2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI (EJ207)
Discussion
Afternoon all!
I’ve been a long time lurker around these parts, but after reading through MDMA’s Legacy STI thread I figure it is high time that I make a contribution. Sticking with the Subaru and import theme my recently purchased Subaru Impreza WRX STI makes a fitting subject to post about.
I expect my latest purchase may split opinions for two reasons – firstly the iteration of Impreza I have chosen, but also the car the Impreza will be replacing… But I’m very much looking forward to the change, the car is currently sat at the docks in Japan but should land in the UK around Christmas/New Year and be ready for collection in May 2022 (hopefully).
2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Dark Grey
34,000 kms (21,195 miles)
Recaro interior
Stock (except for Cusco struct brace)
I’ll go into some more detail below, but it might get a bit wordy…
TLDR: Replaced a 1998 Dandelion Yellow Mitsubishi Evo 5 with a 2009 Dark Grey Impreza WRX STI.
Dealer photos:
My recent acquisition will be the second car I have imported through Torque GT, replacing the Evo 5 I imported back in 2016/17.
Evo 5 on collection day back in April 2017:
Collecting my brother’s R33 Skyline GT-R and father’s Datsun Sunny back in September 2018:
Evo 5 at Goodwood in July:
Collecting a friend's 22B in August:
A change in circumstances and concerns about preserving the condition of the Evo and not putting more miles on it meant the prospect of selling was becoming increasingly likely. TGT had known for a while that I’d been tempted to chop the Evo in for something else. Long story short, in August I took the Evo down to collect a friend’s 22B and ended up leaving the Evo with TGT to appraise – a few weeks later a deal was struck bringing my Evo journey to an end.
Impreza Hatch
I spent too long admiring some of the hatches TGT had on site when we collected the GTR & Sunny in 2018, and I think that’s when the gears really started turning about making the change… But an unexpected opportunity to get behind the wheel of an R205 in August this year helped settle any doubts.
The search started in September, agreeing the spec and budget with TGT.
TGT had a few hatches in transit, including a yellow Spec-C – I would have loved a yellow example, but I couldn’t justify the premium yellow cars were fetching over other Spec C cars, so I quickly ruled yellow cars out.
The criteria were pretty straight forward:
Impreza hatch, either:
• Spec C
• 20th Anniversary
• Well spec’d WRX STI
Colours (by preference):
• WR Blue (02C)
• Dark Grey (61K)
• White (51E)
• Silver (G1U)
Parts/options:
• Recaro interior
• HID/Xenon headlights
• STI exhaust (stainless backbox)
• STI aero package
Within a week of searching, we were already starting to bid on cars at auction – including an R205, unfortunately it finished just outside of my budget – out-bid by £500!
A few Spec C examples rolled through the auction houses in varying degrees of condition, colour, and specification – none of which I could get excited about enough to bid on. Meanwhile I was regularly browsing Goo-Net for cars on dealer forecourts to see if there was anything worth inspecting. TGT were also checking the classifieds in Japan and found a 20th Anniversary car in WR Blue – it ticked nearly all the boxes, unfortunately the dealer wouldn’t sell to export. The search continued…
In the first week of October TGT found a dark grey WRX STI with 33,000kms. Photos from the dealer showed that apart from a Cusco strut brace the car was stock. The car was missing the STI dress up parts that came as standard on 20th Edition and R205 variants, but the car was within budget and the mileage and condition of the car justified further investigation. TGT contacted the dealer to see if they would sell to export – 10 days later we had a response, the dealer would sell to export - hurrah!
An inspection was lined up for the following week – this confirmed that the car was in great condition, bar a few minor cosmetic issues. A price was worked out with the dealer and the car secured in late October.
The car is currently sat at the docks in Japan and is expected to arrive in Southampton around Christmas/New Year, and then another few months before it’ll be ready for collection – I’m expecting it to be around May which should be ideal weather-wise for enjoying my new purchase!
Initial plans:
Full service including belts.
Replace the exhaust – this is to preserve the original item and to also improve the look at the rear of the car. I’ve ordered a Fujitsubo Authorize R which should make quite an improvement.
Change the wheels – I’m not a fan of the current items, I did fancy a set of the 12 spoke STI wheels that come with the R205/20th Anniversary cars, but they’re not cheap. I’ll probably end up fitting a set of anthracite Speedline Turini 2120s.
Cosmetics – add an STI front splitter and R205 rear valance.
Chassis protection – my intention is to take the car to Appreciating Classics to have the chassis cleaned up and protected.
Then to get out and enjoy it!
Matt.
I’ve been a long time lurker around these parts, but after reading through MDMA’s Legacy STI thread I figure it is high time that I make a contribution. Sticking with the Subaru and import theme my recently purchased Subaru Impreza WRX STI makes a fitting subject to post about.
I expect my latest purchase may split opinions for two reasons – firstly the iteration of Impreza I have chosen, but also the car the Impreza will be replacing… But I’m very much looking forward to the change, the car is currently sat at the docks in Japan but should land in the UK around Christmas/New Year and be ready for collection in May 2022 (hopefully).
2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Dark Grey
34,000 kms (21,195 miles)
Recaro interior
Stock (except for Cusco struct brace)
I’ll go into some more detail below, but it might get a bit wordy…
TLDR: Replaced a 1998 Dandelion Yellow Mitsubishi Evo 5 with a 2009 Dark Grey Impreza WRX STI.
Dealer photos:
My recent acquisition will be the second car I have imported through Torque GT, replacing the Evo 5 I imported back in 2016/17.
Evo 5 on collection day back in April 2017:
Collecting my brother’s R33 Skyline GT-R and father’s Datsun Sunny back in September 2018:
Evo 5 at Goodwood in July:
Collecting a friend's 22B in August:
A change in circumstances and concerns about preserving the condition of the Evo and not putting more miles on it meant the prospect of selling was becoming increasingly likely. TGT had known for a while that I’d been tempted to chop the Evo in for something else. Long story short, in August I took the Evo down to collect a friend’s 22B and ended up leaving the Evo with TGT to appraise – a few weeks later a deal was struck bringing my Evo journey to an end.
Impreza Hatch
I spent too long admiring some of the hatches TGT had on site when we collected the GTR & Sunny in 2018, and I think that’s when the gears really started turning about making the change… But an unexpected opportunity to get behind the wheel of an R205 in August this year helped settle any doubts.
The search started in September, agreeing the spec and budget with TGT.
TGT had a few hatches in transit, including a yellow Spec-C – I would have loved a yellow example, but I couldn’t justify the premium yellow cars were fetching over other Spec C cars, so I quickly ruled yellow cars out.
The criteria were pretty straight forward:
Impreza hatch, either:
• Spec C
• 20th Anniversary
• Well spec’d WRX STI
Colours (by preference):
• WR Blue (02C)
• Dark Grey (61K)
• White (51E)
• Silver (G1U)
Parts/options:
• Recaro interior
• HID/Xenon headlights
• STI exhaust (stainless backbox)
• STI aero package
Within a week of searching, we were already starting to bid on cars at auction – including an R205, unfortunately it finished just outside of my budget – out-bid by £500!
A few Spec C examples rolled through the auction houses in varying degrees of condition, colour, and specification – none of which I could get excited about enough to bid on. Meanwhile I was regularly browsing Goo-Net for cars on dealer forecourts to see if there was anything worth inspecting. TGT were also checking the classifieds in Japan and found a 20th Anniversary car in WR Blue – it ticked nearly all the boxes, unfortunately the dealer wouldn’t sell to export. The search continued…
In the first week of October TGT found a dark grey WRX STI with 33,000kms. Photos from the dealer showed that apart from a Cusco strut brace the car was stock. The car was missing the STI dress up parts that came as standard on 20th Edition and R205 variants, but the car was within budget and the mileage and condition of the car justified further investigation. TGT contacted the dealer to see if they would sell to export – 10 days later we had a response, the dealer would sell to export - hurrah!
An inspection was lined up for the following week – this confirmed that the car was in great condition, bar a few minor cosmetic issues. A price was worked out with the dealer and the car secured in late October.
The car is currently sat at the docks in Japan and is expected to arrive in Southampton around Christmas/New Year, and then another few months before it’ll be ready for collection – I’m expecting it to be around May which should be ideal weather-wise for enjoying my new purchase!
Initial plans:
Full service including belts.
Replace the exhaust – this is to preserve the original item and to also improve the look at the rear of the car. I’ve ordered a Fujitsubo Authorize R which should make quite an improvement.
Change the wheels – I’m not a fan of the current items, I did fancy a set of the 12 spoke STI wheels that come with the R205/20th Anniversary cars, but they’re not cheap. I’ll probably end up fitting a set of anthracite Speedline Turini 2120s.
Cosmetics – add an STI front splitter and R205 rear valance.
Chassis protection – my intention is to take the car to Appreciating Classics to have the chassis cleaned up and protected.
Then to get out and enjoy it!
Matt.
Roboticarm said:
Gotta love a JDM Subaru (I've w legacy twinscroll myself)
Yours looks to be in excellent condition. Is it the 2.0 or the 2.5 ?
Cheers, I'm very pleased with the condition the car appears to be in. There are a few little bits that need attending to - headlights and a worn weather seal on the drivers door. This one has the 2.0 engine.Yours looks to be in excellent condition. Is it the 2.0 or the 2.5 ?
How do you find the Legacy? I had considered a saloon Legacy a few years ago, I was particularly tempted by the idea of an S401 or S402 variant after spotting a few nice examples on Goo-Net...
A few more photos:
Firstly from the inspection
From the docks:
Matt
Looks like a great car. I can never get over how good Japanese cars look after a long time - there's no rust at all!
My 5 year old Focus has a lot more rust than that and it's only had 2 UK winters outside (now garaged in winter).
What's the torque like in the Jap spec 2.0 litre engines vs. the 2.5?
My 5 year old Focus has a lot more rust than that and it's only had 2 UK winters outside (now garaged in winter).
What's the torque like in the Jap spec 2.0 litre engines vs. the 2.5?
ChrisCh86 said:
Looks like a great car. I can never get over how good Japanese cars look after a long time - there's no rust at all!
My 5 year old Focus has a lot more rust than that and it's only had 2 UK winters outside (now garaged in winter).
What's the torque like in the Jap spec 2.0 litre engines vs. the 2.5?
Cheers! Yeah the climate out there does help to preserve the cars, though I think there are some regions of Japan where you will find cars that have rust.My 5 year old Focus has a lot more rust than that and it's only had 2 UK winters outside (now garaged in winter).
What's the torque like in the Jap spec 2.0 litre engines vs. the 2.5?
I believe the 2.0 engine in this model has around 310ft-lb (4,400rpm) vs the 2.5 at 300ft-lb (4,000 rpm).
fantheman80 said:
Really like these proper chunky, never understood the stick they got
Knowing zero about importing, if it arrives at new year, why does it take 5 months before you can get your hands on it?
I've always quite liked the look, but I guess it does go against the grain for what many think an Impreza should look like. I don't know if the shift to bigger power hatchbacks over the past decade has helped to shake off some of the stick this model got when it was first released? Knowing zero about importing, if it arrives at new year, why does it take 5 months before you can get your hands on it?
As for the time frame, it's a combination of factors. Torque GT will prepare the car based on where I am in the queue (first in first out), so although the car should arrive in the UK around Christmas/new year it might not begin the preparation process for a few more weeks. The car will also need registering with the DVLA, and at the moment I believe this is the where most of the time will be lost. I think pre-Covid DVLA turnaround for registration was a couple of weeks? But I know cars this year (and last year) have been taking a lot longer than that for the paperwork to be sorted. There will then be any servicing, modifications, or other minor works carried out by TGT prior to collection. I'm also quite relaxed about when I get the car, having it before April wouldn't be ideal really as the roads are still likely to be covered in salt, so I'm happy to wait. May is largely an estimate based on my previous experience, plus the delays with DVLA paperwork - but it might end up being ready earlier!
TiringHippo said:
Cheers, I'm very pleased with the condition the car appears to be in. There are a few little bits that need attending to - headlights and a worn weather seal on the drivers door. This one has the 2.0 engine.
How do you find the Legacy? I had considered a saloon Legacy a few years ago, I was particularly tempted by the idea of an S401 or S402 variant after spotting a few nice examples on Goo-Net...
Sounds like you got the right car, I hear the 2.5 engines have some reliability issues.How do you find the Legacy? I had considered a saloon Legacy a few years ago, I was particularly tempted by the idea of an S401 or S402 variant after spotting a few nice examples on Goo-Net...
Loving the legacy, fast, comfortable and 4wd...
TiringHippo said:
I've always quite liked the look, but I guess it does go against the grain for what many think an Impreza should look like. I don't know if the shift to bigger power hatchbacks over the past decade has helped to shake off some of the stick this model got when it was first released?
As for the time frame, it's a combination of factors. Torque GT will prepare the car based on where I am in the queue (first in first out), so although the car should arrive in the UK around Christmas/new year it might not begin the preparation process for a few more weeks. The car will also need registering with the DVLA, and at the moment I believe this is the where most of the time will be lost. I think pre-Covid DVLA turnaround for registration was a couple of weeks? But I know cars this year (and last year) have been taking a lot longer than that for the paperwork to be sorted. There will then be any servicing, modifications, or other minor works carried out by TGT prior to collection. I'm also quite relaxed about when I get the car, having it before April wouldn't be ideal really as the roads are still likely to be covered in salt, so I'm happy to wait. May is largely an estimate based on my previous experience, plus the delays with DVLA paperwork - but it might end up being ready earlier!
Yeah that’s a good point, 4wd hot hatches with proper power are ten a penny now, but line this up to them, this is a proper performance car, mechanical old stool grip. Not to mention has been on the steroids.As for the time frame, it's a combination of factors. Torque GT will prepare the car based on where I am in the queue (first in first out), so although the car should arrive in the UK around Christmas/new year it might not begin the preparation process for a few more weeks. The car will also need registering with the DVLA, and at the moment I believe this is the where most of the time will be lost. I think pre-Covid DVLA turnaround for registration was a couple of weeks? But I know cars this year (and last year) have been taking a lot longer than that for the paperwork to be sorted. There will then be any servicing, modifications, or other minor works carried out by TGT prior to collection. I'm also quite relaxed about when I get the car, having it before April wouldn't be ideal really as the roads are still likely to be covered in salt, so I'm happy to wait. May is largely an estimate based on my previous experience, plus the delays with DVLA paperwork - but it might end up being ready earlier!
Thanks for the info, I had visions of it sitting in the elements on some dock in Southampton! hope it all goes well
New car looks great. It'll be worth the wait. Your brother and dad's cars look good too. Nice little JDM collection there when together.
I love the 3rd gen Impreza hatch and saloon. The JDM versions you could get on this model were the best (IMO). The standout model being the R205. Rarer than the 22B and a proper drivers car. Prices for these have gone up a lot recently. They are dearer now than what they were new.
Enjoy it when it lands.
I love the 3rd gen Impreza hatch and saloon. The JDM versions you could get on this model were the best (IMO). The standout model being the R205. Rarer than the 22B and a proper drivers car. Prices for these have gone up a lot recently. They are dearer now than what they were new.
Enjoy it when it lands.
Roboticarm said:
Sounds like you got the right car, I hear the 2.5 engines have some reliability issues.
Loving the legacy, fast, comfortable and 4wd...
Yes I wanted to steer clear of the 2.5 engine, going for an import also means the chassis should be rust free.Loving the legacy, fast, comfortable and 4wd...
fantheman80 said:
Yeah that’s a good point, 4wd hot hatches with proper power are ten a penny now, but line this up to them, this is a proper performance car, mechanical old stool grip. Not to mention has been on the steroids.
Thanks for the info, I had visions of it sitting in the elements on some dock in Southampton! hope it all goes well
Yes the pumped up arches certainly help complete the car - especially when compared to the humdrum Imprezas and early WRX versions.Thanks for the info, I had visions of it sitting in the elements on some dock in Southampton! hope it all goes well
No problem, yes thanlfully it won't be sitting at Southampton for too long. Thank you.
MDMA . said:
New car looks great. It'll be worth the wait. Your brother and dad's cars look good too. Nice little JDM collection there when together.
I love the 3rd gen Impreza hatch and saloon. The JDM versions you could get on this model were the best (IMO). The standout model being the R205. Rarer than the 22B and a proper drivers car. Prices for these have gone up a lot recently. They are dearer now than what they were new.
Enjoy it when it lands.
Thank you, yes looking forward to getting out for some drives with my brother next year. Dad's Sunny is more of a project - so it might be a while before all 3 out on the road together! I love the 3rd gen Impreza hatch and saloon. The JDM versions you could get on this model were the best (IMO). The standout model being the R205. Rarer than the 22B and a proper drivers car. Prices for these have gone up a lot recently. They are dearer now than what they were new.
Enjoy it when it lands.
Yeah I do prefer the JDM versions, STI threw a lot of extra bits at the Spec C/20th Anniversary/R205 to improve them further. I knew I didn't have the budget for an R205 - although 3 R205s were offered within the first 10 days of searching! The Spec Cs that were coming through auction were quite varied in spec, condition and colour - we weren't able to find the 'right' Spec C before we found this WRX STI. And the 20th Anniversary car we found at a dealer (which was the right colour, spec and condition) wasn't available for export
(not uncommon apparently with such interest in JDM cars from beyond Japan).Yes like many remotely desirable JDM models, the prices for hatches do seem to be climbing, it was one of the reasons I pulled the trigger on this low mileage example. Legacy's are suffering from this too from what I've seen, certainly any of the special models (tuned by STI/S401/S402) - and that's is you can find a good example to start with, as fewer seem to be advertised at the moment (not that they made that many to start with!). Yours looks to be a fantastic example
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