hawt GC

I was poking around one day and found this link off of Wikipedia, thought it might be a little pertinent...

http://www.netcarshow.com/subaru/2004-impreza_wrx_sti/

For those of you who want the skinny of it, here's the pertinent quote for the topic at hand:

GC chassis comparison to the GD chassis

Pros

Subaru claims that the GD chassis is 148 percent and 82 percent stiffer in torsional and beam rigidity, respectively, than the GC chassis. Due to the increase in stiffness, the car has much better stability in corners and is easier to control at the limit. The GC chassis is so weak compared to today's cars that engineers called the body a "Watermelon frame", referring to how a watermelon shatters on impact.

In terms of safety, the IGD chassis scored much higher than the GC chassis and earned a "Good" rating (highest mark) from the IIHS's offset crash test. 4 stars front driver, 5 star front passenger and 4 star side safety ratings from the NHTSA. In a magazine article from the Dec. 2005 Firehouse magazine (a periodical written and made for firefighters), Ron Moore writes how it is well-known that the Impreza chassis has great protection in its B-pillars. This side structure has 8 layers of high-strength, high-tension steel including a round steel bar running through the middle. The author notes how drivers simply walk away from horrific side-impact accidents.

Cons

One of the biggest complaints with the GD chassis is that it gains nearly 200 kg in weight over the GC chassis. Much of this weight came in the form of chassis stiffening as the car was made to meet every countries' crash standards. The weight also hampers the cars maneuverability, transistions and turn-in capabilities. The GC Imprezas were notable for being very lightweight despite having AWD, the WRX Type STi Version VI, at 1260 kg, was lighter than the concurrent Mazda RX-7 type RZ (1270 kg) and Honda NSX type S Zero (1270 kg). In this fashion, the GC chassis has a better advantage.

The author mentioned above also notes that the Jaws of Life need to cut the Subaru's B-pillars at certain points in order to cut through the car frame. This information was not as well-spread before, so there have been many incidences where firefighters could not cut the B-pillars due to their structural integrity. To some people, this might be a concern if the driver or passengers need to be cut out of the vehicle quickly.


So, who wants to loan me a car for B pillar/Hurst testing?