[crazyhorse]

Back on topic....
Looking closely at the pics of the Polo, I believe it to be a factory facelift. Remember, the lower panels of an SVX were made plastic for a REALLY good reason. It's cheap and easy to update plastic panels. Subaru really didn't want to invest a lot in what had become a sales "Turkey". A quickie update could have carried it the full model cycle of 10yrs. But with only 600-odd cars sold in '97, the SVX fate was sealed.

All the plastics in this SVX appear to be redesigned. They carry the lowest line parallel to the ground. The spat look of the previous design is eliminated. This follows Subaru's design ethic as used in the late 90's Legacy, and Impreza.

Had I been part of Subaru's design group, I'd have argued for this exact type of facelift. Honestly though, I'd have used this first, as it's a touch more restrained. Then went extreme in a "gen 2" situation. Remember Subaru, at the time, was the automotive equivalent of sensible shoes.

As for my opinion of the design, I like it. Oh and Danny, I like your car too. It's over the top, in a way I probably wouldn't do, but it's STILL a cool car!