing the sales to date, agctr has still stated that he wishes to order one, so I'm not really sure why I was jumped on so hard by agctr regarding my comments as relayed to me by my dealer.

I understand that he/she (??) has some links into Subaru for some inside info, but with the greatest respect, he isn't the only one who has these kind of back channels.

I hope this is not interpreted as trying to inflame agctr as this is not intended.

Darryl

Mo_GT

10-18-2005, 07:25 AM

It also seems that there will be an eight or nine month halt in GT production after this limited edition run while the factory changes over to the 2.5 Ltr single scroll as per the US spec cars. this motor will apparently be around 195 Kw in Australian trim with slightly higher torque than the existing 2.0 Ltr twin scroll.

I think that it is more likely that there will be a 8 or 9 month halt in import of the GT into australia, not a halt in production. I think the 2.0 will stil be sold in japan and few other countries that get the JDM cars - New Zealand? Singapore? Hong Kong?

If this is the case, then it seems that the Limited Edition is going to be the most powerful "Factory standard" Liberty that we will see in Australia (or elsewhere, it seems, but I could be wrong on that) for some time, which has to be good for the retained value of these vehicles as well as the desirability of obtaining one of the 300 as a factory fresh vehicle.

The JDM cars have always been 206KW so we are just joining that now.

As far as relase value, I think that it will hold for about another year or two but once the 2.5 GTs start entering the used car market, the 2.0 will lose value fast... and it will make no difference weather its a normal GT or the one with STi bits.

And I also think that the 2.5 will be cheaper than the current 2.0 GT - but that will depend on trim and currency value at the time of sale /release.

Bye,
Mo

ozgt

10-18-2005, 07:35 AM

Darryl, thanks again. Sounds like that dealer is looking after you, pity that SA pushed most of the independents to the wall here in Vic.... but I believe thats another story. I wouldnt mind betting that SA have made an allocation in NSW to the independent dealers on the basis that the Sydney Motor Show will generate immediate local demand. Probably designed to keep them quiet so they cant complain that they missed out on the action! :-) I also reckon they've kept the bulk of the 300 for themselves! Totally agree though that they wont have too much trouble moving them....
If they cooperate and agree to put a sunroof in one for me then they've got my money.... if I have to shop around aftermarket to find somebody to cut a hole in the roof of my new $60k car, (just to get it to the same spec as the $37k 2,5i) then I might just go to talk to Audi instead!

I'll let agctr defend himself, but I dont think he was jumping on you. He seemed to be more in disbelief of the sales figures being quoted by SA! Looks like he has been trying to order a STI GT for a couple of weeks and the guys down here just don't have their act together (despite the fact that they are owned by the importer!) More frustration than anything elese. I'd say a clear case of Inchcape being a bit tardy in disseminating information and putting the necessary processes in place. From my experience they are pretty good at this! (messing customers around that is). I've been trying to buy a car from them for nearly 3 years now. Last time I tried to buy an Outback I got so frustrated I ended up with a Volvo XC70! (cost me $20k extra but at least I got what I wanted and my wife was happy to boot!) She can't stand SA's attitude and is still asking me why in earth I am bothering trying to buy a car from them again....

Enjoy your STi GT! Have they given you a delivery date yet?

agctr

10-18-2005, 05:29 PM

Certainly wasnt jumping on you at all and my sincere apologies if that is how you took it. I was merely stating that the information has to be totally false, not having a go at the dealer either, just merely stating that after several phone calls, several site visits and even emailing the Mangaging Director Nick Senior, I am still getting blank faces and "we will get back to you ASAP" lines. This is the reason why I said the information you had been given just doesnt seem right and could be misleading to not only you but me too. I certainly DONT want to misout hence my continuing battle with information. I have even gone as far as trying to order colour, numbers and options.....

No harm, no foul.
Ada///M.

agctr

10-18-2005, 05:33 PM

Also, did u order MT or EAT?
Ada///M.

SWortham

10-18-2005, 05:42 PM

save up 14 of these:

http://www.bizarrefun.com/FAH600-MINI100LBL.jpg

Sweet! I'm printing those out. :p

Robdownunder

10-19-2005, 02:02 AM

I was at Subaru Glen Waverley this avo booking my GT in for service and one of the sales guys came down and had a look at my GT.

I asked him if any orders had been taken on the new STI GT and he said no.
They don't know much about them other than what they had seen yesterday in Sydney at the motor show.:rolleyes:

Rob.

ozgt

10-19-2005, 03:02 AM

Hi Rob, I spoke to them today too. As of this afternoon I think they have now worked out how to take an order for the STi GT! From what I am hearing there is no rush, not many of the 300 have been spoken for yet. I'm having another chat to them tomorrow.....

I'm curious to know what your experience has been like with Subaru Glen Waverley? Have you been happy with the service?

redrobin

10-19-2005, 07:51 AM

Hi Ada///M

Appology happily accepted with thanks.

We ordered a manual, aftermarket sunroof, alarm, reversing sensors, wintow tint, etc. Delivery is to be late December / Early January depending on if the apparent sales embargo till January 1 is real or not. I was told that the cars are being built in November and should be in Australia by December...... but who knows !!

If you aren't having much luck in Melbourne, you could always order your car from a Sydney dealer, I've ordered cars by fax and/or phone interstate before, it isn't as uncommon as you may think.

Just a suggestion, If you want I could ask my dealer if he will accept intestate orders and if he has been able to get any more cars allocated. When I spoke to him yesterday on a different matter, he said he had a third order now and was trying to get at least one or preferably two more cars allocated to him.

Have you made it to the Sydney Motor Show yet, I know you intended to go, but did you actuallly get there ?

Regards

Darryl

slugdriver

10-19-2005, 08:30 AM

Hi guys. I went to the Motor Show today and spent a while at the Subaru stand. I was horrified by the corporate snout on the new Imprezza range, sickened to the point of revulsion by the Tribeca, and unusually aroused by the STi GT.

Asked the same questions over to a few of the stand-hands, with largely the same response from each. No sat-nav for any GTs, no retrofit of sat-nav to anything, dealer allocation for GT STi's is not fixed as in X cars per dealer but a first come first served basis, and a few alluded to black STi GTs being nearly ordered out. A point regarding this last one - they were vague about the whole ordering process and weren't ready to take a deposit on the spot!!!!!!! Now, following this, logic dictates that if they are vague and unable to take a deposit, how in the world can there be so many black orders already filled out?

Someone is yanking very very hard on someone elses crank here! Not sure who to believe but something is fishy and we ain't talking John West. An official announcement would be great about now, since I haven't got a straight answer from anyone at Subaru so far.

agctr

10-19-2005, 06:08 PM

G'Day ALL......

Yes this process is extremely frustrating. Unsure if they are trying to build up the STi or just really annoy everyone. Unsure how they can release the STi and either no one at the show or anyone in Subaru or STi for that matter knows anything. It just seems that this has been a real rush job or a Austin Powers secret mission gone all wrong. Spending serveral weeks chasing any information and still dont know much and SoAU and STi are in the same boat.

I would say in the following days to a week, everything should be sorted and orders will start to pile in. As in the information on the OB, I agree, how and WHY would Subaru firstly only sell a handful of OB units and if no one is taking deposits at the MotorShow, how can dealerships... UNLESS they are holding deposits until further information comes to hand.
Lets see what the next few days are going to hold.
Ada///M.

PS Darryl, did u order MT or EAT? and I didnt make it to the show sad to say and cant believe that more pictures are not available of the STi here. Thanks for your suggestion also re yr dealer, hopefully should have things sorted by Fri/Mon at the latest.

ozgt

10-19-2005, 06:23 PM

We ordered a manual, aftermarket sunroof, alarm, reversing sensors, wintow tint, etc. Delivery is to be late December / Early January depending on if the apparent sales embargo till January 1 is real or not. I was told that the cars are being built in November and should be in Australia by December...... but who knows !!

If you aren't having much luck in Melbourne, you could always order your car from a Sydney dealer, I've ordered cars by fax and/or phone interstate before, it isn't as uncommon as you may think.

Regards

Darryl

Darryl, hi
Did your dealer give you any grief at all over the sunroof fitment? From what you've said they seem to be very cooperative. I'm getting the exact opposite from the Inchcape dealers here in Melbourne. Its along the lines of we "absolutely cannot fit a sunroof". Verrrryyyy frustrating.....

agctr

10-19-2005, 07:06 PM

And............................................... ........ how did u get the other options as well regarding alarm, reversing sensors, wintow tint, etc and where these optional extras and how much did u pay all up ??????

Also, no mention at the moment on Floor Mats. Curious if they will have STi ones to fit.....
Ada///M.

redrobin

10-19-2005, 08:11 PM

Hi Ada///M,

Firstly, my dealer is a Subaru and Mazda dealer, so he has to have access to after market accessories for the Mazdas as well as Subarus.

When I asked for a sunroof, they said no problems, we'll use our after market supplier which will be a Hollandia, which are better than the standard Subaru sun roofs anyway.

There aren't any STI floormats for the car as far as my dealer knows, so he has specified the normal Liberty ones. I had no problems asking for or getting the other stuff I wanted. My dealer is very co-operative and helpfull.

We ordered the 5 speed manual and with all the options it came to $63,338.00 less fleet discount of $3,000, so we paid $60,338.00 for the car plus the normal dealer delivery, Luxury Car Tax, Stamp Duty, Rego, etc................ all up it will be $67,033.00 at drive away.

In regard to your sunroof problem, try talking to Hollandia down there in Melbourne, they should be able to direct you to a reputable fitment centre, or they may have their own centre themselves. Most dealers use Hollandia sunroofs for aftermarket fitment and they are a very good product, far better than the OEM roofs fitted to most Japanese built cars. Typically they have three programable push puttons for setting favourite roof open positions, one touch open/close and they automatically close when you turn off the car !!! Our Japanese friends could learn a lot about sunroofs from Hollandia.

Sorry you didn't make it to the Motor Show... you do know it's still on this weekend don't you ?. It runs till 7.00 pm on Sunday.

I hope you have some luck with ordering your car soon.

If I can help with anything please let me know.

Regards

Darryl

redrobin

10-19-2005, 08:15 PM

Hi Ozgt,

Sorry, I just realised that the sunroof question was from you, not Ada///M, but my anwer is obviously the same as my reply to his post.

Regards

Darryl

agctr

10-19-2005, 08:24 PM

Thanks Darryl, your a good man.

Yes know the Motor Show is on till Sunday but with work etc I just cant get there now. I have seen one of the mules down here in Melbourne which looks pretty good but it was only the engine, suspension, rims and exhaust, none of the other STi kit. The rims looks WOW up close and personal but will be a real PITA to keep clean I think. Love the exhaust system, looks MAD.

Sounds like u got a pretty good deal which is great news. Disappointed there will be NO special edition mats, might look at getting them done myself if possible. I think Chester is more interested in the Sunroof than I am, not really fussed to be honest considering I had my MY01 since new and didnt have a sunroof but Im sure Chester will find yr information very informative.

Unsure about the Parking sensors, not sure I want them drilling holes in my rear bar, have even requested that NO number plate holder be drilled into the front bar aswell, as I will be running my own setup. Unsure of what the other options might be from Subaru / STi so will just have to wait. All I would really want is SatNav, Brembos and Xenons. To be honest the first and the last on my list there I can really get myself but again its a PITA not to have them as stock.

Thanks again for the info and Im sure that Chester and I will keep you posted on our progress.
All the best and chat to you soon.
Ada///M.

redrobin

10-19-2005, 10:56 PM

Hi Ada///M,

I wouldn't normally have reverse sensors fitted to a car as small as the Liberty but my company owns (as well as other things) a few child care centres (and my company isn't those *?"$%^#@ unethical mongrels from ABC childcare, in case you were wondering), and it wouldn't be the done thing for the CEO to back over a pre-school child behind his hoonmobile....., sorry, ahem.... car, would it ?

The guys at the motor show said that factory Sat Nav could be fitted to the cars although I didn't order it as I have other plans for the cubby space. We have a price deal with Navman anyway as all the fleet have sat nav's fitted.

I can relate to your xenon light desires as we have on fleet an Accord Euro with xenon low beams which are great, but funnily enough the high beam of the Accord is still H4's and are terrible, I mean the pits..... Had to fit driving lights to it under the front bumpers to make the high beam anywhere near reasonable as the staff member who has it does country miles.

The current Subaru lights however are really excellent as delivered, very unlike most Japanese cars which tend to not have very good lights. I fitted a set of Navara +50's replacement globes to both the high and low beams of both my and my wifes Libertys and with these globes the lights are really sensational now. You may not need Xenons...

After I had fitted them, I had one of the cars in for service and noticed that Subaru have a set of enhanced globes as an aftermarket spare part. When I looked at the packaging, the wording was identical to the Navara packaging but with Subaru logos on the cardboard. The Navara's were half the price of the Subaru branded globes so don't be caught.

As for Brembos, great brakes, we had them on our HSV and they were superb, but very pricey when you need new pads and/or disks etc.... I don't know if they will be an option or not.

Keep me posted if you find out any more information....... If they add anything to the car, will they keep the advertised price or will we see it change I wonder. Likewise, if they take anything out will they reduce the price ??

It's interesting that there is lots of comment about the package being good value at only $4,500 over normal list for a Liberty GT, but when you take the lack of a sunroof into consideration it's really about $6,500 to $7,000 over list depending on the retail price of the Liberty sunroof.

Anyway, back to work

Regards,

Darryl

ozgt

10-20-2005, 12:20 AM

Well, I've taken the plunge and put a deposit down on an Urban Grey 5MT LGT "Tuned by STi" sedan! I hope I won't regret it ......
The Subaru website now states that black is sold out, and I can verify this.... (damn, it was my first choice!) Apparently only 21 of the 300 cars were black. Sounds like bad management to me. Anyhow, grey will be easier to keep looking clean...

Delivery late December or early January. I'll keep you posted!

Robdownunder

10-20-2005, 01:57 AM

ozgt

10-20-2005, 02:19 AM

Rob, I hear what you're saying! I guess it depends on your personal situation. I just dont have the time to build my own, as much as I'd love to do it. I also run it as a company vehicle, need it on the road all the time, will depreciate the full sticker price and dont want/need the insurance hassles associated with aftermarket mods. The $67k quoted by Darryl does include some accessories and on-road costs. By my calcs the "tuned by STi" is $6500 more than the standard 5MT LGT (plus some additional luxury car tax and stamp duty). Although they do rip out the sunroof, as has already been highlighted, and this is worth another $2400 or so... I agree its getting up there, but not bad value if you're looking at new vehicles. Drop around to the Audi dealer and you'll pay $83k++ for an A4 3.2FSI quattro or $131k++ for the S4, both auto only! (for you guys in the USA, we dont want to hear the prices you pay, it only make us weep....!)

agctr

10-20-2005, 05:15 AM

Thanks for all that Darryl,

I honestly think u really have a handle on all this and are well versed in Car Selection. Totally understand the want for PDC (Parking Distance Control as BMW knows it, I also MOD at M3Forum.com). Especially with the type of work you do. Maybe if they had that invented on my Dad's car 25 years ago, he wouldnt have run over my bike and I wouldnt have been yelled at.... um those are the breaks I suppose. He has an Audi TT allroad now with PDC so its all good. The allroad is a serious weapon.... trust me. Even in the STi, I think he will still hand me my backside.

Re the brake package, bit disappointed its just stock, but think I will upgrade my brake lines, fluid and pads, its a good cheap way of using the stock stepup to get the maximum benefit.

Re the lights, I have those exact ones on my MY01 and even though these are a MASSIVE improvement over the stockers, they dont beat the Xenons IMHO. We should put a group buy together, I would say if we got atleast 5 ppl, we could get a pretty big reduction.
Ive spoken with Frank @ XenonOz, great guy and Im sure he would be happy to help out a group buy.

Re the Roof, as I said earlier, it would be nice to have but not having one for now 4 - 5 Years, Im not missing out on too much but understand why ppl want them too. I usually run my back windows down a few inches to circulate the air, the roof would be a much better option of just popping up the rear.

Re the Price, I dont believe the price SHOULD change especailly if u have slapped a deposit down. I would say that locks the price in regardless. If you want further options or if there is a deletion, I would say the price will change but with NO further information out there, its hard to guage.

BUT if I hear ANYTHING more..... you and Chester will be the first to know.
And vice versa I would hope too.
All the best.
Chat soon.
Ada///M. (Atleast u know now why I sign my name the way I do).

agctr

10-20-2005, 05:22 AM

Rob, I certainly hear what you are saying but seriously, take the sticker price of yr NEW GT, THEN add all the prices on that you have been quoted. Ring the insurance company, tell them what you have and just watch the dollars tick over while they type it all into the computer. Then try and get yr GT.....serviced at Subaru or get any warranty work done.... this is where the problems start.

Rob, dont get me wrong, what you are saying is TOTALLY correct. My situation is pretty much the same as Chester's, need the STi on the road as a daily driver with ZERO hassles. If I had the time, patience and the modding experience, I would be getting a new GT and do all the mods myself, it seems like commonsense that is for sure.

Now Rob, speaking of Group Buys, how about a group buy on Tint ???????? or do you have a special offer going with the WRX Club that you can tell us about. Any information on Clear Bra, I know of only one company in Melbourne which look pretty good but thought u might have some other suggestions.

TIA as always.
Ada///M.

redrobin

10-20-2005, 07:21 AM

Ada///M

Absolutley interested in a group buy on Xenon's......

Depending on price I may buy up to 3 sets, One set for my GT, One for my wife's Spec B and one set to keep for the new STI GT when it turns up.

Darryl

redrobin

10-20-2005, 07:25 AM

Ozgt

Well, I've taken the plunge and put a deposit down on an Urban Grey 5MT LGT "Tuned by STi" sedan! I hope I won't regret it ......

Snap !!

Same colour and transmission as mine, same expected delivery time as well. What did you do about the sunroof... ??

I don't think you will regret it.

Darryl

agctr

10-20-2005, 05:22 PM

Sounds great Darryl, thats 3, I make No. 4 and hopefully we can get Chester and a few others in Oz to come around as well.

I will put up a thread in the main forum for a group buy and talk to the owner and see what deal we can get on a group buy. Leave it to me.
Ada///M.

ozgt

10-20-2005, 06:22 PM

Ozgt

Snap !!

Same colour and transmission as mine, same expected delivery time as well. What did you do about the sunroof... ??

I don't think you will regret it.

Darryl

Darryl, yeah, we'll have to share photos of our new "Urban Grey" babies when they are delivered!

The dealer refused to do the sunroof (Inchcape/Subaru Aust policy apparently).
I'm talking to Prestige Sunroofs (Webasto/Hollandia) who seem to be reputable. Quote is $2395. I'm still undecided. I'm going to visit their workshop, inspect some of their work and interrogate them on the structural aspects...! I'm still a bit nervous about cutting a hole in the roof

BrownBoy

10-20-2005, 06:26 PM

Wow. Are all the Aussies on the board getting the Liberty Tuned by STi? Lucky bastards:mad:. :D Enjoy your pimp rides.:)

ozgt

10-20-2005, 06:27 PM

Adam & Darryl, I'd certainly be interested in seeing a quote on the Xenons. If too expensive though I might just opt for upgraded globes

Sounds great Darryl, thats 3, I make No. 4 and hopefully we can get Chester and a few others in Oz to come around as well.

I will put up a thread in the main forum for a group buy and talk to the owner and see what deal we can get on a group buy. Leave it to me.
Ada///M.

agctr

10-20-2005, 07:02 PM

WOW that is damn expensive for some extra rays Chester but if u want, go for it.

Thanks for yr kind words NALegacy.... Im sure we will share soooooooon enough.

Chester, fantastic, so that makes 5. The units ATM are pretty price competitive so buying 5 or more should get us all a resonable discount. Leave it with me.
Ada///M.

Mo_GT

10-20-2005, 10:14 PM

We ordered the 5 speed manual and with all the options it came to $63,338.00 less fleet discount of $3,000, so we paid $60,338.00 for the car plus the normal dealer delivery, Luxury Car Tax, Stamp Duty, Rego, etc................ all up it will be $67,033.00 at drive away.

Darryl

wow! what was the LCT amount?

Mo_GT

10-20-2005, 11:04 PM

I wouldn't personally consider a $67K Liberty even with a STI badge.
I'd go a really top 12 month old used GT and do all the mods seperately using geuine JDM STI parts and have tons of change to boot.
AVO (Ross) in Japan has just sent me a costing on the STI twin pipe per side mufflers for example...$1200 US. Build your own.
Rob.

I'm with you Rob, a close to 10K premium over the std GT for such minor mods seems hardly worth it. The way i see it (yes i know it doesn't work this way), youre not getting anything "extra" with this car...but getting charged for it and take into account taxes...not a great buy...esp when after 2 or 3 years, it will probably be valued at the same price as the std GT (as with past LTD ED cars).

I understand the warranty side of the argument... but seriously, these are such minor mods...i really don't see anything going wong with them. There are plenty of more moded WRX's around that are still serviced by Subaru dealers without hasle... and SA honours warranty too - unless a modification caused the problem.

I'd just wait for the 2.5... hope its a JDM motor too!

Bye,
Mo

agctr

10-21-2005, 01:44 AM

Chester ????????

Are you now wavering on yr order ? Has me concerned !
Ada///M.

Robdownunder

10-21-2005, 05:20 AM

Mo/Ada.

At last night WRX Club AGM, we had guest speaker Greg Foletta, STI head OZ development guy who answers to the MD and GM of Subaru OZ.

He presented a slide show and DVD of the development phases of the new OZ Liberty GT that has been under secret wraps for about a year now. Wow great!

They showed the car up in the wilds of the Northern Territory where it went under "Cannonball" type conditions (open slather, no speed limts, sparse population).
4 cars were driven up, 2 manuals, 2 autos all sedans.
The 2 modded STI's were one of each for comparison research.
2 Japanese technicians who do race preparations back in Japan, 2 or 3 STI OZ tech people etc.

Tyres, ecu's, suspensions, driver niceness, optional choices for wheels (black or silver) etc.. were all issues tested include Eastern Creek raceway. Showed the GT flat out down the track and many launch controls from standing starts. Should have seen that baby squat in the arse when the slipper was sunk in?:rolleyes:

I asked him if they could get more out of it than the new power and he just smiled.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Say no more!

This car will fill the void for those GT owners who feel dudded by the goodies available on the 3 Ltr B Spec that till now we missed out on.:p

He did mention something about all the black sedans spoken for already and it hasn't even been really available for sale yet.:confused:

This is their second incursion into developing our own grown STI vehicles for Australia.
Their first project was the quite successful WRX "WRP 10."

There may be a WRX CLub tour organised real soon to see the guys working on the conversion of the GT's over at an Altona warehouse.;) :D There's about 10 of these mechanics!

Hope that info helps?
Regards,
Rob.

agctr

10-21-2005, 07:50 AM

ROB............................................... .................................................. ........................................

U The man. Seriously this is fantastic news. Thanks so much this is just great.
For mine, certainly cements my decision that is for sure.....
Would LOVE to sign up for the tour to Altona if there is space available, sounds very very nice.
Thanks again for the info, greatly appreciated.

Also did you see my question re tint above ?
Thanks again.
Ada///M. = Adam.

redrobin

10-21-2005, 09:34 AM

agctr

10-21-2005, 09:43 AM

Chester, Im sure they have installers in Melbourne, just have to track them down unless STi has a direct contact.

I dont think he is concerned with the hole in the roof Darryl, more the hole in the back pocket, certainly not cheap considering one gets thrown into the deal on the normal GT.
Ada///M.

PS Spoke to the Owner re the Xenons, looks like a go, going to set up a thread here tmrw to see if there is any other interest. But looks very promising so far. Spend almost 40 mins on the phone with him this afternoon.

ozgt

10-22-2005, 08:07 PM

Chester ????????

Are you now wavering on yr order ? Has me concerned !
Ada///M.

Not me! I think you are referring to Mo-GT's comments. My order is secured with a deposit. Would only consider cancelling if the car is a real disappointment on delivery (unlikely) or if SoAust really mess me around... (probably more likely from past experiences!)

ozgt

10-22-2005, 08:13 PM

ROB............................................... .................................................. ........................................

Would LOVE to sign up for the tour to Altona if there is space available, sounds very very nice.

Also did you see my question re tint above ?
Thanks again.
Ada///M. = Adam.

Rob, +1 on the tour and the tint!
Pls let us know

ozgt

10-22-2005, 08:38 PM

Ozgt

I think maybe you are a little overly concerned about the hole if the roof etc.

I have had and still have cars that had aftermarket sunroofs fitted by Hollandia and have never had a concern about the quality or structural integrity of the vehicle it was fitted to.

My daughters car was even involved in a roll over and the sun roof was the only glass on the whole car that wasn't broken or cracked ! The car was eventualy written off by our insurers (only six months old, too..) but the sunroof and surrounds maintained their integrity throughout the roll over. If they hadn't my daughter may not be around now, it was a seriously full on expressway speed accident.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that aftermerket sunroofs are quite good provided you choose a reputable company and Webasto / Hollandia have been around for years and have a solid reputation for quality. They would take great pains to preserve their reputation.

Regards

Darryl

Thanks Darryl, that makes me feel a lot more confident. I am concerned about the possible effects on side impact protection and rollover. I'm talking to the Webasto/Hollandia importer here in Melbourne. Hope to inspect some of their work next week. They do fit a TUV approved roof-stiffener-replacement system as part of the standard install. It's just a shame, although I'm already convinced that the Webasto product is superior to the Subaru OEM sunroof, I'm sure they won't be able to match the "rolled in" finish of the factory job.

More than anything I'm peeved because I shouldn't have to go to all this trouble with a new car! The $2400 certainly hurts, when I'm already paying a premium for the car. But the total lack of any explanation and the "we don't really care what you want" attitude from Subaru Australia just rubs salt into the wound. A great product spoilt by sub-standard local customer service IMHO. Now if there was an independent dealer in Melbourne with an allocation of the STi GTs I would have been down there in a flash....

redrobin

10-24-2005, 07:39 AM

Ozgt

I actually think you are going to be very plesantly surprised when you pick up your car. The quality of the Webasto/Hollandia product and the install quality (if you use their installers) will be as good as, if not better than, anything that an OEM fitment could achieve.

I really don't think that side impact will be compromised at all and roll over is taken care of by the extra strengthening that is installed at fitment time as standard.

If there was a problem, you would have heard about it by now !!

Darryl

agctr

11-04-2005, 03:52 PM

Any updates guys ?
Ada///M.

ozgt

11-06-2005, 04:38 PM

Adam, no movement here. My order is in, they've taken my deposit, and absolutely no feedback on delivery (or anything else for that matter!). Not that I really expected any.

I did get a response from the Subaru website regarding the "missing" sunroof, but it was very political and uninformative. (basically, .... the information located next to the vehicle at the motorshow stated that the displayed sunroof was not included, and the sunroof was therefore not deleted, as it was never part of the specification for the "tuned by STi" model in the first place) But no clue as to why it was not included in the specification...!

How about you? Have you decided to take the plunge?

agctr

11-09-2005, 01:26 AM

G'Day Boys.

Well the deal is done, done very well I have to admit.
UG
5MT
Tint
Paint Protection etc

I heard from the STi delivery manager yesterday regarding delivery, should be MID Jan but keeping fingers crossed to see what actually happens. Will keep you all in the loop as information comes to hand.
Ada///M (might have to look at changing this to AdamSTi lol, just doesnt look the same though).

redrobin

11-09-2005, 06:51 AM

Hmmm!!

Where have I seen that specification before ...... Liberty (tuned by) STi, Urban Grey, Manual, Tint, Paint Protection, etc ................................

Oh, I remember now, that would be me, and Ozgt.

Again... Snap!

We should start the waiting and wondering club. I was told late December as the cars are being built in November but that could well be wrong.

Guys, ... If the three of us ever meet, how are we going to tell which is our car. This could be a problem.

I bought myself a set of those tripple guage sets (from JapanParts.com) that there have been heaps of other threads about. Had a few problems with customs duty and stuff but very impressed with the quality when they turned up. Fitting instructions are in Japanese which isn't a great help, but a US member sent me a set of US instructions in English which have identical line drawings to my set, so I feel confident that the instructions are the same. Can't wait to fit them when my car turns up.

Darryl

redrobin

11-09-2005, 06:52 AM

Sorry

That would be Darryl/Sti

Robdownunder

11-09-2005, 02:35 PM

dmcgowan

11-09-2005, 04:37 PM

Hey Rob,

Wonder who that might be! Buggered if I can handle the waiting for the new car - I want it this weekend!!!!

I think I will get the alarm installed though - can't work out why it is standard on the WRX but not the GT?

Only 10 weeks to go (I hope!)

Darren

dmcgowan

11-09-2005, 04:40 PM

Oh and on delivery dates I was told all the work is currently being done on the cars but they won't be released before 2006 so that they are all first registered in 2006.

According to Vin, the STi mechanics are doing the work at the vehicle yard in Altona as we speak. Final engine tune is signed off and now they're on to the really important stuff like should they number each vehicle as well!!!!!!!

agctr

11-09-2005, 04:48 PM

One of my customers here in Melbourne has ordered the STI GT and Subaru wanted to charge him $695 for tinting. I do a better product for $352 so just watch out you're not paying way over the odds just because it looks all nice and shiny in the showroom.
Can supply interstate contact names for this service as well if needed.
Rob.
Car Tint P/L
Melbourne.
0417 755537:)

G'Day Rob,

I told STi that I would be using yr services and good thing is, they know U very well. Were u at STi on Saturday morning ?

The way they tried to sell me was with the Anti Cancer Council "Approved Tint" and that it WONT interfer with the radio reception..... does that sound right to you Rob ?
And how do you get around this problem yrself with the radio reception ?
Im sure u have answered this before but if you could help me out that would be great.

agctr

11-09-2005, 04:50 PM

What specs did U go for Darren?

And was Vin pretty approachable to talk to ?
Ada///M.

dmcgowan

11-09-2005, 04:59 PM

Adam,

I went Urban Grey/Manual/Sedan - black was sold and the silver just looks to ummmm staid or something. Now I just need to find a black model owner who wants to swap his wheels for mine because I think the charcoal will look great on the grey...

Vin is fantastic - I usually (to quote him) "bust his balls" every time my car is serviced but he's just up front, no crap, tells it like it is etc. Plus 10 minutes in the car with him and you realise the gulf between enthusiastic amateur (me) and truly talented pilot (him!). They usually mess up something small each service (forgot to plug in the vacuum for cruise last time) but overall the attitude from Vin and Jeremy down there is great.

I've been told by a few people that some of the cars are here already but the Jan 2006 date is pretty fixed to try and help manage resale in later years. To be frank, I'd drop the B4 off this arvo and pick up an STi - bugger the resale "I just want one!" (to paraphrase a well known other brand)

Kind of feels wrong to be in the WRX Club and not get Rob to do the window tint to be honest......

Darren

agctr

11-09-2005, 08:06 PM

Yeah here what you are saying about the resale and to be totally honest with you, it does make a lot of good sense. Personally I dont want to purchase an STi that is a MY05 model that I bought in 06 as on the books, its aged a year already but it has even rolled.

Thanks for the info on Vin and Jeremy, Im sure they will be kept busy with all the Melbourne based STi purchases.

Totally agree Re Rob, I mentioned him on Saturday when I was there and he is certainly well known by everyone. Ive asked Rob a question re the interference of the tint on FM radio, so just waiting for an answer on that.

Spent a bit of time with Sharon on Saturday afternoon re paint protection etc, with the 2K paint protection, they guarantee stone chips and protect the whole inside as well, its expensive but totally worth it in my books as I was looking at getting a clearbra for like 1K total, so this will have better overall protection.
Ada///M.

fzanetti

11-09-2005, 08:25 PM

You Australians are lucky!!!!! At least a lot luckier than us here in the United States....

Way to go Ada///M....

Good luck on your future purchase m8.

Cheers

Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA

dmcgowan

11-09-2005, 09:07 PM

Adam,

Yeah - I'm not sure I can stump up the whole $2k for protection! It is expensive and I'll figure the chips are expected by the time I sell it...

You are right re the resale / MY thing but they seem to be sticking to that line pretty solid across the board. I'll make sure Stephen knows he can have my B4 anytime he wants it as of today!!!!!

I'll defer to Rob but the answer to the tint is to actually put two strips on the back window with a very thin gap where the element is. He can explain better than me but basically he does the goods - Rob is a well known figure in the WRX club and also does a lot of "specials" work (e.g. Holden Torana SSX show car) so he's respected both by customers and "the industry" as well.

I think the Urban Grey is going to look sh*t hot with the 35% tint all round. January just seems sooooo far away!

Darren

agctr

11-09-2005, 09:38 PM

Thanks Flavio, appreciate the very kind words.
Well if I lived in the US Flavio, I can tell you now, that I would be getting an ///M3 for sure, so I see the USofA as a pretty lucky place aswell. To give you an indication an M3 here in Australia goes for USD125,000..... that is serious dollars.

But SO looking forward to getting the STi, it should be great.

Have to agree Darren, the tint will set off the colour just nice. The protection for me is a given considering this will be the darkest colour I have ever owned AND I just dont want the hassle of swirls and or chips if I can possibly get around it.

And Im more than sure that Stephen will be more than happy to take the B4 off your hands when the time comes.

What sort of deal did u get ? PM me if u want.
TIA
Ada///M.

dmcgowan

11-09-2005, 09:46 PM

I don't think i got a deal - they sold it for list...

Don't tell me you got it for $3k under list!

fzanetti

11-09-2005, 10:37 PM

Geeeeeeeeeeeez m8....

This is 91 525 U.S. dollars!!!!!!

An M3 here costs (fully loaded) ~60K USD!!!!! + than 2 LGT's value!! heheheheheh

:-(

Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA

agctr

11-09-2005, 10:44 PM

LOL not at all Darren, I wish, then again I suppose both of us wish.

Yeah its MASSIVE dollars Flavio, yes and u could buy 2 fully loaded GT's for the cost of an M.
If I could buy a fully loaded M here in Australia for AUD100K brand new even USD100K, the GT STi wouldnt even be a question in my head.

Just thinking about it, if I could buy an M3 for AUD100K I could surely buy a CSL for AUD120K, now that would be a bargin considering they were another USD60K above that.
Ada///M.

Robdownunder

11-10-2005, 01:01 AM

Hi guys,
You are best to look at the vendor section of the WRX Club under Car Tint and you'll have all the answers you need there.

Any film that can knock out 99% of the UV has to be OK by the cancer council and mine surely does.

Later,
Rob.

agctr

11-10-2005, 01:33 AM

Thanks for the quick response Rob, Im sure u have answered that question a million times over.

Also were U @ STi on Saturday?
Ada///M.

dmcgowan

11-10-2005, 01:57 AM

Adam,

Are there any other Melburnians on here who've ordered one? We could do a group tint at Rob's (although I suspect that'd just see us all in Ringwood for a full day)...

Got to check out the gear knob now - it didn't register when I looked at the car in Sydney. If it looks like this then i can live with it:

http://www.subaru-sti.co.jp/LEGACY/catalog/interior/02/index.html

Night all,

Darren

Mo_GT

11-10-2005, 02:56 AM

One of my customers here in Melbourne has ordered the STI GT and Subaru wanted to charge him $695 for tinting. I do a better product for $352 so just watch out you're not paying way over the odds just because it looks all nice and shiny in the showroom.
Can supply interstate contact names for this service as well if needed.
Rob.
Car Tint P/L
Melbourne.
0417 755537:)

I had my tint done aftermarket too - the dealers make a lot of money on things like tint, paint/fabric/rust protection (big waste of $$), alarms etc. You'd be far better off getting it done after delivery thru a specialist.

Plus you get things done "your way" :D

Robdownunder

11-10-2005, 03:32 AM

Spot on Mo!

No I wasn't there at STI.....I had to attend a wedding in far East Gippsland.

If you want to see what country you would never expect to see a GT in, have a look at the "Off Forum topics" section subheading One serious road.

PS. A stone that chips a leading edge of a bonnet doing 100kph ain't going to be protected by paint sealant. Waste of money!

Rob.

Aus_STi_GT

11-10-2005, 09:39 PM

Hi all,

I have recently placed a deposit on an STI Liberty myself. Was more than a little annoyed about the sunroof omission after:

i) every marketing pic available of the car shows a sunroof
ii) My dealer originally told me it came with one
iii) The std GT comes with one!! Subaru, what are u thinking!?!?!

Oh well, I'm almost over that now. :) Just had a couple of quick questions.

Doe anyone have addtional pics of the interior from the Sydney Motor show, I've seen the one on the Japanese site but was hoping for some more details.

Also does anyone know where detailed specs on the stereo can be found, I would be interested to see just what makes it tick.

And Rob, I'm located in Perth, do you have people availabe to do tinting on this side of the country?

Cheers,
Rick

dmcgowan

11-10-2005, 10:19 PM

Heya Rick,

I'm guessing that the STi Legacy in Japan doesn't have the sunroof? Given that's the interior, dash, etc that we will all be getting...

If you have a look at the libertyturbo yahoo group or mrtrally, there are some pics of the interior of the car. I will try to dig out the link but someone took a bunch of pics from the motor show...

Exterior pics:
http://www.semioticstudios.com/SMS05/

Mostly Exterior but a couple inside:
http://www.libertygt.fotopic.net/c728236.html

Press shots:
http://www.streetdream.de/cars/subaru/liberty.html

Hope this helps? I thought the stereo is the same McIntosh that's in the standard GT? I didn't think it was enhanced in anyway - certainly doesn't have RCA's for my iPod!!!!! Maybe Google is your friend on this one?

Welcome to the 300 ...

Jon [in CT]

11-10-2005, 10:38 PM

Doe anyone have addtional pics of the interior from the Sydney Motor show, I've seen the one on the Japanese site but was hoping for some more details.Do you mean pics of the motor show car with the moonroof?

agctr

11-11-2005, 12:07 AM

This is just a pure PITA.

No interior shots at all and curious which Subaru the pictures of the SatNav were taken in...... arrhhhhgghh.
Ada///M.

PS Still not happy about the knob Darren I have to say.
PSS If they say to me that they will guarantee against stonechips for the first two years, well Im going to take that..... all the way to the bank if I have to.

PSSS Dont be too concerned about the Roof, for mine, I wont be missing out on much and just think of the weight savings......

PSSSS Group Tint Day sounds like a good plan Darren, Im sure Chester would be in on this too.

Robdownunder

11-11-2005, 12:26 AM

Hi Rick,
I can give you the free call number in Sydney of the national importer.
They have someone over there in WA for sure.
Call 1800 225069 on Monday business hours.
Tell 'em I referred you and the film product you need is Charcool 35%.
Cheers,
Rob
Car Tint Melbourne.

agctr

11-11-2005, 12:29 AM

Well done Rob.....

Hope that helps Rick.
Ada///M.

fzanetti

11-11-2005, 08:08 AM

Great pics guys!!!!!

Cheers,

Flavio Zanetti
Boston, MA

agctr

11-11-2005, 03:22 PM

The worse thing about the pics Flavio is, well all want it to arrive sooner than later lol.
Ada///M.

Mo_GT

11-11-2005, 05:30 PM

And Rob, I'm located in Perth, do you have people availabe to do tinting on this side of the country?

Cheers,
Rick

Hey Rick,
If Rob doesn't know anyone personally in Perth, I can vouch for Current Trendz they did my car. They are in 23 Augusta St. Willeton.

Bye,
Mo

Mo_GT

11-11-2005, 05:39 PM

.
PSS If they say to me that they will guarantee against stonechips for the first two years, well Im going to take that..... all the way to the bank if I have to.

Do they state that guarantee in writing? And I would ask them what they would do if you do get a stone chip, will the repaint the chipped area and blend the rest to match? Or just fill it and cut - further damaging the paint.

I just don't like the way they prep the cars for paint protection.

If dealer applied paint protection was that good, then pple like Meguires, Zymol, Swissol, Autoglym, Zaino Bros, etc would be out of business...

Just my 2c, I really thing your wasting your money agctr, you'd be better off taking the car to a professional detailer and having it properly "paint protected" or DIY.

Mo_GT

11-11-2005, 05:42 PM

Oh, and rick, I'm currently in the process of insatlling a stereo into my car, your more than welcome to come have a look at the std McIntosh that I will be pulling out. The std system is one of the better factory fitted systems out there but thats all it is.

dmcgowan

11-11-2005, 06:10 PM

Mo,

When you pull it out, I'd be keen to know if there are connections at the back for an iPod? Either 3.5mm or 2xRCAs?

The Standard McIntosh car stereos have an aux port according to their website...

Mo_GT

11-11-2005, 07:01 PM

I don't think that there will be any RCA outs, don't know abt the aux out tho...will take a pic of the back when i do take the hu out. I've put up a thread in the audio /interior section of this forum, i'll udpdate that thread as i go along - keep an eye on that.

Plus, keep in mind that the McIntosh in the Subes are Clarions with a McIntosh face.

Aus_STi_GT

11-11-2005, 07:09 PM

Thanks for the links to pics dmcgowan. And yes, I was just after the specs for the same head and amp as the GT had, just out of curiosity. I'd like to get an idea of how long it's going to last in my car. :) Thanks for the tint info Rob & Mo. I'm also planning to look into some 3rd party paint & interior protection stuff too, I'm yet to hear anything that would justify the prices the dealers charge. Oh, and did everbody get stiffed with list price or was I just lucky? I thought hearing no sunroof hurt, but paying RRP for a new car?? sob! :) Thanks for the help all, Cheers, Rick

dmcgowan

11-11-2005, 07:14 PM

Hey Rick,

No sweat re the pics. I rang about 5 dealers and all said no move on RRP - I can see why they would try to hold RRP I guess...

I'm also sceptical about the paint, etc protection. My B4 still looks fine after 4 years and $2000 buys a shed load of detailing...

Darren

agctr

11-11-2005, 09:28 PM

Hmmm I see yr concern boys but at the end of the day I suppose it is personal choice. I will find out who does the paint protection because I know it is not Subaru themselves. Also will find out what the guarantee covers and what they will do in the event of a stonechip.
Leave it to me.
Ada///M.

Robdownunder

11-11-2005, 09:34 PM

Think of it this way...a jagged stone hitting at any speed has to impact paint. No getting away from it. BS!
And as for the fabric stuff....just do it new in a couple of cans of Scotchgard.
Rob.

agctr

11-11-2005, 09:40 PM

Rob, from what I know and from what I have seen, this protector is very GLASS like and gives the paint a lot harder exterior. It takes two coates of the stuff (unsure what it is). I admit, I have to do a lot more research on this prior to me giving it the tick of approval BUT.... if it can do HALF of what they say, it could be a sound investment.

As soon as I can get more information off Sharon @ Docklands, I will let you all know, unless one of u guys want to ring and ask for me. Currently interstate on business but should be back in town early next week.
Ada///M.

PGT

11-11-2005, 09:57 PM

In the US, the fabric protector is a ripoff. We used Scotsman brand protectant at U$20/can. The dealers use the SAME stuff and charge $3-500. One even insisted I do it on a Jeep Wrangler with cognac leather seats.....ummm.....there isn't much of anything to treat, except some carpet that pulls out in 2 minutes to help drain the water and mud you get from driving trails. :lol:

agctr

11-11-2005, 11:19 PM

I have to admit, STi are not pushing this at all, they are more like its here if u want it pretty much. Ive seen the results from the PP to NPP with the same Urban Grey as Im getting on the STi and it looks very glassy and nice, but will have to do some serious research prior to me giving it the tick.
Ada///M.

redrobin

11-12-2005, 01:41 AM

Adam

The satnav shots at the Motorshow were taken in a Liberty 3.0 Spec B that was next to the Sti Liberty. The satnav is very similar to the one in our Landcrusier and I was sitting in the drivers seat playing with the satnav and demonstrating it to some guy in the passanger seat that was spouting off about how satnav was a real wank (he didn't have one and had never used one). After I had finished my quick demo I had not only sold him on satnav, my wife had also sold him on a Spec-B. We should get our commission cheque in the mail any day now.....(NOT).

redrobin

11-12-2005, 02:02 AM

Guys

When I ordered my STi Liberty I was quoted list price too. I buy from Subaru at national fleet because my company has enough vehicles to qualify. My dealer in Sydney was able to get me fleet discount eventually, but I think only to keep me (personaly) happy and not risk ending my company business with him. I got the impression that not everyone who qualified for fleet was going to get fleet (discount) on the STi. He makes more than enough profit from me each year, so reading between the lines, he might well have covered the fleet discount himself.

I have a friend here in Sydney who also ordered an STi Liberty from a different dealer and he couldn't get a price break even with no trade, every option in the book ticked and then some (sunroof, aftermarket brembos, aftermarket killer sound system...all dealer fitted / organised) and a big deposit.... in short, every dealers dream idiot..sorry, ahem, ...... customer.

Darryl

agctr

11-12-2005, 02:08 AM

LOL thats too funny.......

Yeah I should get the same commission deal then. I felt a bit bad afterwards but I shrugged my sholder and thought... hmm whatever.

I was in at Subaru last Saturday and a guy was looking over the last of the GT's. The sales then walked over towards where I was, sitting in the 3.0R SpecB. He was talking about the 3.0R SpecB and what it had to offer. I said, for value for money, this is the ride I would be buying and went into why I thought it was great. The guy then responded, "well mate, if its that good why are u not buying it", I responded I just ordered the LibertySTi and I preceeded to walk off leaving the salesperson to go thru the motions of what I was talking about.......

As I said I felt bad, but its nice to buy something that not everyone can have, so u have to lair up sometime I suppose.
Ada///M.

PS, spoke to STi today and also requested that the front Bar not be drilled for a licence plate at all and to leave that to me. Steve @ STi couldnt confirm if the front bar is drilled prior to the Liberty leaving the STi factory in Japan or here in Melbourne but he would let me know hopefully Monday. This is one that I will have to follow up again because I wont be happy if it is done here in Melbourne.

And yes u read right, our Liberties came directly out of STi Japan, not Subaru like the current GT's. Nice to know and more posing rights...........!

fan42025

11-12-2005, 03:27 AM

Is it just me? I just don't see the new car is worth it. Don't get me wrong - it's definitely a great car, no doubt better than my MY04GT. It's just that I expected more bling bling for the extra money. Can't wait for the new M3, whoops, sorry, I shouldn't have said that.

agctr

11-12-2005, 04:21 AM

Well to be honest for the $$$$ it is bling. 0 - 100 in 5.4 aint bad in anyones book for a 2.0L STi.
I would love the new E90 M3 SMGIII Ti or SG on Imola but then again what would I know......
Ada///M.

mycl

11-12-2005, 10:34 AM

Adam where'd you get the 0-100 5.4s figure from?

Would be interested to know... indeed....! :)

dmcgowan

11-12-2005, 02:42 PM

They are in the middle of doing the performance stats (or were earlier this week) and the 5.4s 0-100 time was the "nod, nod, wink, wink" estimate...

Darren

agctr

11-12-2005, 04:31 PM

I would say that with a few extra little mods, you could certainly get that figure down to 5.2 maybe even to 5 flat. Its not impossible

Information: MY06 MT WRX STi Vs MY06 LibertySTi EAT, neither could pull from eachother. Hence I would say the MT will certainly have a big more grunt than the EAT hence the time prediction.
Ada///M.

PS Darren I was going to say GISH u are up early for a Sunday, then I looked a mycl's time and though hmmm either up early on ONE HUGE NIGHT..... lol.

The B4

11-12-2005, 04:41 PM

They are in the middle of doing the performance stats (or were earlier this week) and the 5.4s 0-100 time was the "nod, nod, wink, wink" estimate...

Darren

I call BS... the new z06 corvette won't do 0-100 in less than 7 seconds.

Mo_GT

11-12-2005, 04:58 PM

PS, spoke to STi today and also requested that the front Bar not be drilled for a licence plate at all and to leave that to me. Steve @ STi couldnt confirm if the front bar is drilled prior to the Liberty leaving the STi factory in Japan or here in Melbourne but he would let me know hopefully Monday. This is one that I will have to follow up again because I wont be happy if it is done here in Melbourne.

And yes u read right, our Liberties came directly out of STi Japan, not Subaru like the current GT's. Nice to know and more posing rights...........!

The numberplate holes (there are 4 holes - 2 big oval ones and 2 holes for the nuts with a countersunk bit for the clip to sit flush) are not drilled, they come cast into the bumper with a metal clip to hold the number plate nut.

Subaru /Subaru Technica International - no difference when it gcomes to the GT as STI themselves don't build the car...

agctr

11-12-2005, 05:01 PM

I call BS... the new z06 corvette won't do 0-100 in less than 7 seconds.

NO BS at all mate, but we are talking kilometres per hr, not miles

0 - 60MPH = 5.2 (0 - 60MPH only = 0 - 96KPH)
0 - 100KPH = 5.4

Done. Hope this is clearer.
Ada///M.

agctr

11-12-2005, 05:03 PM

Thanks Mo, that is what I was afraid of considering my MY01 has the same setup. Have to work out how I can fill the holes to run my setup. Unsure what to use..... any suggestions... anyone ?

Correct re STi but the cars come out of the STi factory once completed at Subaru for the finishing STi touches, so in essence, they still rolled out of STi Japan.
Ada///M.

dmcgowan

11-12-2005, 08:50 PM

LOL love how the seppos can't handle the idea that something built outside of the US without a V8 might be quick. Corvette might do 0-100mph in 7 seconds off a cliff.....

What do you want to do with the front licence plate Adam? I'm intrigued now...

p.s. You obviously don't have kids - 7:30 am start on a Sunday can be considered sleeping in some weeks. Plus I wanted to see how we went against Uruguay - I should have stayed in bed...

agctr

11-12-2005, 08:57 PM

Lovin yr style Darren, yes the US boys arn't liking the fact that we have the STi and as Ive said before, its nice to have a bit of 1upmanship......

The plate Im going to run a sticker setup but just have to work out how Im going to plug the holes that already exist in the front bar. If its good enough for Ferrari and Lambo to run this setup, well its good enough for me but its going to be a PITA to get it sorted I think. Spoke to Steve yesterday and mentioned yr "Self Drive" Altona, he thought it was amusing.... how did u go ?
Ada///M.

PS And yes hear u re the sleep in, I can ONLY imagine, Im sure my turn wont be too far away or they could always go to Uncle Darren's for the weekend LOL.....
The game this morning, well what can I say. When we have over the hill burnouts like Viduka or however u spell it, well I think that says it all.

PSS Im outta here, going to watch the V8Supercars.. should be an interesting round.