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Showing posts with label wrx. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wrx. Show all posts

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Honda City SX8 into a Honda Impreza from years ago. Malaysia Boleh.

8:41 PM 0

Now speaking about Subaru Impreza GD series (here called V7/8/9) clones, I have to say that the first generation  ASEAN only Honda City SX8 (not counting the two earlier Japan based ones) I saw five or six years ago is the best that I have seen so far. The Saga BLM, Waja clones aren't as good as this. Of course, there were those who bought the Hyundai Accent with the locally made RXS (stupidly using same logo and font for its badge as a Yamaha RXS motorcycle sold years earlier in Malaysia) and rebadged it as a Subaru.

This 'Honda City was only sold in South East Asia and is based on the then recently discontinued Honda Civic EF chassis. That chassis was actually quite good and even though the City came with a SOHC VTEC 1.5liter engine, it could handle the hotter Twin Cam 1.6liter VTEC used in the hotter SiR EF Civics easily. So those days we had some of these Cities with at least 160hp instead of 102hp.



Anyway, from a lowly South East Asian market only Honda car to an 'Impreza'. Fuiyoh. I wonder where is this car now and whether it had a hotter engine in it. It was posted on sale 5 years ago on mudah.my. I saved it on my computer, forgot about it but after browsing through my files.  Remember, this was in 2009/2010, when the GD Impreza still costed a bomb here in Malaysia. So, here it is for all to see, complete with STI stickers.......and it is still amazing to view after all these years. And imagine the amount of time and money spent also. The Honda City Impreza WRX STI.





Photo: mudah.my (from years ago)
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Thursday, January 9, 2014

2015 Subaru WRX STI photos leaked ahead of the official launch

3:24 AM 0
These are allegedly official photos of the upcoming 2015 Subaru WRX STI. What it i is basically a WRX on steroids. What you also see is that it looks eerily similar to a Mitsubishi Evo X. Even if the Scooby is pictured in the famed Subaru WR Mica Blue shown in the pics. I don't know. I suppose cars these days look the same if you remove some character lines here and there. Or add a winged rear spoiler instead and you get a similar looking car.

Not going to say anything else except that if it actually drives better (with over 300bhp instead of 268bhp in the WRX) than the supposedly fabulous new 2015 WRX, it's going to be party with Subaru again instead of the good ol' Evo. More pics below.
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Thursday, November 21, 2013

2015 Subaru WRX makes its debut at the LA Auto Show - Thoughts about it.

9:00 AM 0
Subaru has just launched the 2015 Subaru WRX at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. According to the Press Release it gets the following:
  • New platform offers a stiffer, more agile chassis for Subaru global performance icon
  • New torque-vectoring system reduces understeer
  • New 268-hp 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo BOXER engine
  • New standard 6-speed manual transmission
  • New Sport Lineartronic® CVT with manual modes

It is also slightly larger inside and most of the interior is based on the current Impreza architecture. To give you folks an example all you have to do is take a seat in the Subaru XV (which is marketed in Japan as an Impreza XV) and you will get to tell what the interior quality is like. Sit inside the XV and your hands and fingers will touch soft plastics that are tactile in feel. Controls are good too and you'd actually find it a nice place to spend time whilst being stuck in traffic. The new car therefore has a better interior than the GRB STI sold here. That current GRB WRX STI that is sold here has an interior made from the cheapest plastics you can find. everything is hard plastic. It may have a nicely sculpted dashboard compared to the common in Malaysia GD variants but nothing is really soft to the touch inside it. 

Personally I think this is a proper step up from the previous generation WRX or WRX STI that is currently on sale here in Malaysia when it comes to interior quality. In fact one of the reasons I actually decided not to try too hard and purchase this rally special was because I didn't want to spend a bomb for a car that had hard plastic everywhere.  I was quite turned off by the thought of buying a car that costs around RM250,000 and had interior plastics like a Nissan Almera. 
You need proper luxury even in supposedly sporty 'rally specials' as people expect a whole lot from the amount of money they'll spend. If you spend RM220,000 on a Golf GTI these days you get a heckuva lot of quality and goodies inside one coupled with the performance it gives. There has to be a balance between sports sedan and premium sedan. A combination which seems to sell these days with cars like the Golf GTI, Mercedes Benz A250 or the Ford Focus ST. The Japanese need to try get this niche correct and I think this new 'Rex will somewhat achieve it.

The WRX STI on sale here at the moment is based on the 3rd generation GR series Impreza which is actually faster around Sepang than the earlier one (GDB) but has a crap interior as stated above. The latest Impreza is the GP and GJ series BUT this all-new 2015 WRX is partly based on this AND is technically a whole different range of car. It should be faster than the previous version in the hands of a decent driver.

But it is slightly disappointing that this car did not look like the original WRX Concept shown recently. But then again Subarus were always slightly quirky and slightly plain looking without a large rear wing. Maybe the STI version will add some aggression to the WRX's looks. But this is a big maybe. Let's hope the local distributor brings it in quickly for all of us to see.
PRESS RELEASE
2015 SUBARU WRX® MAKES WORLD DEBUT AT LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW
  • New platform offers a stiffer, more agile chassis for Subaru global performance icon
  • New torque-vectoring system reduces understeer
  • New 268-hp 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo BOXER engine
  • New standard 6-speed manual transmission
  • New Sport Lineartronic® CVT with manual modes
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2013 – Subaru of America, Inc. today introduced the 2015 WRX, a more powerful and better handling version of the brand's iconic high-performance model, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Powered by a new 268-horsepower 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo BOXER engine, the 2015 WRX debuts the model's first six-speed manual transmission and a new, optional performance automatic transmission, the Sport Lineartronic CVT with two manual modes.
With its bold new wide-body sedan design and expanded performance envelope, the 2015 WRX marks a major evolutionary step for the rally-bred performance car that has become a global automotive legend. For 2015, the Subaru WRX employs a new torque-vectoring system that supplements the standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. Torque vectoring allows for improved cornering speeds and handling. The new and stiffer chassis, larger brakes, performance-tuned suspension and a driver-focused interior remain integral to the WRX performance character. The new powertrain also yields higher fuel efficiency than the previous model.
At the same time, a roomier interior, upgraded cabin comfort and materials and a wide array of new user technologies give the new WRX a more refined feel. A harman/kardon® premium audio system is offered for the first time in a WRX.
The 2015 WRX design deftly blends an aggressive stance with a sophisticated sport sedan theme. The new WRX features a much bolder front design with a deep front spoiler and unique grille. The wide-body stance seen on the previous model is enhanced with new, standard 17-inch wheels. The hood, front fenders, rear doors and quarters, bumpers, headlights and taillight clusters are all unique to the 2015 WRX.
Specially designed for the 2015 WRX, the rear doors and fenders continue the model's wide-body stance in a rakish new profile. The Subaru hexagonal grille is flanked by narrower headlights designed to evoke a raptor's stare. The functional hood scoop, which supplies the intercooler with fresh air, is now set more deeply into the hood to provide better forward visibility.
Other new performance-oriented details include foglight surrounds with a carbon fiber-like pattern and vertical front fender vents that feature a bright garnish and a mesh screen. Higher-grade models use new LED low-beam headlights; halogen lights are used on other models. The side sill spoilers that help to visually lower the car also help protect the doors from rock chips.
New standard 17-inch wheels feature a more aerodynamic design. At the rear, LED taillights, a diffuser, LED center high-mount stoplight (CHMS) and an available lip spoiler leave a distinctive signature.
The new WRX body structure makes greater use of high-tensile strength steel than the previous model and features special stiffening elements at key locations. Combined with the new Electronic Power Steering system, specially tuned suspension and 235/45 R17 94W Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT tires, the stiffer chassis yields steering response that was benchmarked against top-handling sports cars.
The new WRX 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder BOXER engine uses a combination of direct fuel injection, high compression (10.6:1), Subaru Dual Active Valve Control System (D-AVCS), a twin-scroll turbocharger and an intercooler to achieve outstanding performance and high efficiency. The engine produces 268 horsepower at 5,600 rpm, accompanied by a broad torque curve that peaks at 258 lb.-ft. over a 2,000-5,200 rpm engine speed range.
Based on the engine used in the new 2014 Forester 2.0 XT, the WRX version uses different cams and higher-rate valve springs, among other enhancements, to extend the performance envelope. The new 6-speed manual transmission provides a wider ratio spread than the previous 5-speed and incorporates several performance and durability improvements for this high-performance application, including carbon synchronizers on first and second gears.
New Sport Lineartronic CVT
The 2015 WRX introduces the option of a new automatic transmission engineered to enrich the performance-driving experience. The new Sport Lineartronic CVT combines the benefits of a continuously variable transmission (high fuel efficiency, ultra-smooth driving character) with the choice of stepped automatic shifting eight pre-selected ratios (when in Sport Sharp mode) and also 6-speed and 8-speed manual shifting modes using steering wheel paddle switches.
Models with the Sport Lineartronic CVT also feature Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE), a powertrain performance management system that allows the driver to tailor the vehicle's driving characteristics by choosing from among three selectable modes – "Intelligent," "Sport" and "Sport Sharp" – using a switch on the flat-bottom steering wheel.
Two Versions of Symmetrical AWD
When equipped with the 6-speed manual transmission, the 2015 Subaru WRX uses the brand's Continuous AWD version of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. A viscous coupling locking center differential nominally distributes torque 50:50 front to rear, and Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) provides stability and traction control. Should slippage occur, this system transfers more power to the wheels with the best traction.
The new Sport Lineartronic CVT is teamed exclusively with the Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) version of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. A planetary gear-type center differential and an electronically controlled hydraulic transfer clutch control torque distribution between the front and rear wheels. Under most conditions, VTD splits the torque 45:55, with the rearward torque bias contributing to handling agility. The VTD system continually optimizes torque distribution in response to driving conditions and input from steering wheel angle, yaw and lateral g-force sensors.
Premium Cabin
A one-inch longer wheelbase than the previous WRX is a factor in providing a markedly roomier cabin in the new model. The windshield is more raked than before, with the A-pillar pulled forward nearly eight inches at the base for better forward visibility, aided by a lower dashboard and narrower A-pillars. Higher seating hip points, lower side sills and wider-opening doors make ingress/egress easier. Rear seat passengers gain nearly two inches of legroom, and trunk capacity is increased. A standard 60/40-split fold-down rear seat extends the WRX sedan's versatility.
The high-performance feel starts as soon as the driver enters the 2015 WRX and grips the new flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel, which offers tilt and telescoping adjustments. The wheel integrates switches for audio and Bluetooth® control.
Rich-looking appointments and details abound, including soft-touch materials for the dashboard, door trim and center console armrest. Numerous compartments located in and around the center console hold all manner of personal items, such as phones, USB drives and MP3 players. The available power sunroof opens one inch farther than on the previous WRX.
The dual gauge instrument layout features a 3.5-in. LCD central screen to display various functions, including oil level, remaining washer fluid and selected gear ratio. A new multi-information central display with 4.3-in. LCD screen provides a multitude of vehicle system functions, including a rear camera display, a boost gauge display, audio, Bluetooth and climate control settings, and a VDC screen showing traction control operation. The display can provide a vehicle self-check and maintenance reminder.
Whiplash-reducing front sport seats, covered in a new high-grip fabric, feature separate tilt- and height-adjustable head restraints, a change from the seats with integrated head restraints used before. Leather is available, as is an 8-way power driver's seat.
Amenities that reflect the 2015 WRX's refined sport sedan positioning include standard automatic climate control and available Keyless Access with Push-button Start, heated front seats, power driver's seat, and a 440-watt, 9-speaker harman/kardon premium audio system and navigation with Aha® smartphone integration.
Subaru Safety
Subaru's renowned safety package uses the brand's proven Ring Shaped Frame Reinforcement body structure, which has been shown to excel in the new small overlap test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In the cabin, a driver's knee airbag is added to the roster of safety features that includes front side pelvis/torso airbags and side curtain airbags that offer front and rear outboard seat coverage.
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Monday, November 11, 2013

2015 Subaru WRX teased...

6:58 AM 0
Subaru have released one measly shot featuring the bonnet of the upcoming 2015 Subaru WRX.  I suppose that's all I have to say about it as one photo doesn't deserve more than two complete sentences.
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Monday, November 10, 2008

The Impreza S-GT - A car that confuses the heck out of me.

9:18 PM 0

Do you people out there know who Harvey Dent is? If you’ve been a Batman fan, then you’d know that he is the villain known as Two Face famous for his split personality and a half scarred, half normal face. Now the simple meaning of having a split personality is having two people living inside one being. When it comes to cars, we somehow know that there are some docile cars that turn into monsters at the prod of the pedal (some turbo cars) or with the switch of a button on the dashboard (think BMW M5 with it’s ‘M’ button). But what I shall be telling you guys out there is that the new Subaru Impreza S-GT isn’t a two faced villain or anything like that. It is something incomprehensible if you follow the usual route on how a performance car should be. In fact, no other car feels like it and I think no one except Subaru is psychotic enough to make such a car.

Let’s get started with this review. The 3rd Generation 2008  Impreza reviewed here today is called the S-GT. This Impreza actually replaces the WRX name in Japan and it is a 5 door hatchback with a 2.0 DOHC turbo pumping out 250ps and about 333nm of torque. The version I tested was the Subaru Impreza S-GT 4 speed automatic Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) version brought in by the official importers here in Malaysia. Elsewhere, this is called the WRX. No confusion there. Yes? No?


Exterior and Interior
When this car was first launched, almost everyone nearly died. Fans and non-fans alike wondered what the heck happened to the Impreza. Almost everyone decided that it was styled by an Ah Beng hair-stylist at one end and a 7 year old kid at the other. The design somehow does not really mesh well as if you start from the rear and move to the front, you’d notice that while the rear seems decent, aside from those stupid clear lights, the front seems a little too flat for its bulbous arse. Gel well it doesn’t but when it finally arrived in Singapore about 6 months ago where I first caught a peek of it I somehow realised that it wasn’t so bad as I first thought. It looked like a Toyota Caldina that had its middle cut out after that. Which to me isn’t such a bad thing. Of course, Subaru made it all slightly better with the STI version of this car, but you’d have to buy that car if you want the huge blistered arches and full monty STI look for another RM100K or so.

The trademark scoop is still there but while it looks flatter, it is actually wider and deeper than even the 2nd generation version 8 WRX STI. This is a good thing as I know that the scoop from the version 8 was sometimes reflecting the sun right into my eyes on some sunny days. There is a rear diffuser, but I wouldn’t know if it really works or not. The car also sits on 205/50/17 ADVAN A10 or something like that which are basically the same stupid noisy and not so grippy ADVANs that are shod on the Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0GT sold in Malaysia. This point is not so good as I think the tires are crap and come in a not so common size here in Malaysia.

The interior has taken a step back as it is full of hard plastics. However, being a Subaru it is very well put together and nothing like a Lancer GT. Imagine sitting inside the current VW GTI and instead of the GTI’s black and hard plastic dashboard, it’s a dark grey and you’d know what I am talking about. The seats are grippy enough but for skinnier adults, you’d want more lateral support. The driving position is spot on with steering adjusting for reach as well as rake which you didn’t get with the older Impreza. The seats are also mounted lower which gives is a sportier feel to the car. Being an automatic, I couldn’t tell you whether Subaru managed to get rid of the notchy feel of the 5speed box (but what I can tell you is that the feel of the 6sp gearlever in the latest STI is excellent, better than the previous STIs.). Legroom for both front and rear passengers are light years better than the previous generation, as if you are aware, there was absolutely minimal legroom in Imprezas of yore, which was too cosy for some.
The Legacy based multi link suspension at the rear eats up boot space. I’ve never seen a shallower boot than in this Impreza. I suppose it’s the price to pay for progress.

Driving the Darn Thing.
Now this is where things get interesting, and confusing. Never have I driven a car where it has made me think so hard on two issues; how it drives right now and potential for tuning down the road. With 250ps and 333nm on tap I was certain that it’ll do quite well in the power stakes. But we all know that power must be delivered to the road in order to make things happen however the 4speed auto gearbox with ‘tiptronic’ function lets the car down to an extent. This 2.0liter flat 4 engine with active valve control is a gem of en engine. It may have lost a whole lot of its boxer burble but compared in stock form to the previous WRX and even the version 8 STI it is darn good in its refinement. Why I say so is that this engine, like the previous WRX comes to life at around 3,000rpm when the turbo starts spooling. What’s different is that the power does not taper off after 6,000rpm like in the WRX or the STI8 (boost at around 3,500rpm). It still charges up to its 7,000rpm redline without a significant drop, which happens in the old version as stated above. Unfortunately, the stupid slushbox in manual mode will expect you and me to change up at 6,500rpm, as if you don’t it’ll decide to shift by itself and when you reach for the gear to upshift you end up shifting to 3rd as the box has already shifted for you. This is ridiculous. I want to shift at the redline and not at 6,500rpm as the engine feels bloody smooth and still puts out some power. Why won’t you let me shift up by myself, you stupid, stupid gearbox!!!!!!?

And then, if you’re already pissed about it and leave it in ‘D’ for the remainder of your drive you decide to do a tight corner, you slam on the 2pot front and 1 pot disc brakes (yes, no more Subaru 4pots for S-GT, sigh), which have feel by the way and take the corner, the gearbox decides to change to a lower gear a few million years after you’ve already passed the apex of the corner and then you become a rocket again:
80km/h 4th gear, hard on the brakes, enter corner, slam the accelerator, on or slightly before apex and it moves………..half a second later drops 2 gears and dumps 333nm of torque all at once as it feels like making up to you for the delay.

There’s a bit of drama when this happens as it sometimes feels like the car or lorry thundering towards you may crash into you as the above happens. What this car needs it at least a 5speed auto. The 4 speed box never allows anyone to fully utilise the power of the flat 4. So while driving this car, I noticed that the tuning of the engine was marvellous, but let down by the ancient automatic gearbox. The Legacy GT has a 5 speed auto, and it’s bloody marvellous. I don’t remember actually struggling for a gear in that car at all. So Subaru either get a 5 speeder autobox or you’d have to tune this ride yourself to get the power in so much earlier. This can be done by a few tuners locally, a more open exhaust system and you can use lightweight crank pulleys to lessen inertia on the engine. This would theoretically bring down the power band to about 2,500rpm and this car will pull well even if it has that stupid auto box. Of course, if you bought this car for the wife or you just use it to go to the market or don’t like to tune cars, then don’t bother with the last few sentences then.

Oh yeah, there's an 'ECO' button somewhere near the gearlever and if it's on, lights up the word 'eco' on the meter panel. God knows what it does, most probably some economy mode which I kept off as you are driving a 2.0 turbo, the heck with economy.

When it came to the ride and handling of this car, things started to get even more mad.

The thought of ‘land yacht’ came to mind. I’ve never sat in a hatchback that made me feel like I was in a Donzi pleasure cruiser out at sea by the coast of Klang. This Impreza has a ride so smooth and it conquered all sorts of bumps the roads of Petaling Jaya threw at it. Potholes and undulations of badly tarred surfaces gave it no problems at all. Sound insulation was of pretty decent quality and I couldn’t hear much thuds and thumps while driving it. However, while soft, it has an boat like feel to it as body movement wasn’t properly controlled. You could feel a slight corkscrew or swaying movement. It’s like one of those buildings that are made for withstanding earthquakes, there are rubber plates in the structure that help the building sway to the way the earth shakes. The Impreza feels like that, small secondary movements aren’t handled by the suspension. It’s like Subaru launched this Impreza without finishing the fine tuning.

High speed left and right lane changes (at around 140km/h) seem to be fine in this car, but sharp turns or even your friendly neighbourhood round-a-bout turns into a high seas drama as this car has incredible body roll. Body roll coupled with not so grippy 205/50/17 tires make any corner above 80km/h into an adventure. I’ve never entered the Rothman’s roundabout in Petaling Jaya at 70km/h with the tires screaming as if I was doing 1,250km/h. The roll at that round-about was something amazing. I have never driven a car that rolled so much aside from the original Perodua Kancil a long while back.
While the chassis felt stable and solid, and its nose pointy and direct, you’d be holding a little back due to the extreme roll angles this car can achieve. You have to drive this car for a few days, weeks or even decades before you find the actual limits of this chassis. I suppose you’d call it a full gravel type suspension, where you can actually tackle any bumpy stretch of road without bouncing off of it. This car would be somewhat fabulous going on the old Bentong road (with a better gearbox of course) as no bumps or undulations will surprise this car’s suspension and that quick pointy steering would help. However, you’d have to take time to learn to find the grip as well as have the balls to get to that level of trusting the chassis. As such, the average driver will find that this car is totally crap with its ridiculous body roll.

So who should buy this car then? It depends. Those that wants an auto WRX as he’s tired of rowing his own gears. Those that buy for their wives to go shopping. Those that don’t want to own the full monty STI. Those that do not want a Civic Type R, a VW GTI or any RM200K grey imported, reconditioned performance car.

I’d buy it. But I’d have to spend RM4,500.00 on a good set of shocks and springs and 215/45/17 tires instead of the 205/50 tires to kill the body roll as well as add grip and another RM3,000.00 or so on ECU tuning, aluminium crank pulleys and a more open exhaust system. But at RM189,000.00 + RM7,500.00 (you don’t have to do this at once of course), it is still very, very tough call. However again, if you want a challenge of finding a car's limits, this is the ride for you and when you're bored or you've found the limits, get the suspension fixed for a second dose of thrills. It's achallenge for some, a pain to others.

+ Fabulous engine power delivery and refinement, smooth ride, good build quality, pointy steering, adjustable handling
- stupid automatic gearbox, stupid body roll, secondary fidgety ride, hard plastics

Note: I’ve read recently that there will be changes to the 2009 Impreza sold in the States, the 2009 2.5 WRX (S-GT) will have a new stiffer suspension while the old 2008 WRX will continue to be sold and it will be called the 2.5GT. I hope that the changes will be included in the S-GT sold here.
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Thursday, September 18, 2008

How to make 280bhp in Two Different Ways and Which is Better.

1:33 AM 0

Yes, yes, yes. This is one of the topics that I mentioned that I am going to write about and finally, it has been transferred from the incredibly complex and very car savvy mind of mine to this article.

Recently, 2 chaps are in their (early) 30s and the first person bought a 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX STi and the other a 2005 Nissan 350Z Fairlady. Both are grey imports and cost basically somewhat close to the RM150,000.00 figure (one slightly higher and one slightly lower). Now these two fellows are good friends of mine, thus they let me wring out their rides a little for me to make a comparo of things.


I basically noticed that firstly, and very obviously, one is a 4 door rally special and the other a 2 door all out sports coupe. Now the only similarity about these two ride is that they make on the average 280bhp from each of their powerplants. The Impreza has around 280bhp and approximately 400nm of torque. The Fairlady makes around 287bhp and 371nm of torque. As you can see, pretty close in power but both made in different ways. The Fairlady I tested is the base automatic model, hence it did not come with Brembo brakes and weighs close to the weight of the Impreza (1450kg) by weighing in at around 40-50kgs heavier.

One Saturday evening around Petaling Jaya I did a semi hot-lap or two in the STi. Now it has been awhile since I sat and drove in one of these ultimate Imprezas but familiarity allowed me to really chuck the car around a bit. So there was I, with the owner in the passenger seat, slotting the 6 speed manual transmission into 1st and then accelerating. However, the feeling was not something I can describle as being sublime.

Now the reason for this feeling of disappointment was that I just remembered the Impreza WRX STi tends to be very old school in its power delivery i.e 'slightly' laggy.

It was 1st gear,
1000rpm,
1250rpm,
1500rpm......wait
....take a look at the watch.......2000rpm
...wait summore......2250rpm
...still waiting...2750rpm
...la la la la...be bop aloo laa...3000rpm
....and at 3500rpm KABOOM! .....6,250rpm and engage 2nd gear......

All hell breaks loose and suddenly from feeling slightly slower than even a tuned Subaru Impreza 1.6 at low rpm (mine actually), it hammers nearly all of its 280bhp at once (and feels nothing like a 1.6 and would leave it for dead many, many times over). The only thing that actually holds the driver, and car on the road is the All Wheel Drive system, with its trick Driver Controlled Centre Differential (DCCD) and mechanical diffs front and rear.

If this car were one of those really old school turbo cars like the Mazda 323 familia Turbo or some older rear wheel drive turbo like the Lancer Turbo of the early 80s. we'd see lots of rich college kids which their father bought them STi leaving the road, heading for the nearest tree, hedge, drain or even sign posts with the need to hug one of those cars lovingly. This manic power delivery still exists in an 03 Impreza STi, even with variable valve timing and a twin scroll turbo that supposedly spools faster than most normal turbos.

The Impreza WRX STi is still one of the most interesting cars around. This is due to the flat four thrum (no other car sounds like a Subaru) and its quirky styling. However, in STi form, it will be devastating IF you drive it on track where you'd never use revs lower than 3000rpm. However, on the road, with its peaky power delivery, you're better off with an Impreza WRX as its smaller turbine spools up so much faster and it being so much more linear. In rush hour traffic, you need insteanteanous thrust, which the STi does not give you.

It is meant for a windy, with fast sweepers kind of B road, the Sepang circuit rather than the cut and thrust of KL traffic. Even on some really windy B roads like say, going up Genting, the initial lag may bog the car down on extremely tight corners unless you are really gunning for it like crazy and letting it on boil all of the time. However, if you drive like that around Genting all of the time, you'd find yourse;f doing an E.T. Instead of having a BMX floating over a forrest with the moon as your backdrop, you'd have the Impreza STi flying into some ravine with the moon in the background. If an experienced driver in a stock Impreza WRX chasing an STi driven by a novice up Genting, the WRX will leave the STi for dead due to the lag (and even if its 50bhp or so lesser, it is also around 50kg lighter than the STi).

Overall it is a stonking car, but it needs work or around RM3,000.00 to at least re-map the ECU and a change to lightweight pulleys to get over the initial inertia or lag. After such work is done, it will feel more like its rival, the Lancer Evolution, which basically pulls right from 2000rpm onwards. I know this as I have driven a stock Evolution VII a few years back. I suppose that is the price you pay for having more character than the Evo.

On the other hand, driving 287bhp was never easier. I tried the Nissan Fairlady 350z the next day and the 3.5liter V6 pulls effortlessly from nought. Speed piles up effortlessly and before you know it you're hitting 150km/h and it still feels relentless (and will do this right up to the 187km/h limiter or around 250km/h de-limited). The steering uncorrupted by power as the rear wheels are the ones handling all the power feels pointly, direct and sublime. I left the traction control on as I decided after 5 minutes behind the wheel that with the way the car feels (it's overall setup), extremely quick steering and rear wheel drive it was so easy to bring the tail into play and as we were driving around areas with lots of concrete kerbs it was safer to let electronics wring the chassis in if were were accidently brutal with it. However, I also noticed that the chassis balance was still superb, allowing us to drive at speeds much higher than we would have in an STi without having to concentrate too much. At first glance you think that the 350z is a large car. It isn't, you sit low and it somehow envelopes itself round you and you feel at one with it. It does feel nippy cutting itself through the mid afternoon LDP traffic.

The 3.5liter V6 makes a decent 287bhp and has a very distinctive V6 burble unlike other V6 engines that you can find around here. You won't find the noise it makes if you bought an old 2001 Nissan Cefiro 3.0 as it is induction as well at manifold tuning that brings out the sound. The engine also builds on the well known fact that there's no substitute for cubic inches or size of the engine for making power. What Nissan did here was build a V6 that had enough grunt to pull a 1500kg car to around 250km/h and do 0-100km/h in around 5.5-6secs. While the Impreza STi uses a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine, forced induction was the way to go in making 280bhp (and maybe more). Somehow, get the gearing right and the slight lack of torque isn't all noticeable compared to the STi.

And in order to get a lot of grunt from a smaller engine compromises had to be made.

The main compromise is that you cannot run a high compression ratio. The STi runs about 9.0:1 while the 350z makes do with an 11:1 compression ratio. This is because with forced induction, static compression ratios have to be low as at full boost, this may vary to around 14:1 due to the air being compressed at speed by the turbine. If you run a high compression engine here, it will surely destroy itself (however new technology has enabled direct injection and this allows high compression turbo engines like the Audi A4 1.8TFSi I tested earlier). Higher compression normally aspirated engines have more tactile feel when it comes to power delivery. It is very adjustable and has more finesse.

A low compression engine usually lacks the will at low rpms and tends to be sluggish and lazy. these engines need the turbo to give it a nice shove. But, again I state, it lacks finesse. With the 350z the car feels so balanced on the throttle and you can use this throttle adjustability to drive the car, hence making it a hoot to drive (or drift if you're a really skillful bugger). The Impreza STi, you're actually holding on for dear life as half throttle and full throttle feels the same. There's not much finese there, as everything goes when the boost comes in. It is lucky that the Impreza STi's chassis is pretty sophisticated to ease thing up.

So what the Impreza STi really needs is a step by step power delivery. Doing 140bhp to 280bhp in a single bound isn't nice to drive most of the time. It is thrilling, the turbo rush and all, but it needs more graduation, maybe 125bhp, 200bhp and then 280bhp at 3,500rpm. Maybe the newer STis are like that, but I do know that if you tweak the STi, it will be a fantastic car with more progression and an extra 30bhp or so. That step is just RM3,000.00 away for my friend.

As stated, the Nissan piles on power effortlessly, with finesse. It still has excitement as the engine is still cammy in nature where after a certain rpm the engine note hardens and there is a step up in power. But as it's normally aspirated, it feels balanced. It feels exciting in another way i.e the relentless acceleration instead of explosive, one off acceleration. Both cars would reach 245km/h quickly, the Nissan would gain from the initial acceleration but by 3,500rpm, when the engine of the Impreza STi wakes up, the advantage would be erased till around 220km/h and then the naturally aspirated power of a large 3.5liter would come back strongly. It is sledgehammer technology against a precision tool. Both deliver pretty much the same end result, but the way it is delivered in either one is as different as night and day.

If road tax weren't an issue, RM4,000.00 a year road tax for the 350z versus the approximately RM374.00 for the Impreza STi, the 280bhp made in the normally aspirated way is the way to go. However, if you didn't have to choose, take one of each as you get an apple and an orange. It'll make you a very happy man indeed.

When in doubt. Buy Both.
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