Before we talk performance stats it’s worth pointing out that this is no ordinary Subaru. Behind that familiar badge is a name that has set pulses racing amongst hot hatch fans for many years now – Cosworth. The people responsible for many fast Fords over the years are now helping to make the ultimate Impreza. So, forget that clunky name – this is none other than the Impreza Cosworth.

For years there have been rumours of a four-wheel drive Focus RS Cosworth, so it’s ironic to see Cosworth toppling the Focus RS from the top of the tree with a tuned Impreza. But while Ford dithered and never committed to the project, Subaru started talking to Cosworth and the CS400 was born.

Cosworth have been hard at work on the Impreza STi and have altered a lot of the components on the standard car. For a start the 2.5-litre turbocharged engine now is now tuned to 395bhp, an increase of 99bhp. The extra power drops the 0-62mph time down by 1.5 seconds to an incredible 3.7 seconds. That’s a surprisingly quick time, but unlike the Focus RS the Impreza uses four-wheel drive with variable torque-shift, making it much easier to deploy all 395bhp.

The engine work has been substantial and a host of new parts have been fitted, including the turbo, exhaust system, pistons, head gasket and oil filter. One of the most important factors that Cosworth have considered is durability, so you can rest assured that the engine won’t explode the minute the warranty expires.

Another vital ingredient of the Impreza Cosworth is that the car feels like a proper Subaru, that it is a fast road car rather than a track day special. This led Cosworth to tune more than the engine, they’ve also turned their attention to the suspension and brakes. In order to cope with Britain’s crumbling roads Cosworth have fitted new Eibach springs with Bilstein dampers, dropped the front ride height by10mm and increased the rear track by 10mm. There are also new front brakes,  AP Racing units with six-piston callipers and 355mm grooved discs.

Inside Cosworth have re-trimmed the front seats and added thicker bolstering to ensure you’re held securely as you tear around the B-roads of Britain, but other than some additional gloss black trim on the dash the interior remains standard.

Externally the changes are subtle. There are Cosworth badges front and rear, but other than a restyled front bumper there’s very little to distinguish the fastest of the Impreza range. Even the dark grey alloys are relatively understated as Cosworth have stuck to the same 18-inch diameter as the original items.

So what’s the price for all of this? Well, the Impreza Cosworth is going to set you back an eye-watering £49,995. That’s a huge price, especially when you consider the standard STi retails for under £28k, but you are getting a well-developed package – don’t forget that this is much more than a simple ECU remap. There’s also the benefit of exclusivity as Cosworth will only build 75 examples of the CS400, so you can expect residual values to be strong too.

Is that it then? Is that all we’re going to see from this partnership? Probably not, as even though there are no official plans yet there is room in the range for a less powerful (and cheaper) model to sit between the standard STi and the CS400. Perhaps a CS350?

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Cossie Returns With Subaru Impreza STI CS400 is a post from Driving Spirit. Are you ready for the release of Gran Turismo 5 on November 2nd?

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The obvious clue to this is the new carbon fibre roof, a popular trick in performance cars that helps to lower the centre of gravity and improve handling. The next improvement that Subaru have made is to fit a five-speed automatic transmisison that …

Hang on, they’ve fitted what? I could understand if they’d designed a new twin-clutch transmission that shaved milliseconds of each gear change, but to fit a normal five-speed slushbox is going to do nothing to help performance. Something tells me this is a limited edition that’s all about shifting a few units to customers who are afraid of manual transmissions. Not necessarily a bad thing if it helps Subaru make some money, but don’t try dressing it up with a trick roof.

The other big selling point of the STi Carbon is that it’s got black suede seats with red stitching. Hmm, nice, but not for me.

Come on Subaru,  just stick the carbon roof on the standard STi and leave it at that.

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Subaru WRX STi Carbon Just Doesn’t Make Sense is a post from Driving Spirit. Are you ready for the release of Gran Turismo 5 on November 2nd?

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STi Won't Be Axed

However, it’s not quite as bad as it seems. It turns out that this is part of a move by Subaru to refocus it’s range on it’s best cars, and the Impreza WRX has had a series of lukewarm reviews and very little interest in the showroom.

Instead, Subaru are going to concentrate on selling the quicker and more popular Impreza STi. They will also be working with Prodrive to build more high-performance cars in the vein of the STi 330S.

With the new Impreza diesel now in the showrooms, Subaru are also waiting to see how it sells before looking at more powerful versions. A twin-turbo diesel is a possibility but Subaru wants to be sure there’s enough demand before adding it to the range.

Subaru Axes Impreza WRX is a post from Driving Spirit. Are you ready for the release of Gran Turismo 5 on November 2nd?

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3. Cossie Returns With Subaru Impreza STI CS400

The Spec C is a lighter, more hardcore version of the WRX STI. It has more power and less weight, and is much more than a quick ECU upgrade.

There is, of course, a reprogrammed ECU but the engineers at Subaru Tecnica International didn’t stop there. The turbocharger has been fitted with smoother ball bearings to allow for more boost and quicker throttle response, and as a result power is up to 304 bhp and 311 lb-ft of torque. There’s also a water-spray for the intercooler, with a handy button to activate it on the centre console

Weight has been reduced by fitting a lighter aluminium bonnet, plastic windows and smaller battery, and even the spare wheel has been ditched in favour of a puncture repair kit. The suspension has been retuned and the chassis reinforced, and the new rims are wrapped in sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE070 rubber. Hanlding is further improved by replacing the old Torson-style rear LSD with a new mechanical LSD.

Sadly the Spec C will be limited to just 900 units, but even worse news is that the car is for the Japanese market only. Look out for the specialist importers to get their hands on a few, but the Spec C is going to be a very rare sight on the road.

For the full list of changes check out the press release below.

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Source: Subaru

PRESS RELEASE

2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C is a post from Driving Spirit. Are you ready for the release of Gran Turismo 5 on November 2nd?

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3. Subaru Impreza STI To Race At Nurburgring 24Hr

The specially-prepared Impreza WRX STI will race in the SP3T class for cars with 2.0-litre turbocharged engines and will be driven by Japanese drivers Kazuo Shimizu, Toshihiro Yoshida, Naoki Hattori and Koji Matsuda.

You can follow the progress of the team on a special micro-site that includes additional pictures, videos and interviews. They’ll be showing live timing and results when the race gets underway in May.

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The offical press release is as follows:

Subaru Impreza STI To Race At Nurburgring 24Hr is a post from Driving Spirit. Are you ready for the release of Gran Turismo 5 on November 2nd?

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1. Subaru Axes Impreza WRX
2. Subaru Impreza Spec-C Type RA-R – Farewell, old friend
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But don’t despair, as Subaru have seen fit to give the Impreza saloon a fitting send off in the shape of the Spec-C Type RA-R. Only 350 will be made and they’re intended for the Japanese domestic market, but you may be able to track one down at a good importer.

So what’s so special about this final edition?  Well, Subaru Technica International have raided their parts bin and thrown all of the best bits into the Spec-C Type RA-R.  As the name suggests it contains the Spec-C kit, which includes lightweight boot, lightweight roof, lightweight windows, as well as additional oil coolers.  On top of that they’ve also added STi suspension that sits 15mm lower than the standard Impreza, an underbody suspension brace from Yamaha, and a front lip spoiler that results in 30% less lift at speed.
The 2-litre flat four in the RA-R has been blueprinted and balanced, given an STi turbo intake and Spec-C twin-scroll turbo with larger compressor. This means power is up to 320bhp and torque is up to 318 lb-ft, but when remapped for UK fuel you can expect 345bhp and 330 lb-ft of torque.

Visual changes are kept to a minimum, with just the front spoiler and a roof vane being added, although the car does come with 18″ white-painted STi wheels.  Colours are limited to yellow, pure white and rally blue mica. My choice – go for white!

This really is a fitting tribute to the saloon Impreza that’s been knocking around since 1994.  Of course, the Impreza name is to carry on with a new hatchback shape, even though the designers have seen to give the new car a sound thrashing with the ugly stick.

If you can get your hands on a Spec-C Type RA-R then grab the opportunity with both hands, this car is bound to be a future classic.

Subaru Impreza Spec-C Type RA-R – Farewell, old friend is a post from Driving Spirit. Are you ready for the release of Gran Turismo 5 on November 2nd?

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If you haven’t heard of them, Prodrive are the British firm responsible for running the Subaru WRC team as well as releasing fantastic tweaked Imprezas for road use.

As for previous Imprezas, they have developed a set of performance tweaks that are available as the Prodrive Performance Pack (PPP). On the new STi this means an extra 100bhp, taking the 2.5 litre flat-four to 397bhp. Even though this is a huge increase on the original engine’s power output, the PPP still comes with a three year warranty for that extra peace of mind.

The PPP only increases engine performance, so you may want to consider additional suspension and brake packages that are on offer. There are also cosmetic enhancements available, including the usual alloy wheels and bodykits.

The STi is launched in the UK in March 2008, expect to be able to order your PPP sometime shortly after.

Prodrive Boost New Impreza STI is a post from Driving Spirit. Are you ready for the release of Gran Turismo 5 on November 2nd?

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3. Heroes – 1994 Subaru Impreza Turbo

In 1992 Subarus were a rare sight on British roads. They had a small range of cars – the Justy supermini, the GL saloon and estate, the larger Legacy and the unusual SVX coupe. Subaru’s unique selling point was that their entire range used four-wheel drive, which at the time was the preserve of big off-roaders. They were accepted to be affordable, tough and reliable, but were never considered desirable. It became a bit of a cliche, but Subarus were considered the vehicle of choice for farmers.

However, in 1992 this image was set for a radical overhaul. The GL was due for replacement, and in October 1992 Subaru announced the Impreza. Fitting the fashion of the early ’90s, the Impreza featured a more rounded design than the boxy GL it replaced. Basic models had engines using Subaru’s traditional flat-four layout, ranging from 1.5 to 1.8 litres, and all but the most basic model included four-wheel drive.

At that time Subaru were competing in the World Rally Championship using the large Legacy saloon. It had always struggled against the more nimble Lancia Integrale and Toyota Celica, so while designing the Impreza much thought was given to making it a suitable base for a smaller, lighter, more competitive rally car.

Turbo 2000 AWD (1994)

In 1994 Subary released the WRX, initially only available to the Japanese market. Powered by a turbocharged version of the 1994cc 2.0 litre from the Legacy, it gave 237bhp. When it arrived in the UK it was badged as the Impreza Turbo 2000 AWD, and gave only 208bhp due to the lower octane rating of European fuel, as well as tighter noise regulations. With shorter gearing than the Japanese version to preserve acceleration, the Turbo 2000 was faster than anything in the same price bracket and became an instant hit with motoring enthusiasts and schoolboys alike.

Series McRae (1995)

In 1995 Colin McRae managed to win the UK round of the WRC championship, the RAC Rally, in a 555 liveried Subaru Impreza. To celebrate, Subaru released the Series McRae special edition to the UK market in June of that year. 200 cars were released, based on the Turbo and featuring metallic Mica Blue paintwork with gold alloy wheels. McRae went on to win the driver’s WRC championship and with it he also brought the team the constructor’s championship.

Catalunya (1997)

In 1996 Subaru managed to win the contructors championship for the second year running, clinching the title at the Rally of Spain in Catalunya. Subaru released another run of 200 cars in March of 1997, again based on the Turbo and badged as the ‘Catalunya’ special edition, this time featuring black mica paint with red flecks, gold alloy wheels and various other cosmetic changes.

Terzo (1998)

1997 saw the Subaru team win the WRC championship for the third year running. This time Subaru released the ‘Terzo’ special edition in April 1998 with a run of 333 cars. As before, they were basically a rebadged Turbo with cosmetic tweaks.

22B (1998)

As part of Subaru’s 40th anniversary they released the 22B. It got a 2.2 litre engine, an adjustable rear wing, and used the new 2-door body that was introduced for the WRC car complete with widened wheelarches. With the larger engine power was increased to 276bhp with 268 lb/ft of torque, giving 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds and a max speed of 149mph. Only 400 22Bs were made, and only 16 of these were released to the UK, all painted WR Blue metallic.

RB5 (1999)

In 1999 Richard Burns returned to the Subaru WRC team, competing in car number 5. To celebrate, the RB5 special edition was released in the UK with a run of 444 cars, and could be bought with the optional WR Performance Pack that boosted power to 237bhp and torque to 258 lb/ft.

P1 (1999)

Throughout 1999 there had been many rumours in the motoring press that the UK was to receive a full Japanese specification Impreza. Eventually rumour became fact when the P1 (Prodrive 1) was released, featuring a 276bhp version of the flat four and using the same 2 door body shell as the 22B with the same WR Blue paintwork. It could hit 60 in only 4.6 seconds and had a maximum speed of 155mph, as well as class leading levels of ride and handling. Production was limited to 1000 cars, and they remain highly sought after on the second-hand market to this day.

Photo credit: DA.D200

Heroes – 1994 Subaru Impreza Turbo is a post from Driving Spirit. Are you ready for the release of Gran Turismo 5 on November 2nd?

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