2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi

It may look like just another Subaru in a long line of family cars, but the 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi is a powerhouse of speed and control waiting to be released. Slip into the driver’s seat and fire her up, and as the rumble of the engine echoes through the fuselage style cabin, the gauges get your blood flowing as they max out and swing back to their accurate position, glowing an exciting LED red in the darkness.

The aluminum trimmed gauges draw your eye to its most unique feature, the DCCD display. The driver controlled center differential can instantaneously increase the torque delivered by up to 59% to the rear wheels at the driver’s command, creating an actual use for the speedometer that reads up to 160 miles per hour. The tachometer that reads up to 9000 gets your juices flowing before you even put her in gear.

With a direct performance oriented interior, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi is roomy like other members of the Subaru family. Complete with standard climate control for driver comfort and a reasonable sound system to pump it up, this $33,600 car is not for Sunday drivers. This is a car completely designed around the speed driver enthusiast, and as you slip your hands around the unique three pronged steering wheel, you are ready for overdrive.

The Subaru Impreza WRX STi, which stands for Subaru Technica International) offers a basic passive restraint system with side air bags that offer some head protection. Though it lacks yaw control, the driver controlled center differential makes up for anything this car may be lacking, which isn’t much.

Don’t let its Subaru qualities fool you, she is not the little sister to anyone. She stands alone in the world of race car performance and maneuverability. The cat’s eye headlights that accentuate the new grill are the most obvious visual differences, coupled with the more subtle hood scoop and bumper she quietly waits for her chance to prove her capabilities. There are unconfirmed rumors that many of her sleek and stylish features as well as her remarkable functions were originally designed for an Alfa Romeo. The designs fit the Subaru Impreza WRX STi like a glove, regardless of the designer’s original intent.

Somewhat reminiscent of aircraft design, it is obvious that there was homage paid to flight in the production of the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. The “fuselage” center tones down into wing like sides. The true celebration of flight occurs in the driver’s seat.

The echo of the 2.5 litre, 300 horsepower engine thrums with nothing but a desire to be driven. The re-worked suspension creates a smoother ride with ultimately better handling. She screams performance car. The large air scoop on the aluminum hood is intelligently designed to fee fresh outdoor air directly down to an intercooler that is mounted dead center on the engine. The two plane rear spoiler naturally does as it is designed to do and prevents lift while improve the quality of high speed stability, but molds into the car like a natural functioning mechanism rather than an extra slap of carbon fiber slapped on the rear of the car.

The new roof and the redesigned spoiler pleases the eyes and improves the natural aerodynamics and airflow over the roof. Special touches are abundant throughout the vehicle, like the Xenon HID low beams grounded into the gracefully designed head light pod.

The redesigned aerodynamic underbody and side ground effects were intelligently designed to add to the stability of high speed track driving. She is not only designed to go fast, she is designed to do so with grace and durability, and at only a little over $33,000 she does all of this with an intense marketability that outraces most other high performance cars. The standard 3 year or 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty stands behind the quality engineering and the longevity of a car that begs to be abused.

Despite her function-ability, her affordability, and her grace among cars, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi really has not received her fair share of media attention. Car enthusiasts bring her to light, but the media has yet to pick up on her remarkable trend setting performance features or her usability.

Her attention to detail design enables her to fly from 0 to 62 miles per hour in under 5 seconds, topping out at around 155 miles per hour. Her ease of handling and her stability features keep her on the roadways, and her ABS vented disk brakes stop her momentum on a dime.

While she’s a little short on the rear leg room and the driver’s ability to see clearly when backing up, overall the Subaru Impreza WRX STi receives excellent reviews for style, handling, price, and quality. There are a few critics who feel the styling of the performance cars in general are a bit over exuberant, her attractive qualities go over well in the performance car enthusiast rings.

The six speed manual transmission with overdrive is a huge selling point for those who purchase cars for speed. While most people never truly have the opportunity to drive the Subaru Impreza WRX STi to the fullest extent of her capabilities, drivers find her irresistible and her power intoxicating.

Considering her ticket price and her performance qualities, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi provides a tremendous bang for the dollar. She is not so souped up that she can’t be street driven like so many high performance cars. Rather, she offers the best of both worlds and creates more possible owners than any other radical high performance vehicle. For just about any speed enthusiast, a test drive is all they’ll need to be sold on the Subaru Impreza WRX STi’s majestic capabilities. Subaru’s plans to release more models similar to this one are being anxiously awaited by a following of very loyal fans. By improving on speed enhancement and stability designs, Subaru has found itself running with the big boys and making the most of every opportunity.







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© 2007 Kiersten Stetser and Karl C for www.sport-cars.org