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Subaru's World Rally car for 2008, based on the new generation Impreza, will be unveiled at next month's Frankfurt motor show.
The concept Impreza World Rally car is based on the latest five-door hatchback Impreza and will be powered by a 2-litre turbocharged boxer engine with Subaru's trademark symmetrical all-wheel-drive transmission.
The new Impreza hatch is due to go on sale here in September, followed by the WRX STi version and sedan early models next year.
Subaru New Zealand recently announced the new Impreza range will feature naturally aspirated variants plus the turbocharged WRX.
The WRC concept will be unveiled in Frankfurt by the Subaru rally team's Petter Solberg. It will point to the styling cues of the road-going STi.
The STi will be officially unveiled at the Tokyo motor show in October. It will be lighter and stiffer than its predecessor, as well as featuring a lower centre of gravity for improved dynamic performance.
Spy photos of the car testing in Germany show a gaping bonnet scoop, a wider grille and front bumper featuring bigger air intakes, and flared wheel-arches that will allow for the STi's expected wider tracks and bigger wheels. At the back is a roof spoiler and a rear diffuser.
The bonnet scoop will help feed air to a more powerful version of the present STi's 206kW 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Japanese carmakers have long abandoned an unwritten agreement to restrict performance cars to 206kW, and the new STi is expected to deliver about 225kW and 400Nm. The engine will be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Subaru's driver controlled centre differential (DCCD) is also expected to be retained. The DCCD allows the driver to manually alter the torque split between the front and rear wheels to optimise traction.
Speculation says the new STi will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in about 4.6 seconds, almost one second quicker than the present model.
