<<< The
fastest, most powerful Subaru Impreza yet, the WRX
STi WR1, is now on sale - and over half of the 500
examples available in the UK have already found owners.
The Prodrive-developed £29,995 WR1, a limited edition
model to celebrate Petter Solberg's driver's
championship win in last year's World Rally
Championships, has power upgraded to 320bhp, torque to
310lb ft, a top speed of 155mph and 0-60 acceleration
time of 4.25 seconds. A driver's control centre
differential is fitted to manually select the torque
distribution between the front and rear axles, and other
unique features include uprated springs and suspension
bump-stops with ride height lowered by 25mm. The WR1
comes in Ice Blue metallic paint only, with driving
lamps, a stainless steel mesh grille, 18-inch Prodrive
seven-spoke alloy wheels with 225/45 Pirelli PZero
tyres, anthracite suede-effect seats and special
interior trim detailing. >>>
You'll need to squint to spot the new Subaru WRX
STi. Externally, the only changes are subtle little
extensions to the rear wheel arhes and mildly restyled
alloy wheels. And, the Subaru guys point out, the red
paint finish on the inverted suspension struts has been
dropped. That's it.
Which is hugely misleading, because under the
skin, Subaru has done a whole lot more work than these
external cues would suggest. The changes are aimed at
making an already sensational drive even better, and
increasing the quality feel of the interior
One of the most dramatic - and least obvious -
changes to the Subaru are suspension revisions that
have stretched the wheelbase by 10mm and widened the
rear track by 15mm. That last tweak is what the
wheel arch extensions are there for. Further
suspension revisions include the use of aluminium in
some components to reduce weight, and retuning of
spring and damper rates. And anti roll bars have
been made even thicker to help reduce body roll.
The Subaru's steering has also been revised to
improve feedback and precision, and has also gained
a damper valve that reduces kick-back during hard
cornering or when traversing bumpy roads.
The latest STi also gains, as standard, Subaru's
driver's control centre differential (DCCD). This hugely
amusing device allows the driver to alter the four-wheel
drive system's torque split front to rear. Subaru
describes the benefit as 'allowing the driver to have a
sharper cornering turn in', which in polite-speak means
you can shove a load more torque to the back wheels and
have yourself a little hooligan fun with leery oversteer.
The system also incorporates programs to control
unwanted yaw, which is the initial stage of what is more
commonly known as a crash.
Mondeo Power
A wide range of dependable Ford powertrains will be
available, from the highly efficient 1.6-litre Duratec
petrol and 1.8-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel, to the
powerful Duratorq 2.0-litre TDCi diesel. There’s also a
high-performance 2.5-litre turbocharged Duratec petrol
unit derived from the engine in Ford’s performance ST
range.
Sustainability index that leads the industry
The new Mondeo has been developed in line with Ford's
Product Sustainability Index (PSI). This holistic
approach to product development is an industry first,
aimed at improving sustainability and performance for
future generations of vehicles. The new Mondeo will
target improved results in all three PSI sustainability
areas: environmental, social and economic performance.
In effect, the STi makes a hero out of whoever happens
to be behind the wheel. The gearshift is fabulously
direct and mechanical and the engine delivers a
classical boxer riff, with a bit of shrieking gear-whine
thrown in for good measure. Left in 'auto', the centre
differential decides which end of the car needs more
torque, and you just get on with the whole Colin McRae
fantasy.
....... Review Continues >>
2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type UK
New Subaru
Impreza
Used
Subaru Impreza
