Subaru Impreza WRX PPP: PH Carpool
PHer seeks to bring back a bit of burble to his life; Impreza wagon does just that
Car: 2003 WRX Impreza Sports Wagon PPP (Prodrive Performance Pack)
Owned since: March 2014
Previously owned: Mk1 Mazda Eunos S Special Honda S2000 (early model with no traction control), 987 Boxster S
Petrolhead tendencies run in the family...
"Having only ever owned two-seater RWD sports cars and now in my 30s, I decided that a fast wagon was an itch that needed to be scratched, not to mention saving some money for a wedding and convincing the missus the next car I bought would be sensible. I've always admired a speedy load lugger and had my heart set on a B5 S4 estate. However, my friend has the saloon (albeit his car is far from standard) and I felt our group's stable was missing something a bit different. Growing up in East London/Essex the familiar thrum of the boxer four was almost as common as birdsong but seems to have become rarer in recent years. I missed that sound and craved it in my life again! After years of normally aspirated engines it was time to get me some turbo power!
"A brief tour of Scoobynet and PH indicated that the residuals on the Blobeye Impreza wagons were pretty much at rock bottom. After a few enquiries for cars that looked a bit shoddy, I lucked out when PHer MGZTV8 mentioned he was selling his PPP wagon (in WRX Blue and with STI gold wheels) due to his missus not allowing a stable of four cars - his loss was my gain but his grief was tempered knowing the Scooby was going to a good home. The drive back from Preston was done with no stereo on just listening to the engine noise. I still send the previous owner pics of the car's adventures to date."
Good for racking up the loyalty points
"The warble of the engine and the burble of the Prodrive exhaust system. I deliberately went for a car with the PPP pack as it takes the power output up to circa 260hp. Prodrive was never sure of the exact figure per car but it certainly feels like there are 260 horses there. The whizz of the turbo spooling up and the 'push' back into your seat is also fun.
"Just going out for a blast in the countryside puts as big a smile on my face as any of my previous cars, probably more! It's also nice to get a nod or thumbs up from other enthusiasts - there just aren't that many wagons about.
Fast wagon for essential 'lifestyle' living
Things I hate:
"The stereo, it's awful, utterly woeful, especially coming from the Bose of the Porsche but then the noise on full chat makes up for it! Oh, and the cloth seats, although they are comfortable and hug you in, STI ones are desired. Besides that the only real hatred is from the missus towards the 'garish gold wheels' and big bonnet scoop which was taken from an STI by the garage the last owner purchased it from. I like them though as they feel in line with the heritage of the machine."
Costs:
"Well my customer loyalty points at the local garage have gone up but in general the fuel consumption is about the same as the 987 Boxster S (25mpg) and actually better on a run (30mpg+); adding Octane Booster does seem to help with the consumption too.
In its element on recent Scottish roadtrip
Where I've been:
"All over the South of England and up to Wales for a long weekend. The drive back from Wales was probably the wettest conditions I have ever experienced yet the Scooby never missed a beat or gave any hint of loss of grip. I have planned and arranged a Scottish Highlands road trip for my car club in September and am eagerly awaiting getting the wagon up into its natural habitat!" [Since submitting his Carpool Chris has reported in that this took in Fort William, Applecross, Glencoe and Ullapool - it performed, he says, "Splendidly well!" - Ed.]
Brake upgrade from STI worthy upgrade
"There is an STI turbo up-pipe winging its way to me which should allow the turbo to breathe a little better and liberate an extra 10 or so horses. I have toyed with the idea of pushing for 300hp but I think the work done by Prodrive originally is more than enough whilst still allowing the car to be a comfortable family hack. I may look at coilovers at a later date but, again, don't want the ride to be compromised.
"After the up-pipe a fast road geo set up will be enough to satisfy my needs. In terms of cars, well, it depends what comes after the wedding. I quite fancy an STI widetrack but I've also got my eyes on an Alpina estate. Long live the fast wagon!"
Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at carpool@pistonheads.com!
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