Subaru offers performance packs for the Impreza and Forester models in the UK

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.