i think the hood scoop is awesome. the current model wrx has it pretty much pegged, i think. the sti scoop is a bit big.
the impreza has always been one of those cars that you either thought was the ugliest thing around, or you loved it. there have always been unique styling touches on that car. hood scoop, bugeye headlights, boy racer wing, you name it. taste is subjective, and i love my car. thats why no one should really count it for much if i say your car is ugly.
why top mount? well, it makes crash test standards a lot easier to obtain if a 5 mile an hour fender bender doesnt force you to replace your 1000 dollar fmic. so, the insurance companies love it. also, if anyone here has ever seen a boxer motor before, then they know exactly why. the plumbing required for a front mount is extensive, and the top mount sit about 3 inches from the intake manifold. lot easier to keep your pressure up when you have less pipe to travel through. factor in the length of the exhaust manifold, and with a fmic, youd have all of your gasses moving through quite a bit of pipe just to run the car.
for big hp, fmic is still boss, but on the wrx, it wont help you a whole lot until you get up to at least 400 at the crank or so.