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
Why I bought it:
"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."
Things I love:
"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.
"Finally, it's nice to own a car I can put all our stuff and two bikes in for when we go on holiday. In fact we had three mountain bikes in the back (with the seats dropped) and room for more when we were in Wales."
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.
"£450 was spent on STI Brembo front calipers, uprated discs and pads and another £150 on a thicker rear ARB and solid drop links. These have transformed the car's handling and stopping power and really inspire confidence when pushing on. The grip developed by the 4WD system is something to behold when put up against my previous cars."
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.]
What next?
"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!
Those bloody stones are a killer on your back and knees though! lol
What I like most is that you've done the mods in the right order and are sympathetic to the brand and the car. I wouldn't bother taking it to 300 as you're better off getting a Forester STI if you want that and the practicality. Keep it as is, add some better front speakers and a head unit, and it'll be a great friend for a very long time.
Enjoy!
Expect to pay btw 2.5k and 3.5k depending on condition and mileage.
It's a lot of car for the money....it would murder my old 987 S in terms of 0-60 (the Porsche would step into it's own after that), so your 'bang for buck' is pretty good!
I’m even considering a classic – an STi wagon falls comfortably in budget – not sure whether they are more compromised on drive/performance/comfort/reliability compared to a newage? I suspect just buy on condition and I shouldn’t be disappointed?
I’m even considering a classic – an STi wagon falls comfortably in budget – not sure whether they are more compromised on drive/performance/comfort/reliability compared to a newage? I suspect just buy on condition and I shouldn’t be disappointed?
It's true, you can mod the car and map it easily past the PPP, I just went for it as it felt like a purer connection to the Impreza heritage i.e. Prodrive.
I've only been out in a classic.....felt that little bit more raw, but if you want the SL spec then the original is not the one to go for. Main thing to look out for on the classics is tinworm!
It did 30k per year for work and also took in several track outings and a European road trip that included a few laps of the 'ring. The brake upgrade is a worthwhile addition, although the standard ones never let me down, I had the fronts smoking more then once!
To answer the question about power and torque, this is taken from the official Prodrive Package Development document I was given with the car:
"The improved performance is produced through a carefully
developed combination of matched exhaust and engine
management modifications. This combination of enhancements
boost peak power to 265PS at 6,000rpm (previously 225PS at
5,600rpm on the standard engine) and deliver an impressive
348Nm of torque at 3,200rpm, an improvement of 16% on the
maximum torque of the standard car.
With the Performance Package fitted, the Impreza WRX has
more torque than the peak of the standard road car from
2,750rpm right through to 6,250rpm"
0-60 4.8
0-100 14.1
Standing Qtr 13.7
If you're interested in all the geeky stats, PM me with your e-mail address and I'll send you the PDF. It includes before and after dyno read outs and a full before and after in-gear time chart, along with lots of other stuff that only the most seriously afflicted PH'ers will find interesting.
It should go without saying that these need to be run on 97 RON to get the best from them.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as I did
It's true, you can mod the car and map it easily past the PPP, I just went for it as it felt like a purer connection to the Impreza heritage i.e. Prodrive.
I've only been out in a classic.....felt that little bit more raw, but if you want the SL spec then the original is not the one to go for. Main thing to look out for on the classics is tinworm!
I wouldn't turn down a PPP'd car - certainly the mechanical parts are very good. Just the generic ecu is always going to be a compromise, especially after so many years, when components have been changed/worn etc, compared to a live map. More expense though of course.
I could buy a late SL but then I'd feel I had more of an investment in the car and I'd end up spending more on maintenance/fixes and be more concerned/careful driving, than if I had an older, cheaper version.
New shocks at 30K ('05 plate has the failure prone inverted type.. I replaced them with '03 ones)
Standard front callipers are prone to sticking on. Had them refurbished with stainless pistons.
The PPP was good (had a standard one beforehand), but I added a straight ported up pipe and replaced the primary cat with a 200Cell Prodrive STi item and then had it mapped again. Got the spool down a few hundred RPM and torque @ 2K5 up 50%... which makes it quite a lazy drive for a turbo.
Only thing I will say is that's a rubbish estate thanks to the hatch coming down at an angle! Just because it sits on the boot floor don't expect to be able to shut the lid.
It's sort of a hatch-plus-a-bit.
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