What is Hawkeye?
Enthusiast nickname for the 2006 and 2007 Subaru Impreza, including the WRX and WRX STI, named for its new headlights.
Hawkeye, sometimes written Hawk Eye, is the nickname Subaru fans gave the second facelift of the second-generation Impreza. It went on sale in Japan in June 2005 as a 2006 model and ran through 2007. The name covers the whole range, including the performance WRX and WRX STI.
That generation of Impreza changed its face twice, and each look got its own name. The original 2000 to 2002 car is the Bugeye, for its oval headlights. After a mixed reaction to that design, Subaru brought in Peter Stevens of Prodrive to restyle it. His 2002 to 2005 update, with more rectangular lights, became the Blobeye. The Hawkeye brought new headlights, taillights, and bumpers, with a front end drawn by Greek designer Andreas Zapatinas, formerly of Alfa Romeo. Its "jet intake and wings" grille, which first appeared on the Subaru R2 kei car, was meant as a nod to Subaru's roots in the Nakajima Aircraft Company.
American Hawkeye STIs used a turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine, the EJ257, and a six-speed manual, while most other markets kept a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbo engine. Enthusiasts also refer to these cars by chassis code: GDB for the STI sedan, and GDF for American-market STIs.