Inside Line was lucky enough to receive a Subaru WRX STI Spec C for a test drive.
“Plans for the Spec C were nearly scrubbed late last year when Subaru ended its 20-year involvement in the World Rally Championship after the recent, massive decline in worldwide sales caused the bosses to radically rethink the company’s motorsports program.”
“The upgrades from STI (the high-performance division of Subaru, which both sells aftermarket hardware and prepares specialty cars like this one) reads like a pre-race checklist for a one-off supercar: specially tuned ball-bearing turbo; spray-type water cooling for the intercooler; high-capacity fuel pump; high-capacity hydraulic pump for power-assisted steering; recalibrated suspension with unique dampers, coil springs and bushings; mechanical limited-slip differential; four-piston Brembo brake calipers; and Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires.”
“[The] Spec C feels faster than the STI, even though the engine’s output is no different — 304 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 311 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.”
“Unlike the last generation of the Spec C, which did without all of its acoustic insulation in the process of reducing overall weight by 200 pounds, the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C is far more usable on the road. It is definitely noisier in terms of road and engine noise, but it has not sacrificed ride comfort, so long trips should be bearable.”
Source: Inside Line