The idea came up, like many expensive ones do, around the smoko table. Someone suggested embiggening the horsepower with the addition of two more cylinders, and everyone else said, “why not?”. (The car therefore goes under the working title of ImprezSix).

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If you thought replacing the wheels of a Subaru WRX STi with a Mattracks rubber track system was impressive, take a look at the strap-on tank that turns your old rust-bucket into a half tank, half car, true all-terrain vehicle.

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Braille Auto Development has released the Oxygen Racing Seat for the Subaru WRX STI. The new seats were developed in collaboration with doctors and physical therapists to make the seat more comfortable and put less stress on the human body during long drives and race driving.

The new Braille Oxygen Racing Seats for the Subaru WRX STI offers many advantages over the stock seats, notably:

• Better spine support
• More comfort
• Increased hip and leg room
• Thicker padding
• Ergonomic memory foam
• Lighter seats (you save 35 pounds over the stock seats). Nothing a good diet can’t do!

The seats are made of a fiberglass reinforced plastic shell, which makes them the lightest full-sized racing seats in the world without sacrificing safety. One seat weights a mere 16 pounds and you can buy one for $899 from Braille’s web site.

While these new racing seats won’t gain you any HPs on your Subaru WRX, they sure look comfy!

Via: HSPN

Subaru has announced a new special edition Impreza WRX STI in memory of rally hero Richard Burns who died in November last year of cancer.

Called the RB320, the new car features around £6,000 worth of extra equipment including the 320 PS Prodrive Performance Pack, yet costs £29,995 on-the-road – an increase of only £3,500.

The SPT Performance Exhaust replaces the stock intermediate pipe and muffler with a larger, 3-inch stainless-steel system for better sound and performance. The SPT High Flow Air Intakes are made of cast aluminum and come with an anti-vibration mounting system. The SPT Heat Shield cools intake air to reduce power loss.

Prodrive says its version of the 2.5-litre, turbocharged boxer engine delivers 185kW and 360Nm, the standard engine 169kW and 320Nm. Subaru SA says the car will sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.7sec and top out at an electronically limited 210km/h.

There’s a review of the 2006 Subaru WRX TR (Tuner Ready) for you to read at Subaru WRX TR (2006). Here’s a small excerpt:

All in all, the WRX TR is a nice car, but it feels kind of “cheap” given its $25,000 price tag. The interior is very economy car-like, the doors and trunk feel thin (though that may be by design — you know, to reduce weight and all), and there aren’t a whole lot of amenities. With the base price of the TR being just $500 less than the standard WRX, it doesn’t seem like a that great of a deal to us. For just $500 more, one gets a factory aero kit, a nicer interior and cooler-looking (and more aggressive) seats.

Subaru recognized that enthusiasts — whether those looking for a sport compact for the street or a modified car for autocrosses, rallies or track days — are likely to install their own aftermarket audio/entertainment/navigation systems as well as custom seats and event-specific tires, and that they also will go to the aftermarket for things such as aerodynamic body kits and wings, so the TR was created to make such conversion easier and less expensive.

Subaru has launched three new Prodrive Performance Packs for selected 2006 model-year Impreza and Forester models. The kits are available from Subaru dealers for 1700 including VAT and fitting, and do not affect the cars’ standard warranty arrangements. They also pass full UK Type Approval regulations for noise and emissions.

Each kit consists of a reprogrammed ECU and a new exhaust system which replaces the standard rear catalyst with a high-flow version and adds a sports silencer. In the case of the Impreza WRX STi, a new high-flow fuel pump is also added.

The results are dramatic. An Impreza WRX STi fitted with the Pack gets a power boost to 316bhp, while maximum torque improves from 289lb/ft to 332lb/ft. The power peak occurs 400rpm higher up the rev range at 6000rpm, but it’s the other way round with torque – down 300rpm to 3700rpm.

In terms of standing-start acceleration, nothing much changes. The STi’s 0-60mph time drops from 5.0 to 4.8 seconds, and there’s a 0.3s improvement in the 0-100mph time to 12.2 seconds. But mid-range acceleration is more important in the real world, and this is where the Prodrive Packs truly score. The run from 30-50mph in fourth gear comes down from 4.8 to 4.3 seconds, while the 50-70mph time in fifth also improves to 4.3 seconds from the standard 5.1.

The Impreza WRX gains similar benefits from its Pack. Maximum power goes up to 266bhp, while torque rockets up by 74lb/ft to 310lb/ft. The other car to get its own Pack is the Forester 2.5 XT manual, which gets a power boost to 256bhp. Interestingly, Subaru quotes 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds and 0-100mph in 13.9 seconds for both cars, though the mid-range figures for the Impreza are slightly better than they are for the Forester.

Subaru WRX STI

$33,000

Mpg: 18 city/24 highway

0 to 60: 5.0 seconds

Big wing, muscular hood scoop, and Brembo brakes. Sound familiar? With virtually the same parts, price and exhaust rumble as the Mitsu Evo, is Subaru’s WRX STI any different? Well, sort of.

The STI cranks out 300 hp, about 14 more than the Evo. Yet the Evo is 1.1 seconds faster when rocketing from 0 to 100 mph.

The tasteful Subaru interior features more comfortable seating and easier-to-read gauges, but the Evo gets better mileage and stops a bit more quickly.

Like choosing a partner, the choice really boils down to personal taste: the Evo is more rugged, the STI more refined.

The car that really surprised us was a current MY06 Subaru WRX equipped with a relatively mild MRT power-up kit. Nothing particularly groundbreaking in terms of mods but, jeez, the result was brilliant. Forget typically laggy Subaru turbo engines, this engine had the punch of a late-model Saab or Audi at low revs and continued to make good power to around 7000 rpm. It was responsive, wonderfully flexible and damn fast in the cut-and-thrust of normal driving. A great example of effective turbo matching and an intelligent engine tune.

“Leisure-seeking motorists preparing for the spring holiday season are being targeted by Subaru which has just has launched a high-value accessory campaign focussing on towbars and electrics plus roof bars and attachments.

For example, Subaru Forester customers buying a detachable or fixed swan-neck tow-bar will receive a free-of-charge “plug and play” 12N wiring kit worth �49.95.

This avoids fiddly connectors, clips and soldering and drastically reduces installation time for the towcar electrics.

Meanwhile, owners planning outdoor pursuits such as mountain-bikers, skiers and campers will all benefit from Subaru’s new “Raise The Quality Bar” campaign.

Anyone buying a load carrier and attachment such as a cycle carrier, ski carrier or transport box will receive a 10 per cent discount on both items.

The “Raise The Quality Bar” campaign on genuine Subaru accessories is available from all participating dealers with all items enjoying a full and comprehensive three-year warranty.”

Since the Subaru Impreza WRX appeared in Australia more than a decade ago we’ve seen countless workshops getting stuck into modification. But few, if any, are as impressive as the Middleton Rally Team (MRT) XB power-up kit for the newly released MY06 WRX.

Forget entering debates on other upgrades that might offer more top-end power, this baby will blow most other Rexes to the side of the road before they’ve hit boost! The typically laggy and soft bottom-end performance of the previous models is now just a distant memory, the MRT enhanced MY06 WRX is a torque monster!

“Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said Thursday that Subaru agreed to offer their radios as options for some 2007 models.

[...]

Beginning in May, Subaru will offer Sirius exclusively in the 2007 Subaru Forester. In August, Sirius radios will be available for the 2007 Subaru Impreza, the company said.

In a separate statement, XM Satellite Radio said its radios will be offered in the 2007 Subaru Legacy and Outback, as well as the B9 Tribeca sport utility vehicle. The special edition B9 Tribeca will feature XM radio as standard equipment.”

According to XM, you will also be able to request XM Satellite Radio as a dealer-installed feature on other models, such as the Subaru WRX, in 2007.

The forums on the web site WRX Tuners have a lot of information on how to tune and mod your WRX. However, there is a correct order to follow to safely upgrade parts on your Subaru WRX. If you install mods in the wrong order, you risk damaging your engine and your transmission. For example, if you upgrade your WRX to run 400hp with the stock clutch and transmission, your transmission won’t hold.

Kobiyashi has posted an extensive Subaru WRX Modification Guide on the WRX Tuners forums. I suggest you have a look at it if you plan on modding your car.

Here’s the order he recommends to install upgrades:

1. Exhaust ([catless]Downpipe, Midpipe, Muffler, and [catless]Uppipe) +10 HP
2. Turbo Timer +Save Your Turbo HP
3. Gauges (EGT, AFR, and Boost at the minimum) +Save Your Engine HP
4. Engine Management (Timing, Fuel, Boost) +40-60 HP
5. Fuel System Upgrade (Injectors, Pump, Rail, Regulator, and Plugs) +10 HP
6. Intake +5 HP
7. Clutch and Flywheel +Needed To Handle Next 2 Upgrades
8. Intercooler +20-30 HP
9. Turbo +40-150 HP

Again, for more information, visit _THE_ WRX Modification Guide. The guide has been written in 2004, but the information should still be relevant to the Subaru WRX 2006.

From: Techmark movers: Buyers find way to Trafficmaster

LONDON (SHARECAST) – Trafficmaster is in demand again following two new deals for its Smartnav in-car satellite navigation equipment.

Mitsubishi is to fit the device in its new L200 pick-up, while Subaru will fit it as standard in the top-of-the-range Impreza WRX STI.

This news is from the United Kingdoms, but they could as well equip the device on Subaru WRX STIs from around the world.

From Spice up your Scooby:

Owen Developments, suppliers of turbo kits to Subaru’s WRC team, have developed a turbo upgrade for the Impreza, giving up to 500bhp in road-going cars.

According to the article, this is for your everyday car, so you could just fit this to your brand new Subaru WRX STI 2006.