Subaru TA340C: the hot Scooby lives!
Chugging Imprezas may have disappeared from the limelight but out in the sticks the legend continues to thrive
The cover read: "Subaru Impreza Turbo, 208bhp, 0-60 in 5.8sec, £17,499."
Scooby + B-road = business as usual...
The party is over...
But like any Empire that burgeoned with breathtaking speed, the demise of the Subaru as the heartland of affordable performance has been brisk and, at times, made uncomfortable viewing. It has been a story of changing consumer demands, increased competition, exchange-rate difficulties and, lest we should forget, a global recession.
Moody grey wrap looks suitably mean
I was driving through Wales before Christmas and it suddenly struck me that with sales of new Impreza STIs being so slow and Mitsubishi abandoning the sector to build air-conditioning units, what are these lads going to drive in 10 years time? Who is maintaining the culture of fast Subarus in the UK? Who is nurturing it for future generations? What did John Major say about stuff 'cascading through generations'? OK, I'll stop - but you get the point.
Factory 'big wing' and Prodrive 19s bulk up looks
Well, there is a shining beacon of boxer-enthusiam, but sadly for residents of The Principality, it is in Warwickshire.
Cross Roads Subaru is, at face value, a normal Subaru dealership whose name has been slightly undermined by the insertion of a roundabout bang outside the front door. But anyone who drives past this forecourt cannot fail to notice the unmistakable signs of rampant car-enthusiasm. An American police car, a mint RS500 Cosworth and a bevy of various-vintaged Imprezas crowd the forecourt.
Jon Mathers and his team don't just live and breathe Subarus, they appear to subsist on any kind of performance car. Lurking in among the new Subaru models in the showroom is an X-Pack bodied Mk2 Escort with Honda VTEC power and a beautifully adapted rear-axle assembly. Just one look at the quality of preparation on this track-day toy and you know these are people who do things the right way.
TA340C in its element...
To avoid this reading like an advertorial, I won't list the awards that Jon and his team have won over the years, suffice to say they are to Impreza sales what Don Bradman was to the five-day test match. They sell more than any other dealer in the UK.
This makes them culturally important for the survival of genus Scooby, but it is their work supporting the wider community of fettlers, Time-Attackers and also spicing-up the current range of cars that really endorses their role in the support of a great Japanese-British tradition. To prove as much, we are going to drive a limited edition Impreza called a TA 340C, which they have developed. TA denotes Time Attack, the championship Jon won last year in his loopy 600hp race car.
Pro-R branded Alcon brakes part of the package
Testing modified Subarus is a sketchy business. It's easy to allow dyno printouts and sundry bullshit to cloud your feelings about how the car actually drives on the road. Added thump normally means compromised power delivery and suspension mods remove the chassis' chances of smothering bumps. The 340C couldn't be more different. After the standard 320 it feels much more responsive below 3,000rpm, then pulls harder all the way to the limiter. This is apparently all down to a re-map and less back pressure in the revised exhaust system, complete with a Scorpion back box. If such mild changes elicit such advantages, you can only assume the car is horribly strangled in standard form.
The chassis is a peach too. Supple, absorbing and agile: it reminded me that, despite your RS4s and 911 Turbos, there will always be something about these cars on damp, scummy UK roads. It feels more direct than the standard car. It's been re-bushed (Superpro), but as is often the case, new Eibach springs and roll bars have slightly tightened everything up but not at the expense of compliance or comfort. They may not have the firepower, but what these cars have - have always had - is that ability to screw themselves into the surface with unrivalled efficiency. And, of course, they just want to be driven fast. To me, this car felt like a very potent version of the original RB5. Those who know it will understand that's a compliment.
Shades of the RB5 live on in the TA340C
But as a car that feels good moving slow and fast, one that will clip you along regardless of weather conditions, the £39,995 340C remains compelling for the committed few. Hopefully enough will be sold so that in five years time, young lads in the Valleys can buy them and drive them at unfeasible speed following Wales Rally GB.
SUBARU WRX STI TA340C
Engine: 2,457cc flat-four turbo
Power (hp): 340@5,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 376@3,600rpm
0-62mph: c. 4.7 sec
Top speed: 158mph
Weight: 1,505kg
MPG: 26.9mpg (NEDC combined, standard WRX STI)
CO2: 243g/km (standard WRX STI)
Price: £39,995
 |
 |
 |
 |
Good dampers will set you back a minimum of 3k fitted.
2011 TYPE-20 CHASSIS PACKAGE - £2,765 INC. VAT
Uprated rear anti roll bar
Revised steering feel
4 Wheel laser alignment with fast road settings
Revised sub frame and chassis bush kit
Litchfield Front Strut Brace
AST adjustable dampers with 2011 Type-20 internals
AST adjustable top mounts
Up-rated front anti roll bar
Labour to install
hardly compares does it?
And their performance packages - £2,260 INC. VAT
Litchfield Designed Milltek 3" Exhaust with 100 Cell high flow Sports catalytic converter
Performance Air Filter
Cold Air Induction Kit
Labour to fit
Custom ECU remap using ECUTEK's RACEROM software
Increase engine peak power rpm
Improved Throttle Response and Turbo pickup
So for 5k, including, you have a far superior package...for the 40k they want for this you can get a Type 20
A bit of googling suggests that the extra cost does include a set of Alcons as well as a selection Pro-R kit - but it doesn't say what.
I think the best comparison is the type 20...37,995...spec list blows it into the water..plus it's based on the 2 litre jdm twin scroll which is far better
The 2010 Type-20 will have the following specification:
2010 JDM Subaru Impreza STI
410 PS @ 7,500 Rpm / 375lbft @ 3,500rpm
2.0 Litre EJ207 Engine with Dual Variable Valve Timing
New Type-20 Twinscroll turbo with Zircotec ceramic coating
Type-20 Turbo heat shield
Litchfield cold air induction system with high flow filter
Litchfield reprogrammed ECU with enhanced Economy mode
Milltek 3" Exhaust system with 100 cell Hi-Flow Sports Catalytic converter (saves 20kg).
Japanese STI quicker 13.1 Steering Rack
Revised chassis bushes and up rated anti roll bar
Increased Castor angle and wheel base
Re-valved power steering system with increased feel and weight
AST 12-Way adjustable suspension allowing lower ride height (-35mm over standard)
STI front lip spoiler
Litchfield front strut brace
18x8.5 Lightweight Rota alloy wheels
High performance 245/40/18 Dunlop SP600 tyres
365mm Alcon Brake kit
Red Maserati style tail light option
Price: £37,995 OTR
Incidentally it is within 10kg of a 1M coupe.
Sorry a bit of confusion..I asked "how is this a heavy car" bad grammar I know...apologies...not how heavy is this car.. interesting that its close to the 1M considering the size difference and the AWD system
I'm not saying any of the newgens are a bad car, except the WRX hatch which IMHO really wasn't well thought out at all, i just personally don't like them as much as newage scoobs. Personal preference.
Equally, for the money being charged, specially for some of these newgen specials, i don't think they are special enough to warrant such premium and significantly hefty price tags and nor are they, again IMO only, a significant step forwards in terms of general all round driver appeal, technology, or quality.
I for one was really hoping they would do great things with the newgens however, i don't think that's happened yet. Perhaps the BRZ and future higher performance iterations of said car will make Subaru special again, alas it isn't doing it for me with the latest Impreza.
There's nothing to get over
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff