RE: Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type UK: PH Fleet

[jl4069]

I really don't understand why so many dismiss the 4 wheel drive capabilities these cars offer. Truly more reassuring and competent to drive in adverse conditions than anything with 2WD. I would love to see a comparison of a nice Scooby vs a Ford Focus RS- specifically to see if the Scooby's full time 4WD set up compares with the Fords "smart" system. j

[FourWheelDrifter]

I'm on my 3rd classic JDM Impreza after watching the RAC live and WRC rallies for the last 30 years! I love the looks, sound and performance of the JDM Imprezas. Had a red WRX STI RA V1, WRX STI RA V6 WRC V-Limited, now a heavily modified WRX STi V4 Type R V-Limited. It's running a SCDB 2.1 stroker, VF34 turbo, welded in Custom Cages full cage, all the safety gear, AP brakes. It's now being upgraded to MY05 JDM Blob Spec C wide track 5x114.3 pcd 6 speed, torsen and plated diffs, ARP entended studs, titanium wheel nuts, fully powder coated underneath, Super Pro bushes throughout, AST coilovers, Spec C 13:1 quick rack, Spec C fuel tank & kevlar guards, alloy sump guard, Killer B & RCM engine parts, carbon footwells, digital intercom and revised safety gear!! This is to become my track and fun car...

Edited by FourWheelDrifter on Saturday 28th July 00:20

[HannsG]

Engine rebuilds? I remember a thread on here which advised I avoid imprezas due to their servicing and engine rebuilds.

[PorkRind]

I test drove one of these and felt it was quite understeery and not very adjustable on the the throttle, so bought an evo vi, glad I did as it was just the right kinda car a mid 20s man needs. Fast, fun, looks cool. Now im mod 30s is struggle driving an evo let alone the synonymous impreza, who's Image has been ruined by cheap prices and chavs.

Still, I'd take it over a golf r, it's got character. A golf r is as anodyne as it gets.

[rossub]

HannsG said:

Engine rebuilds? I remember a thread on here which advised I avoid imprezas due to their servicing and engine rebuilds.

Not an issue with the 2 litre. Keep the oil good and have any performance mods properly mapped in and it’s as good as any engine.

[wolfie28]

Really enjoyed the article, thanks Ben.

I'm on my third Impreza. First was a brand new 52 plate UK bugeye WRX. Got a heavy discount from Subaru Peterborough so seemed stupid not to. It was standard apart from back box and a few cosmetic changes when I sold it. Wasn't the fastest in a straight line but soon caught up in the twisties. Loved it but my thirst for more power led me to a 54 plate UK STI with PPP. Great car, which eventually ended up with approx 420bhp, which is safe on standard engine internals. Loved this car and regret selling it for a Porsche 911 996 turbo, which I did not get on with. Bought a WR1 last year as the Impreza itch was still there after 5 years of abstinence. The WR1 is low miles and is totally standard. It will be staying that way too. I know everyone's experiences are different as are the cars but I cannot disagree more with comments on poor reliability and problems. I've done approximately 150,000 miles in 10 years of ownership and the only problems I've had is 1 battery and 1 neutral position switch fail. Buy a well looked after model and get it serviced by a reputable independent specialist and you shouldn't go wrong. Modern hot hatches and reasonably priced performance cars leave me utterly cold and I have no interest in them. If I was a kid now my room certainly wouldn't be filled with posters of Golf R's, M135i's or RS3's. Sad really that nothing currently stirs those emotions like Impreza's and Evo's did and still does.

Edited by wolfie28 on Saturday 28th July 09:33

Edited by wolfie28 on Saturday 28th July 09:35

[FN2TypeR]

Kosy said:

Enjoyed reading that. Great buy Ben, hope you enjoy lots of fun miles in it.

Back in 2000 as an 18 year old I managed to blag a passenger lap in an RB5 at Knockhill. I was an Impreza addict after the first corner. The noise, the acceleration, the grip was just unbelievable compared to my 1.4 Nissan Sunny

It took me a good few years but eventually I got myself my dream car - a P1 with Recaros, 18s and Hella driving lamp options. What a car it was. Enjoyed it for 3 years till mortgages and kids took priority! Hope to be back again one day but as you say, good examples are getting thinner on the ground. I sold mine for £8k with 46'000 miles......

That looks sensational imo

[Daniel1]

Ive been toying with getting my 04 sti back on the road (just neefs a service and mot) and this article and subsequent comments have convinced me. Great cars with just enough bhp, close ratio gearbox for plenty of gear changes and a great characterful engine

[Andy_5]

FN2TypeR said:

That looks sensational imo

I concur!

[Husaberk]

PorkRind said:

I test drove one of these and felt it was quite understeery and not very adjustable on the the throttle, so bought an evo vi, glad I did as it was just the right kinda car a mid 20s man needs. Fast, fun, looks cool. Now im mod 30s is struggle driving an evo let alone the synonymous impreza, who's Image has been ruined by cheap prices and chavs.

Still, I'd take it over a golf r, it's got character. A golf r is as anodyne as it gets.

What a ray of sunshine you are, feel free to pull that stick out of your jacksie.

[BORN2bWILD]

rossub said:

HannsG said:

Engine rebuilds? I remember a thread on here which advised I avoid imprezas due to their servicing and engine rebuilds.

Not an issue with the 2 litre. Keep the oil good and have any performance mods properly mapped in and it’s as good as any engine.

Not an issue... seriously?

My P1 Imprezza came with an engine that had done about 3,000 miles, it had the uprated oil pump to help with known oil pressure delivery problems on that lovely sounding flat four 2ltr engine.

A year later and it's knocked out a bearing, so another good used engine bought from guy in owners club, a new uprated oil pump with sports flow filter, timing belt, water pump etc etc, slightly uprated to just 320bhp with fuel pump and injectors properly set up on rolling road, it run lovely for 9 months, then same problem... knocked out a main bearing.

I was not prepared to fit yet another engine and sold the car as it was, and yes I was really pissed off because it was without doubt one of the best fun drivers cars I have ever driven, but so unreliable.

I have had a few fast cars, at the moment my daily drive is a 600bhp Nissan R35 GTR (nearly 200mph and 0-60 in 2.7 seconds) and no problems in nearly 4 years, I also have a TVR Cerbera 4.2 V8 (sounds awesome but wants to kill you), both faster than the Scooby, but neither are as much fun as that Scooby P1.... just a shame about the engines.

[rossub]

If you knew your Imprezas, you would know that the P1 used the engine and map from an STI 5. The map was for 100 RON fuel in Japan, which we don’t have.

The P1 had a mapping problem - nothing to do with the engine itself.

[AC43]

JohnoVR6 said:

article said:

For me it's years of wearing bright blue bobble hats sporting the 555 logo, bedroom wall posters and desktop backgrounds. And I can't be the only one that used to drive along in my first (and maybe second) car making exhaust and dump valve noises...

Nope. Me too. I had this poster above my bed as a kid;



And it's a large part of the reason I have mine...

What a legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1TVqtRtlMw

[AC43]

Kosy said:

Enjoyed reading that. Great buy Ben, hope you enjoy lots of fun miles in it.

Back in 2000 as an 18 year old I managed to blag a passenger lap in an RB5 at Knockhill. I was an Impreza addict after the first corner. The noise, the acceleration, the grip was just unbelievable compared to my 1.4 Nissan Sunny

It took me a good few years but eventually I got myself my dream car - a P1 with Recaros, 18s and Hella driving lamp options. What a car it was. Enjoyed it for 3 years till mortgages and kids took priority! Hope to be back again one day but as you say, good examples are getting thinner on the ground. I sold mine for £8k with 46'000 miles......

Awesome. Peak Scoob :-)

[AC43]

Great article that brings the memories flooding back and make me realise how much I miss the lovely off-beat thrum of the earlier ones. Used to hear them all the time round my way, now it's increasingly-rare. What a shame.

I also used to watch McRae do some amazing things in his works car. To this day some of the best rally footage I have ever seen was of McRae making up some monstrous deficit over 4 or five late stages of the Australian rally to win the thing. He just made it dance around at impossible speeds.

Back in the early 90's it was only enthusiasts that knew about them as road cars. When a mate got an early blue 4 door as a company car in 92/93-ish he surprised a lot of people. Then a mate got a wagon in 94-ish and had it Prodrive'd - it was eye-poppingly good.

I nearly dipped my toe in the water in 1997. I went on an extended test drive somewhere in Sussex in an STI Type R Version IV. The way it cornered was just astonishing. None of the slow in fast out stuff in did in my S14. Nope; it was banzai in, banzai past the apex and banzai out. Utterly astonishing in 1997 and probably still right up there today.

For one reason or another I stuck to S14's for a while longer so it wasn't to be.

But what a brilliant article - thanks.

Edited by AC43 on Sunday 29th July 09:51

[ericmcn]

AC43 said:

What a legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1TVqtRtlMw

I have this very poster signed by some Subaru rally drivers in Australia, was at Melbourne motor show back in 2002.

[Gary C]

jl4069 said:

I really don't understand why so many dismiss the 4 wheel drive capabilities these cars offer. Truly more reassuring and competent to drive in adverse conditions than anything with 2WD. I would love to see a comparison of a nice Scooby vs a Ford Focus RS- specifically to see if the Scooby's full time 4WD set up compares with the Fords "smart" system. j

I had this exact car from new and in the snow, it was utter ste !

Any sort of power it would just pull straight on, then snap back when lifting. The suretrac front LSD is torque biasing so can't lock up and just spins giving terminal understeer.

Now, the main reason was the Bridgestone tyres were totally unsuited for snow, with a decent set of winter or M&S tyres, I'm sure it would transform, but the lack of plated diff's does mean it's more a road 4wd.

Bought my blob STi to replace my Evo V, and the Subaru was great fun, sounded nice, grippy, great traction and looked good, but the Evo was a much more epic driving event.

Went through three sets of dampers on the back, because they sit at an angle, there is a little more lateral load on the bushing and the early sets of dampers were prone to sticking. You would park up and find the back sitting at an angle.

At its 10k service the dealer quoted a comedy £1500 to replace front disks and pads but overall significantly cheaper to keep on the road than the Evo

Shame it got stolen after 3.5 years of ownership, did enable me to buy my 89 carrera though

[Colonel D]

Andy_5 said:

I concur!

and another

[Juno]

amongst the many cars I have I bought this 2004 Blobeye import. A DCCD Widetrack car with a host of top spec upgrades from Japan’s finest tuners ! I have to say this thing handles like nothing on earth! With the standard forged engine and twin scroll turbo it’s running around 400hp but the magic is in the that the suspension and braking set up. KW coil overs endless brakes and a host of handling parts to stiffen the car up, there’s not much that can follow this down the twisty bits

Edited by Juno on Sunday 29th July 23:56

[Fastdruid]

Gary C said:

jl4069 said:

I really don't understand why so many dismiss the 4 wheel drive capabilities these cars offer. Truly more reassuring and competent to drive in adverse conditions than anything with 2WD. I would love to see a comparison of a nice Scooby vs a Ford Focus RS- specifically to see if the Scooby's full time 4WD set up compares with the Fords "smart" system. j

I had this exact car from new and in the snow, it was utter ste !

Any sort of power it would just pull straight on, then snap back when lifting. The suretrac front LSD is torque biasing so can't lock up and just spins giving terminal understeer.

Now, the main reason was the Bridgestone tyres were totally unsuited for snow, with a decent set of winter or M&S tyres, I'm sure it would transform, but the lack of plated diff's does mean it's more a road 4wd.

Bit hard to do a direct comparison to a scooby as I've only driven one once (and on dry warm tarmac) but while I can't comment on the RS we have it's spiritual predecessor in the Mazda 6 MPS which runs similar front biased part-time AWD with a computer controlled centre clutch and rear LSD (the RS obviously loses the rear LSD in favour of two rear clutches). The MPS will send "up to 50%" to the rear, this is on paper far worse than the rear bias of the Scoobies but it was an absolute hoot in the snow.

Both on summer tyres (Vredestein ultrac sessanta) as well as all-season (Michelin CrossClimate+) it was only ever controllable.

10/10. Would play in a snowy car park again.