Rally-bred people mover.
Its been no question that Japan has shown the world what they’re capable of in many fronts. In rally racing, some of its brands are very much sitting on a pedestal even until today. (Whether or not they still compete in the WRC)
With Subaru’s successful WRC program in the 1990’s, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the car behind it has left behind a lasting impression on many owners and fans. The first generation GC “Classic” Impreza is widely regarded as an automobile not to be mocked for in prowess.
Here, this example is a WRX STi Version 6. Otherwise the last STi Version of this body style before the Bugeye generation. It is also the most well-known in games, with majority of car models used all bearing semblance to the bodywork of a later Version STi.
Powered by a EJ207 Boxer-4 and mated to a 5-Speed manual box from factory, the pace of this family hauler could keep with many surprised supercars running down a backroad.
The motor in this example is largely cosmetically standard, except for a local brand Kaido ECU and another local brand Hiroyuki Lender muffler. These two performance upgrades land the Impreza into the 300 horsepower range, which is where it caps; 300.
The interior leaves few to be desired, being what is essentially OEM+. The current owner had decided to replace most of the interior pieces in favor of less common colors found in car interiors. Posed the question of why this was a feasible idea having previously presented photos of a very tidy original interior, the owner replies, “This may not be what first comes to mind as OEM+, but the way things are now, its all my personal preference.”
He truly has a point made there. But, whether you like it nor not, I respect the time and effort taken to refurbish things like the seats, whereby such oddball colors need to be made in custom.
Peering into the interior is an immediate whiff of old car, both sight and smell. As car interior design became more upmarket and bucket seats becoming more bulged, it really looks and feels old-school, although the materials of the seats don’t feel too far off from Subaru’s new offering, the Subaru BRZ.
Any other cost went to preventative maintenance and, as diehard enthusiasts may have noticed, the parts that keep the car on the road.
The suspension on this STi is not standard, behind a used aftermarket item recently fitted due to budgeting. But as for the wheels…
The owner spoke about finding this set of AZEV wheels on sale of unknown size. Having viewed the set but not figuring out or even asking what the wheel size was, it was concluded that simply for the design alone, was it a good idea to just buy it.
That results in what you see now, a GC8 of lower stance and smaller wheels than most other setups. The owner jokes that he’ll eventually trade the wheels for a bigger set, even though the same was already said four years before.
Anyway, where the car excels at, is where we collectively took it to to prove its grounds. A local of Inspiron Area’s little mountainous loop, the owner wasted no time in showing me what it could do. A friend’s S15 Spec-R could not keep in pace with this simple family saloon. Granted, the thread on the Silvia needed replacement basically immediately, but its a testament of the rally-bred Japanese saloon that birthed both the spicy Impreza and Mitsubishi Lancer.
It is stable and jaw-droppingly fast, fast enough I’d believe to be able to tail a Ferrari or Lamborghini on the same road. However, as an All-Wheel Drive car, it does have its share of colossal understeer should you stray beyond the handling limit.
On loose surfaces, it did keep its composure for the most part; the near semi-slick tyres were what made the Impreza struggle for pace on loose surfaces. However, give it a balanced setup and no doubt will it leave most behind in a trail of dust.
Anyhow, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi started with the “classic” GC body, which continued to garner more and more praise as the badge transitioned its way onto new after new model. With the current Impreza receiving only the WRX treatment, its good to take a step back and return to one of Subaru’s most loved era, and understand why Subaru kept going with the enthusiast sedan.
Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version 6
Engine: 1994cc Boxer-4, EJ207 Engine code, Single Turbo
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
Kerb weight: 1270 KG
Power: 276 HP @ 7000 RPM
Torque: 260 lb.ft @ 4000 RPM
Fuel Consumption: Est. 10.3 L / 100 KM
0-100km/h: Est 5.0 s
Top Speed: Est 245 KM/H
~Emiri
