When the Subaru WRX STI first hit the streets in the US, there were really only two responses possible, love or hate. You either loved how aggressive it looked, or you thought it was hideous and over done. Even after the facelift in 2006, the STI remained an edgy and aggressively designed car with a giant rear wing and hood scoop. At any rate, you have to respect a company that delivers products that will attract some, yet offend many. Both Scion with the xB and Nissan with the Cube are very familiar with this product design strategy.

The STI’s rival, the EVO, is also a “love it or hate it” kind of car too. The Evo X continues that tradition in its current extremely aggressive design.

Its very tough for a big company to design a car that offends people because at the core of every auto company is the desire to sell as many cars as possible, thus trying to offend none. The problem with that strategy is that while no one hates the car, no one loves it either. And as a car that is supposed to appeal to tuners and Scooby fanboys, this is a very bad thing. Well that’s exactly what the latest iteration of the STI does. It’s not an ugly car by any means, but its too tame for its own good. In fact, a popular criticism for the current STI that debuted in 2007 is its resemblance of an economical Ford Focus. A car loved or hated by none.

Fortunately for Subaru, design is subjective and the Boxer 6 engine continues to speak loudly for the STI. The design has grown on many tuners, which is mostly a result of the car’s performance on the street and outstanding marketing. When I say marketing, I’m not talking about ads. Instead, I’m referring to Ken Block and Travis Pastrana. Ken Block’s gymkhana videos along with Travis Pastrana’s outstanding performance in American Rally Racing are two very big reasons to overlook the subtle nature of the STI. Sex appeal is in the eyes of the beholder, and Ken Block can make anything on wheels look sexy.

Photo Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fensterbme, http://www.flickr.com/photos/nayralub, Subaru.com