Wednesday 22nd July 2015

Subaru WRX STI NR4 Spec

Rally ready and only for Australia, but a British company makes them too...

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Initially the news that Subaru Australia was making a competition STI for "enthusiasts and professional teams" wasn't that big a deal. Great news, Aussies can play at being McRae over the jumps from 38,000 dollars (£18K) with specs ranging from "club amateur to the professional." They even get the old EJ20 2.0-litre engine and its 8,000rpm redline.

Now we're talking!

But then a bit of research found that British company JRM - an official base team of STI - is already making NR4-spec cars for production rallying. Somehow the launch of the 2015 car missed us at the start of the season but it sounds brilliant so here's what you need to know.

The NR4 regulations have been introduced by the FIA in an attempt to create a "truly level playing field in production rallying." The car is eligible for the WRC 2 and ERC 2 championships as well as regional production championships. JRM believes mechanical running costs should be no more than £15 per km.

As well as that 2.0-litre flat-four (284hp and 413lb ft), there's a Hewland five-speed 'box, three-way adjustable Ohlins dampers, Sparco seats, a clutch and brakes from AP Racing and, most importantly, a hydraulic handbrake. JRM is aiming for a minimum weight of 1,393kg.

Now to cost. The JRM NR4 Impre... sorry, WRX STI is £99,995 plus VAT. Factor into that also £1,750 for a roof vent (your Subaru rally car needs a roof vent) and then running costs. JRM says a 1,500km rebuild is £6,500 plus any turbo costs and a gearbox/diff inspection (all of three of them!) is from £1,950. But who wouldn't fancy a go if funds allowed? Relive the glory days in a burbling four-door Subaru? For those that still need convincing, see (and hear) the little vid below - it'll definitely reawaken the inner fanboy.

Handbraking a hairpin vid here.

[Sources: WCF, JRM Group, WRC.com]

[renaultgeek]

is it a typo or is it far cheaper in oz?

[xRIEx]

It sounds like Oz is getting them built that way from the factory; I guess over here they have to buy a complete car, then do a strip/rebuild conversion.

[WCZ]

284bhp subaru for £120,000 - i'll pass thanks.

[P1H]

"But who wouldn't fancy a go if funds allowed?"

You mean fancy spending £120k on a 284hp STI which weighs 1,393kg and needs an engine rebuild after 1,500km?

PH, please come and join us in the real world.

[xRIEx]

P1H said:

"But who wouldn't fancy a go if funds allowed?"

You mean fancy spending £120k on a 284hp STI which weighs 1,393kg and needs an engine rebuild after 1,500km?

PH, please come and join us in the real world.

Let's say, for example, that an equivalent road-going 284hp WRX has that 284hp at 7000rpm, but only 220hp at 5000rpm and 90hp at 3000rpm (no idea if they're likely on a power curve, I'm just making numbers up for the hypothesis).

Now, what if this rally-prepped WRX has 284hp at 7000rpm, 280hp at 5000rpm and 260hp at 3000rpm; which would you prefer now?


Would you spend £250,000 on a 300-ish hp Fiesta?

[Chris Eyre]

xRIEx said:

Would you spend £250,000 on a 300-ish hp Fiesta?

You can, on a Fiesta R5, for the WRC 2 Class. And it would beat the Subaru hands down.

http://www.m-sport.co.uk/motorsport/rallying/m-spo...

The Subaru is not competitive in WRC 2, because it does not have the suspension travel of the 'Kit Car' type rally cars, ie RRC and R5.

[xRIEx]

Chris Eyre said:

xRIEx said:

Would you spend £250,000 on a 300-ish hp Fiesta?

You can, on a Fiesta R5, for the WRC 2 Class. And it would beat the Subaru hands down.

http://www.m-sport.co.uk/motorsport/rallying/m-spo...

I think it's the RS that is a quarter mil, rather than the R5.

[hwajones]

https://www.rally24.com/rally-cars-for-sale/subaru...

Heres a Group N for E28,000...
£23k Sterling?

[GravelBen]

Chris Eyre said:

The Subaru is not competitive in WRC 2, because it does not have the suspension travel of the 'Kit Car' type rally cars, ie RRC and R5.

Group N cars are not competitive in WRC2 because they're a completely different class of car, built to very different regulations. Unfortunately the FIA seem quite keen on killing off production-based rallying.

[rodericb]

These things are for competition use only in Australia. Can't buy one for general road use. It is the same price as a normal WRX.

[Chris Eyre]

They're made in Daventry, in the same workshops that used to be David Sutton / Historic Motorsport.

The point about WRC 2 is the PR bluff mentions WRC 2 for the Subaru, whereas nothing could be more unachievable. M-Sport have over 100 R5 Fiestas out there, Citroen and Peugeot have a few, and Skoda are pushing on with theirs now.

The Subaru plainly isn't for this WRC 2 market, no matter what they say.

All of which leaves the question of what exactly is it for? Surely not Club rallies??

[Chris Eyre]

xRIEx said:

Chris Eyre said:

xRIEx said:

Would you spend £250,000 on a 300-ish hp Fiesta?

You can, on a Fiesta R5, for the WRC 2 Class. And it would beat the Subaru hands down.

http://www.m-sport.co.uk/motorsport/rallying/m-spo...

I think it's the RS that is a quarter mil, rather than the R5.

Base price of R5 is EUR 180,000 from recollection. Then with options it creeps up by a chunk. So agree,, £250k is > R5.

The WRCs are essentially double the price of R5.

[GravelBen]

Yeah, its a bit daft that FIA forces Group-N cars to run in WRC2 against far less restricted (and far more expensive) cars. My cynical side wonders just how much of that arrangement is down to European manufacturers (who don't have anything competitive in production-based rallying) pulling strings at FIA.

Bring back the PWRC I say, and let drivers gain international experience at a much lower cost than an R5 or RRC car. I guess there is the 'production cup' for Group-N within WRC2, but it never gets any attention.

Group-N cars are still competitive in many national and regional championships though, which is probably where most of them will go. Some will get the restrictor removed for a bit more power where its allowed mind you.

[Chris Eyre]

GravelBen said:

Yeah, its a bit daft that FIA forces Group-N cars to run in WRC2 against far less restricted (and far more expensive) cars. My cynical side wonders just how much of that arrangement is down to European manufacturers (who don't have anything competitive in production-based rallying) pulling strings at FIA.

I have comms which support the theory it is the manufacturers pointing to the 2017 -> direction.

GravelBen said:

I guess there is the 'production cup' for Group-N within WRC2, but it never gets any attention.

I never hear anything about it. Pushed down and lost.

[big_rob_sydney]

Is it 18k or is it 100k???

[xRIEx]

big_rob_sydney said:

Is it 18k or is it 100k???

Hmmm, not sure. I'll read the article and see if that sheds any light on the matter.