Subaru Impreza spawns noisy, restless WRX triplets

Deliveries of the new special edition Subaru Impreza WRX-S (£22,495), WRX STI 330S (£30,000) are expected in September this year, whilst the WRX STI 380S concept (£Your-guess a- good-as-ours) remains less clear as it’s still officially recognised as work in progress.

Like so many other concept cars at the British Motor Show this week, the WRX STI 380S concept is at the mercy of the great unwashed to determine its long term future. If it is back by public demand – and let’s be honest here, it will be – then Subaru say it will be ready to push itself in the face of Porsche 911 drivers within the next six months or so.

Either way, this trio of Imprezas are just the formula of letters and digits that can turn a Subaru driver’s already befuddled head. And high time according to many.

There was much muttering under breaths and looks of abject misery when the new-generation Subaru Impreza homed into view, minus its boot, with purists bemoaning it was the beginning of the end of their beloved Scooby as they knew it.

A bit galling for the remainder of us who still knew that beating beneath the altered exterior was the formidable Boxer engine that would still take on all pretenders to the throne as before. A case perhaps of the king is dead, long live the king.

Anyway, here at ExCeL this week, Subaru has pulled something special and unexpected out of its bag of tricks – three new special edition Impreza models that will restore the faith of those who felt they were loosing it.

Subaru’s long-standing relationship with revered motorsport engine modders Prodrive is in evidence on each of the triumvirate, as well as having had some of the manufacturers’ own comfort and customary styling accruements lavished upon them.

New Subaru Impreza WRX-S

Derived from the basic egg-and-chips Impreza WRX model already amongst us, the new £22,495 WRX-S comes with £4,500 worth of whiz-bang extras, most of which have been kindly donated – for a £2.5K premium over the current WRX - by Banbury-based Prodrive.

So that’ll be the 250bhp 2.5-litre boxer engine having had its ECU violated and the exhaust system fiddled with against its will. All in all, the WRX-S releases quite a few more stallions and a heck of a lot more torque. 51lb-ft more, and now pushing 287lb-ft full chat.

Top whack remains 130mph or as near as damn it, but 0 – 62mph drops from 6.1 seconds to 5.5, with gearing responses bearing all the Prodrive hallmarks.

Take you head out from under the bonnet, and potential WRX-S buyers notice 18” anthracite rims, xenon headlamps, an STI grille, front lip spoiler, rear diffuser and rear wing. And a choice of four exterior colours. San Remo Red, Obsidian Black, Satin White Pearl and the almost compulsory Impreza livery of WR Blue Mica.

Take a ganders where the occupants sit, and a MOMO race gear knob, leather-covered steering wheel and a 10-speaker 6-disc CD become apparent.

New Subaru Impreza WRX STI 330S

The new £30K Impreza WRX STI 330S also bears the battle scars of a good tussle with Prodrive’s tuning boys – notably 326bhp - and hosts the sort of extras that make your ears go pop and passers-by eyes go all funny.

Again, a unique Prodrive Performance Pack complete with fettled engine management and exhaust system take centre stage, with the later manifesting its vocal intentions by exhibiting twin 90mm stainless steel tailpipes jutting out its rear end. Legions of Scooby fans raised on the distinctive burble will be dancing in the streets. But thankfully not wearing knee-length socks with bells on them and banging sticks together.

Torque boost is better by the power of 46lb-ft, up from 300lb-ft in the existing Impreza STI model to 346lb-ft at a lower 3,400rpm, signalling swifter progression down the low rev range. As with the WRX-S, the top speed is unchanged, with the STI 330S acknowledging 155mph, with the 62mph dash where the difference is made. Down from 4.8 seconds to 4.4.

Other upgrades include leather Recaro’s, sat nav, Smart entry and push button ignition. Visually, the new special-edition sports new five-spoke 18" alloy wheels wearing 245/40 R18 tyres. It will be available in the full range of STI colours.

Standard equipment on the Impreza WRX STI includes a six-speed gearbox, Si-Drive giving three different engine response modes, a Multi-mode Driver Control Centre Differential, Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control and – of course – symmetrical all-wheel drive with front and rear limited-slip differentials.

Possibly New Subaru Impreza WRX STI 380S

With these two new Impreza models a forthcoming reality, the thing they call the WRX STI 380S concept sadly isn’t. Just yet. Its exact tech spec will be finalized on the say-so of the British Motor Show galleries, and should it make the grade will be hand-built to customer order later in 2008. Although one thing they won’t have any sway over is the power plant, as Prodrive has elected to rebuild the furnace from scratch so as to accomplish the full 376bhp as promised.

Aesthetically, the STI 380S will benefit from a new suspension set-up, exhaust system, body kit and see a return to either gold or silver 18” alloys of popular Subaru folklore dating back to the mid 1990s. Bring it on.