Subaru Impreza WRX STI (2008 – 2013) Review

September 2007

Launched Frankfurt Show

Available in UK from November 2007, the new 230ps 236lb ft torque Subaru Impreza 2.5 WRX turbo listed at £19,995 on-the-road £1,102 less than the previous model. Surprise addition to range available in limited numbers prior to the range-topping WRX STI went on sale in spring 2008.

The new WRX has 17-inch alloy wheels, with 205/50 tyres, front and rear spoilers, side skirts, a rear bumper diffuser, leather-covered steering-wheel and gear-knob, a rear limited-slip-differential with Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control, 10-speaker, six-disc radio/CD player and xenon headlamps.

All Imprezas have all-wheel drive, alloy wheels, climate-control air-conditioning, radio/CD player, height and reach steering-wheel adjustment, foglamps, front and rear electric windows, driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags plus vehicle information display.

October 2007

WRX STI announced

Totally new five-door WRC look-alike body with large blistered wheelarches with smoother ride and increased grip from new multi-link rear suspension along with a new interior that features leather/Alcantara as standard. There are three different engine-response modes from Si-Drive and a revised 2.5 litre turbo ‘boxer’ engine now with 300 PS. Performance is 155mph top speed with 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds helped by an upgraded symmetrical all-wheel drive system which offers even more driver-selected handling characteristics. UK Price £24,995 On-The-Road - £1,600 less than old model .

April 2010

Impreza STI is now available with upgraded engine power and a satellite navigation system as standard and with no increase to the OTR price of £32,995 − but for a limited period only.

The revised 2.5 litre Subaru Boxer 16-valve turbo engine produces an already impressive 300 PS at 6000 rpm and 407 Nm at 4000 rpm in standard trim. Customers who purchase an STI between now and the end of June will get an engine upgrade which will result in an extra 20 PS and even more mid-range torque, leading to final performance figures of 450 Nm at 3400 rpm.

The power pack has been developed in-house at Subaru UK and is covered by a Subaru UK warranty. A sub five second sprint to 62 mph puts the STI firmly in the supercar category, despatched in just 4.9 seconds. In addition to the significant engine enhancements, STI’s purchased in the qualifying period will also get a Pioneer sat nav fitted as standard. The system features touch-screen capability, Bluetooth and iPod connection. The screen is also detachable and can be connected to a laptop via a USB port for easy downloading of additional information.

All STIs come as standard with symmetrical AWD, keyless entry and push button start, hill start assist, climate control, SI-Drive, leather Recaro seats, 18 inch alloy wheels, remote locking, satellite tracker and cruise control.

May 2010

New Cosworth Impreza STI CS400. First genuine Cosworth-developed road car since 1996, the latest limited edition Impreza offers performance-car fans the thrill of a lifetime combined with exclusivity – production will be restricted to 75 cars.

The Cosworth-tuned, turbocharged 2.5-litre turbocharged ‘Boxer’ engine is transformed to produce 400PS at 5,750rpm, drawing heavily on Cosworth’s extensive Formula 1 experience. The engine, which drives all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, boasts 400PS and the new model reaches 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds, going on to cover a quarter mile in 12.75 seconds at a terminal speed of 107 mph. Top speed is limited to 155mph.

The Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 features an extensive range of Cosworth-engineered components in the engine, turbo system, exhaust, suspension, brakes and wheels, plus subtle improvements to the exterior and interior styling to create a truly distinctive high performance car with everyday hatchback practicality. Other refinements include a bespoke brake package – with six-pot callipers – developed in partnership with AP Racing, giving the car prodigious stopping power. A wide range of further upgrades have also been made to the suspension, exhaust and to the donor Impreza’s exterior and interior styling.

Marketed exclusively in the UK in right-hand drive form, the Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 is available in a choice of three exterior colours (Spark Silver, Dark Grey and San Remo Red), and is priced from £49,995 on-the-road. Only 75 Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 for the UK.

October 2010

Impreza name dropped and 4-door version introduced

The new WRX STI benefits from a stiffened bodyshell and an extensively reworked suspension system – based upon the marque’s widely praised ‘spec. C’ set-up. Lower ride height and wider tyres also contribute to more direct and accurate control of the car and greater feedback for the driver. The more rigid bodyshell has also made it possible to increase suspension travel, benefiting road-holding as well as ride refinement. An all-new design of wheel saves approximately two kilograms of un-sprung weight per corner compared to the outgoing model, helping to further improve ride and handling, as well as enhancing the car’s appearance.

Exterior styling is extensively revised, with new bumpers, enlarged rear quarter panels and lower ride height giving the car a more muscular presence. Inside, the quality of the cabin materials has been upgraded, and the driver and passenger are assured of a secure and comfortable seating position thanks to the introduction of all-new RECARO bucket seats.

The 2.5-litre Subaru boxer 16-valve turbo engine with Dual Active Valve Control produces 300ps at 6,000rpm and massive torque – with a peak of 407Nm at 4,000rpm – even from low-revs. While these outputs are unchanged from the outgoing STI, improved torque delivery throughout the rev range translates into better response and more linear acceleration. The zero-to-62mph sprint is achieved in just 5.2 seconds.

Significantly, the revised engine is cleaner, and successfully meets Euro 5 exhaust emissions standards. (No mention made of a switch back from alloy pistons to forged steel pistons, though.

Central to the agile handling of Subaru vehicles is the company’s legendary Symmetrical AWD (All-Wheel drive) system. This consists of the horizontally-opposed boxer engine, with its intrinsic low centre of gravity, combined with advanced AWD technology incorporating sophisticated front, centre and rear differentials. For the new WRX STI the system has been uprated, with revised settings for the differentials.

The car features a default setting of 41 / 59 per cent front / rear torque distribution for optimum balance, and the driver can adjust this while on the move using the four-mode (Driver’s Control Centre Differential) system. The WRX STI also incorporates Multi-Mode VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) – Subaru’s advanced electronic stability control (ESC), allowing the driver to modify the point of intervention of this electronic driver aid to suit their own tastes or driving conditions.

In order to develop a vehicle that provides exceptional levels of high performance and precision handling, together with user-friendly daily motoring driveability on demand, Subaru has further tuned its three-mode SI-Drive (Subaru Intelligent Drive) system, which can be used to adjust the engine’s characteristics to best suit a variety of driving conditions. Aficionados of Subaru performance vehicles will be cheered by the news that a new exhaust system, with a larger centre muffler and larger diameter piping, enhances the engine’s iconic boxer ‘burble’.

The WRX STI is available from October 2010, priced at £32,995 on-the-road for both the four-and five-door variants.

Standard equipment includes keyless entry, push-button start, front log lamps, hill start assist, climate control air-conditioning, remote central locking, electric windows front and rear, an all-new radio-CD unit with a 10-speaker audio system, AUX and USB input jacks, hands-free Bluetooth® system and cruise control.

August 2012

Subaru announced a price offer on its high-performance WRX STI model of just £26,995. At the same time, Subaru UK has created a further engine upgrade for the STI so that customers can create a new high-performance All-Wheel Drive flagship, the WRX STI 340R. The new 340R power upgrade, which adds £1,599 to the price, is available alongside the 320R (with 320PS and 450 Nm) which was first launched to market last year. Both the 340R and 320R power upgrades can be applied retroactively without affecting a car’s warranty.

Available immediately, the WRX STI 340R boasts 340 ps and 490 Nm of torque – substantial increases of 40 ps and 83 Nm over the standard WRX STI – making the 340R one of the fastest point-to-point cars on the road.

The 340R power upgrade features different ECU settings to allow the 2.5-litre horizontally-opposed, four-cylinder Boxer engine to produce more power, while airflow has improved as a result of a new exhaust system, which also provides drivers with a thrilling soundtrack and the iconic Subaru burble. The 340R will accelerate from standstill to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds, an improvement of 0.5 seconds over the standard WRX STI. There is also even stronger in-gear acceleration as a result of the improved torque.

As with other WRX STI models, the 340R benefits from Subaru’s advanced All-Wheel Drive technology, Torsen rear differential, fully-independent front and rear suspension and four-door saloon practicality.