It’s real, and it’s spectacular. Travis has been practicing short distance jumps in preparation for his record setting rally jump… and not all of them have gone so well.
Who said that you need a Crawford-tuned Subaru WRX STI, a stratospheric budget and an abandoned airport to serve up the thrills? With a beaten base Impreza, a few sets of tires and enough fireworks to send Patton cowering under a desk, the creators of Scumballers and Team Torque have created ten full minutes of epic hoontastic footage, although it looks like much of the vehicular tomfoolery takes place on open public roads, something we don’t exactly approve of or recommend.
The new generation Subaru Impreza WRX hatchback launched here in 2007 reminded me of a star athlete showing the first signs of flabbiness.
The suspension was softer, the acceleration figures were good but not fantastic. It was still fast and handled well but felt like it had spent some time sitting on the couch munching high-cholesterol snacks.
And, although looks have never been Subaru’s strongest point, the rather unfortunate styling of the WRX hatchback really stretched brand loyalty.
Recently Subaru SA addressed this by replacing the WRX and 2.0R hatches with sedan models, leaving the high-performance STi as the only hatch in the range. The sedan is built on the same wheelbase as the hatch but is 165mm longer with a wing on the boot.
Along with its extended bum the WRX also got a testosterone boost. The turbocharged 2.5-litre DOHC boxer engine has a bigger turbo and an upgraded exhaust to hike outputs to 195kW and 343Nm (26kW and 23Nm stronger than the outgoing WRX hatchback), making it the most powerful WRX yet and edging closer to the STI’s 221kW and 407Nm.
There’s nothing changed in the Impreza’s all-wheel drive system, which still apportions a standard 50/50 front-to-rear power split, varied to a certain extent by a viscous coupling depending on driving conditions.
However, the suspension has been tweaked for better handling with slightly stiffer springs, beefed-up roll bars, and wider (225/45 R17) rubber.
I wondered whether this would bring the car back to its finely-honed athletic best.
A few minutes behind the wheel confirmed that the WRX sedan, like the hatch it replaces, is still a very driveable, everyday-user-friendly car. It wafts over rough roads without dislodging teeth or spinal discs but has some serious bite when prodded.
It accelerates quicker than ever and takes corners just as fast - on bumpy roads probably even faster than its firmly sprung predecessors - and, although this Scooby has a more civilised side, it still does the business when you’re driving in all-guns-blazing mode.
Subaru hasn’t forgotten what sprinkles Tabasco on an enthusiast driver’s oyster - that came through loud and clear during a few laps around Gerotek’s ride and handling circuit.
There’s a tad more body roll but less understeer than in WRX’s past, ensuring a super-crisp turn-in as the noise snuggles into the apex. The car dances through turns with the typically sharp, fleet-footed feel that has made the WRX badge revered in high-adrenalin lore.
The more compliant suspension allows the car to be driven quicker through bumpy mountain passes, rather than skittering about like a drop of water on a hot stove, while a new steering damper reduces kickback on bumpy roads.
EXTRA FIREPOWER
The engine also makes a suitably charismatic sound, a burble distinctive to its pugilistically-arranged cylinders, so it rates favourably on the aural scale.
The extra firepower was clearly evident in the car’s more spirited feel and subsequently confirmed by our testing equipment when we recorded 0-100 in 6.2sec and a 14.3sec quarter mile at altitude, compared to the 7.4 and 15.1 attained by the less muscular hatch.
The WRX is officially restricted to a top speed of 210km/h but your Subaru dealer can ungovern it to 233km/h. All you have to do is ask - and that apparently applies to most governed Subaru models.
Earlier, two-litre turbo WRXs were notorious for turbo lag, which made them go from meek to manic in a sudden rush. The 2.5’s power delivery is more linear and thus more civilised, although the kettle still only starts boiling at 4000rpm.
The main changes to the cabin include black trim mouldings, WRX-embossed sport seats, instrument lighting in red, aluminium pedals and metal trim around the centre console and door handles.
VERDICT
The hardcore street-racer brigade might lament a slight softening of the WRX’s character but it’s definitely not a case of there being a wheeze where once was a snarl.
I call this the thinking man’s high-performance car; it balances finesse and user-friendliness with great sporting ability. Yin and Yang in harmony.
The rough edges have been filed off and the WRX has become a more complete car without losing any of its dynamic ability.
Subaru has announced a new version of the WRX STI that will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. We’ve looked at this one six ways ’til Sunday (maybe seven) and we still can’t make sense of it. But, hear us out. One of the main knocks against the STI has long been that it’s a little too porky. But, when you base a performance car on a plebeian chassis, that’s the price you pay. Another knock is that the STI – while potent – is just not as hardcore as the Mitsubishi EVO, even though the EVO X is a little, well, less hardcore than the EVO IX. So obviously Subaru’s going to address these concerns with a special, lightweight edition STI, right? Well…
Meet the WRX STI Carbon. It has a carbon fiber roof. And a five-speed automatic transmission borrowed from the Legacy – no manual. And… suede seats. Yup, that’s it. Now, we like the roof, don’t get us wrong. Removing weight and lowering the center of gravity is exactly what the STI needs. But, a slushbox? For reals? Subaru says the five-speed auto is there to offer, "distinctive driving pleasure to a wider range of customers." Ah, the old dumbing it down so you can sell more trick. Hey, it worked for Porsche (see: Cayenne).
Let’s see here, the last time Subaru tried this maneuver was in 2008 with the GE/GH third generation WRX. That went so well that Subaru was forced to relaunch the car twelve months later and rename to the 2008 WRX as the auto-only 2.5 GT. In other words, we just don’t get the STI Carbon. Maybe in a year’s time, Subaru will be forced to rename it the Carbon GT. That would at least make some sense. Right?
“Holy tire noise, Batman!” says associate Web producer Scott Evans. “I took the STI on a road trip up to Northern California, and the tire roar on the highway was excessive, to say the least.”
Indeed, upon Evans’ return to Southern Cal, we inspected the tires and noticed that, after over 17,000 miles of use, their tread blocks had worn even with the wear bars-not bad mileage for a soft and sticky summer tire, though-so we promptly called Tire Rack. For replacement rubber, we opted to stay within the Dunlop line, swapping the OE SP Sport 600s with a set of Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs ($893.85). So far, the Direzzas are delivering a quiet ride and handling on par with the OE tires.
Tire noise notwithstanding, Evans did enjoy the Subaru’s lively personality and handling prowess during his stint. “Switching the car’s SI Drive to Sport Sharp makes a world of difference in throttle response.” Senior editor Ron Kiino agrees, adding, “I think Sport Sharp should be the one and only setting-both the Sport and Intelligent settings dull throttle feel too much.”
Evans also notes, “At no point did the tires break loose nor did the car try to get away from me — an impressive-handling hot hatch.”
Dislikes? “The only thing that would make this car more fun to drive would be a smoother shifter, as this six-speed is a bit clunky.”
“And I have one other gripe, and that’s with the navigation. While it works fine, if you have the audible directions turned on, the system insists on directing you to go straight on the road traveled far more times than is necessary. When you get within two miles of what it deems a major cross street, it warns you every half mile to keep going straight. Four times it insisted on cutting my music to tell me not to turn. Completely unnecessary.”
On the plus side, the STI, at 19.5 mpg, continues to deliver frugal fuel economy, especially for a 2.5-liter turbocharged all-wheel-drive rally rocket. The similarly equipped Evo, even with a smaller 2.0-liter engine, is so far registering only 18.1 mpg.
Ok, now, we was told by a integrate people over a internet that a 1st sti impreza indication accessible for sale in a u.s.a was a 2004 subaru impreza wrx sti(Rev. E), that we hold is a a single with a aggresive conduct lights, though yet, I’ve seen progressing sti models(the bugeye one), that we hold is a 2001 model. Can somebody insist this to me, and post up pics of a 2004 subaru impreza wrx sti (Rev. E)? Thanks.
