According to the official announcement, Subaru's offerings on the Las Vegas Convention Center floor will be highlighted by the "fastest STI ever"; a pre-production test model that lapped the Ring in 7:55:00 in the hands of four-time World Rally Champion, Tommi Mäkinen this past summer (see video here).
For 2011, the UK's STI will get Subaru's "spec. C" suspension setup featuring a lower ride and wider tires wrapped around lighter wheels. Other than that, the car hits 100 km/h [62 mph] from standstill in 5.2 seconds, has a top speed of 158 mph [254 km/h] in sedan form, and meets Euro 5 emissions standards.
In Britain, the 2011 WRX STI will begin adding options at £32,995 for either the 4- or 5-door version. We're not sure yet if the "Impreza" name will be dropped from Subaru's halo car in other markets, but it could be a possibility as Fuji Heavy Industries' all-wheel drive automaker tries to revise its lineup.
An STI as a pronounced representative of the Subaru brand would be a bold move for a brand that has gone from unique and interesting to boring and non-competitive [WRX / STI models aside, of course] over the past few years.
By Phil Alex
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The new 2010 Impreza WRX STI Special Edition that premiered at the LA Auto Show this week will be priced $2,000 lower than the base STI model at $33,690 (including destination and handling fees), Subaru announced today. Available from early spring, the first batch of 125 cars will be painted in an exclusive Aspen White. After that, the Special Edition will join the lineup as a regular model and will be offered in Obsidian Black Pearl, WR Blue Mica and Dark Gray Metallic colors.Subaru says that the Special Edition is aimed at the enthusiast who doesn't mind trading a few amenities to gain an extra measure of handling performance over the standard STI.
While the model retains the STI's 305HP turbocharged boxer engine, it adopts the sportier suspension from the JDM market WRX STI spec C model, which adds a 1-millimeter thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer rear sub-frame bushings plus upgraded springs. The front springs are 16-percent stiffer, while the rear springs have been stiffened by 29-percent.
The package also includes the spec C's charcoal-colored 18-inch, 14-spoke alloy wheels.
The trade-off is that the WRX STI Special Edition gets halogen instead of HID headlights, a single-disc CD player / 4-speaker audio system instead of the 6-CD / 10-speaker system, manual air conditioning in place of automatic climate control, and side mirrors without integrated signals.
At next month's 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show, Subaru will launch a more hardcore version of its 2010 Impreza WRX STI aimed at the driving enthusiast. Available in an initial limited run of 125 units finished in an Aspen White color, the Impreza WRX STI Special Edition does away with some luxury amenities of the standard model while adding an upgraded suspension and wheels from the Japanese domestic market STI Spec-C.Suspension goodies borrowed from the Spec-C include a 1-millimeter thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer rear sub-frame bushings plus upgraded and retuned springs. Up front, the springs are 16-percent stiffer, while at the rear, the shocks have been stiffened by 29-percent.
Furthermore, the Special Edition gets the JDM Spec-C's charcoal-colored, 18-inch 14-spoke alloy wheels shod in the same Dunlop SP600 tires as the other STIs.
Compared to the standard 2010 Impreza WRX STI, the Special Edition features halogen instead of HID headlights while the 6-CD /10-speaker system has been replaced with a single-disc CD player / 4-speaker audio system and the automatic climate control with manual air conditioning.
Other than that, the new Special Edition comes with the same 305HP turbocharged boxer engine, 6-speed manual transmission and Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) version of Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system as the standard STI.
The 2010 Impreza WRX STI Special Edition will go on sale in the States in early Spring with pricing to be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show. According to Subaru, after the initial run of 125 units in Aspen White, the Special Edition will become a regular production model later in 2010, offered in all standard colors.
Subaru of America's in house performance division, STP (which stands for Subaru Performance Tuning), will reveal a custom-built Impreza WRX STI at the Las Vegas SEMA Show next week. The WRX STI gets all sorts of goodies from the SPT catalog such as a sportier exhaust system that boosts the 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine's output from 305 HP to 315 HP at 6,000 rpm with peak torque remaining stock at 290 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm and a turbo heat shield. To improve handling, SPT equipped the Impreza WS STI with a set of 19-inch Prodrive GT2 alloy wheels finished in Glitter Gold and wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 245/35R19 performance tires while the car's suspension is upgraded with STI performance springs, an SPT strut tower brace and an SPT lower chassis brace.
Cosmetically, the tuned model is said to feature SPT billet oil cap and billet battery hold down, an STI front lip spoiler and SPT exhaust finishers.
Interior appointments include an SPT boost gauge, a media hub digital music integration system and an auto-dimming mirror with transflective display and HomeLink transmitter plus an STI shift knob and all-weather floor mats.
The Impreza WRX STI Carbon is the latest special edition model from Subaru and it is aimed at driving enthusiasts - just as long as they don't have a problem with the fact that it will be available exclusively with a five-speed automatic transmission. As the name suggests, the Impreza WRX STI Carbon features a substantial amount of carbon fiber, most of which is found on the car's rooftop as Subaru used the composite material to replace the steel panel to achieve both a significant weight reduction and a lower center of gravity - or so the company claims.Another special feature of the Impreza WRX STI Carbon is the full-suede interior including a suede-wrapped dashboard and JDM Recaro bucket sport seats. The limited edition hot-hatch is available only in Japan.
