2015 Subaru WRX STI
The most extreme roadgoing Subaru—ever.
February 2014
BY JOHN PHILLIPS
Prior to the drive preview of the 2015 Subaru WRX STI in Carmel, California, the car debuted at this year’s Detroit auto show. At that point, everyone had discovered that the STI’s 2.5-liter engine would produce 305 hp at 6000 rpm—the same as the outgoing model. Armed with primarily this fact, they went on the type of warpath usually reserved for the likes of Silvio Berlusconi under cross-examination from Charlie Sheen. Typical of the frothy fury was Stevessvt’s comment in the Backfires thread for the debut story: “305 hp? What an absolute fail.”
And so, upon alighting in Eastwood Central, we cornered Masuo Takatsu, the program manager for both the WRX and STI. Said he: “I felt the STI’s weaker area was the handling side. If we didn’t have the chassis, why add more power to overwhelm it? Also, this EJ engine has proved itself in competition. It’s an engine we confidently bring to the track, [whereas] the new FA series in the WRX has not been proven in motorsports. Plus, we knew the aftermarket could supply more power to those STI owners who demanded it.”
Japanese engineers are rarely so candid.
That There’s the Upgraded Bit—Yeah, All of It
But first let’s look at the other upgrades. The STI will be offered as a five-passenger sedan only, with a six-speed manual. It shares with the Impreza only two body panels—the rear deck and the roof—with all other panels seemingly flared or bulged or “all angered up,” as Satchel Paige might say. The car’s squinty headlamps suggest an eagle about to devour a field mouse. The cabin is more airy, thanks in part to a one-inch stretch in wheelbase that allows two bonus inches of rear legroom. Moreover, the A-pillars are narrower and have been moved inward almost eight inches; the dashboard is lower; the side sills are lower; step-in height is lower; and the door openings are wider. It’s all very welcoming and improves sightlines forward, although vision astern is bifurcated by that Eiffel Tower of a wing. What’s more, interior surfaces are richer, including Lexus-like electroluminescent gauges, red-stitched faux-suede trim, a fat D-shaped steering wheel that Maserati would countenance, and faux carbon-fiber bits that you’ll swear are genuine after two pints of Sapporo.
The shifter is your pal for life, with short, rifle-shot throws, complemented by clutch take-up that is quick without being abrupt or grabby. Triple-cone synchronizers abet shifts in first and second; a double-cone synchronizer serves third. Feel free to indulge in Viagra jokes at the expense of the proud-standing rear wing—88 percent of STI buyers are highly testosteronated males—although Subaru swears on a Fuji bible that the wing adds minimal drag and a bunch of downforce. In fact, Subie says the STI’s Cd has dropped from 0.363 to 0.329.
The steering rack remains hydraulically assisted, but its ratio has been quickened to 13.0:1. So precise is the steering that you can select an inch-square hunk of apex pavement and hit it lap after lap. Steering this quick should be darty, nervous, prone to kickback. That it evinces none of those traits is evidence of rigorous development. On straightaways, you can remove hands from the wheel for three seconds at a time.
It’s Rigid—R.I.G.I.D.
Virtually every underpinning has been stiffened, modified, or beefed up. The front stabilizer bar is fatter by 3 mm. Spring rates are up 22 percent. Lateral stiffness up front has risen 14 percent. The rear suspension boasts a stab bar bigger by 1 mm, along with 3 mm of additional toe-in. Lateral stiffness at the rear is up 38 percent. Roll stiffness, front and rear, is up 24 percent. Overall torsional rigidity is up 40 percent. Perhaps you get the idea.
The good news, says Subaru, is 0.98 g of lateral grip. The bad news, says us, is ride quality that is simply fierce. We’d gladly give away all of the driver-adjustable aids—the three-mode SI-Drive engine-performance management, the six differential-locking settings in the Driver Controlled Center Differential, and the three-setting Vehicle Dynamics Control—in return for one driver-adjustable toggle called, “FULL RELAXATION MODE.”
Because gear ratios and tire sizes are unchanged—and because the STI’s weight is allegedly up only two pounds—we’re confident there will still be two gearshifts on the way to 60 mph, a trip likely to consume 5.3 seconds, the same as an STI we tested in 2010. So allow us to point out that the new 268-hp WRX, with its $27,090 base price, will perform the same trick with just one shift, requiring but 4.8 seconds. Pause here, dear reader, to praise the regular WRX’s speed versus its price.
Speaking of prices, they are thus for the STI: Base: $35,290; Launch Edition: $38,190; Limited: $39,290.
Better Track Behavior
Circulating mirror-smooth Laguna Seca, the STI is easily goaded to ridiculous speeds. It is comfortably neutral in all its moves. Push too hard and you’ll merely induce an enjoyable drift that is balanced, front to rear. Few steering racks are this informative; few chassis inspire such confidence. Only in crabby hairpins do you notice the torque-vectoring system disciplining an inside wheel. In the cabin, control relationships are superb. We were heel-and-toeing in pit lane just for amusement. The seats hold your butt exactly where you first parked it. If you upset the suspension, tap the Brembos and all is instantly settled. And although we got the brakes to stink, they never faded. In fact, brake-pedal modulation and throttle tip-in, at first hit, are both paradigms of silky, subtle precision. This car feels better sorted and more sophisticated than its predecessor.
On public roads, the STI simply cannot be driven much beyond 8/10ths of its capability. It is so fast that its driver becomes the weak cog, fearful of runaway dogs and headphone-wearing joggers and bleary neighbors nosing minivans out of driveways.
So, Mr. Stevessvt, what the STI does not need is more horsepower. What it does need is a brave soul to loudly recollect the ride of, say, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, which evo’d into an automatic dental-filling extractor. Buy an STI and there’s almost a mandate to attend eight track days annually. Otherwise, why withstand the ruthless ride? In the rearview mirror, observe the wing as it wows and wobbles—a reaction to impacts from below rather than airflow from above.
We’ll derive better data when we latch onto an STI for objective testing. But what we already know is that this is the most extreme road car to carry a Subaru badge. And there’s no way we’ll be carping less about the ride as the STI negotiates Michigan’s battle-scarred byways. As it stands, the cheapest STI commands an $8200 premium over the base WRX. We thus suggest you stick with lovable ol’ Rex for the time being. Or, at the least, hold fire until we’ve sampled the upcoming 290-hp 2015 VW Golf R 4Motion on real roads. (We’ve only driven that one on a frozen lake.)
The moral: If you owned an immensely talented horse that reliably bucked off every rider in the first seven seconds, it wouldn’t matter how fast he was at Churchill Downs.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyW37BE_ZoE[/video]
