Meet the Subaru Impreza STI CS400, a.k.a the Impreza Cosworth. In short, the 2,5-litre engine has been tuned to 295 kW – a massive 74 kW gain over the regular STI – allowing the 0 – 100 km/h time to drop by 1.5 seconds to a claimed 3.7 seconds. Only 75 examples will be built and that’s about all that’s been made public so far.

So how did this exclusive STI come about? Well, Subaru, anxious to restore some much-needed sporting credibility to the Impreza, approached Cosworth about a possible collaboration 15 months ago. This may seem an unusual partnership given Subaru’s historic ties with Prodrive in the UK, but Cosworth already had experience with the turbocharged flat-four through its US tuning division. Based in California, it has been modifying boxer engines for the West Coast tuning scene for several years – often extracting between 440 and 600 kW.

So five Imprezas were delivered to Cosworth’s unassuming headquarters in Northampton for work to be carried out. Although you might think of Cosworth as a company known exclusively for engine tuning, the company’s talents in fact run deeper. The firm took responsibility for the entire development process, the result of which is a car with new Eibach spring and Bilstein damper units, a 10 mm front suspension drop, a 10 mm wider rear track and AP Racing front brakes with six-pot calipers gripping 355 mm discs with a unique groove pattern.

The aim wasn’t to create a trackday special, but a fast road car, one that retains the driveability of the standard STI but, in the words of Kenyon Neads, Subaru UK’s marketing director, “takes it to the next level”. Neads says “When you do drive it, I think you’ll find that the dynamics, the composure, stability and power delivery has created a very different and better car.”

The understated appearance of the CS400 backs up his assertions. The rear wing is unaltered, the wheels are still ‘only’ 18-inches, and the colour choices are limited to silver, red and the dark grey pictured here. Look closer and you might spot the new mesh grille, badges and the darkened glass – besides the Cosworth branding, each car will wear an engine signature and a numbered plaque on the door sill.

Inside, the seats have been re-trimmed and feature fatter bolstering, while the liberal application of piano-black inserts has helped lift the ambiance a fraction – though it still doesn’t look or feel like it costs almost double that of a standard STI, which it does.

However, Neads says “This is the ultimate manifestation of where we think we can take the STI, but this partnership with Cosworth is ongoing”. In other words the two firms have invested heavily in this car – too heavily for them to call it quits after just 75 units. So expect to see another model, probably with around 260 kW in future.

One final thought about the CS400. The reputations of both firms are on the line: for Subaru this is a chance to prove it hasn’t lost its touch, that the hatchback Impreza platform can play host to a drivers’ car every bit as good as the old saloons. For Cosworth this is the first time its name has appeared on a road car since the demise of the Escort Cosworth in 1996. Both are determined to get it right. Let’s hope the chemistry has worked.

Adapted from Evo

Subaru has gone back to its roots with the introduction of the Impreza WRX sedan, launched locally in June this year. An Impreza WRX in four door guise sparks memories of the car which set the brand onto the path to local success nearly twenty years ago. Subaru SA’s brand and marketing manager, Grant Bowring, says the new sedan moves the WRX into a new market segment, one where it is clearly recognisable as the “ultimate compact sports sedan”.

We surely don’t need to tell you where Subaru cars have gained their reputation. Their legendary successes on rally stages across the globe has translated to equal success in winning the hearts, and at very least the respect, of motoring enthusiasts and the ‘playstation generation’ the world over. The question is, will the new Impreza WRX sedan keep the legend alive, or is it an attempt to rekindle a flame arguably dulled by the Impreza hatch?

Exterior
Of course the Subaru Impreza has always been an enthusiasts car and the new WRX sedan is no different. And, with a strong macho appeal, throaty rumble and shoot from the hip attitude, ‘different’ is certainly what the new Impreza WRX sedan is, when compared to other cars on the road. From the aggressive front end – with its signature bonnet scoop reminiscent of a whale shark – to the beautiful metallic ‘WR Blue’ painted bodywork riding on anthracite coloured 17-inch alloy wheels, redesigned tail-light clusters and boot spoiler at the rear, this car demands attention – and gets it.
Subtle changes to the new sedan include a bold chrome garnish highlighting the rear numberplate surround, dual exhaust outlets and a front grille now identical to the metallic mesh design of the Impreza STI, including badging to identify the specific model. The Subaru Impreza WRX sedan is a car with bold styling and although it may not appeal to eveyone, those who know the WRX legend look on with admiration and respect.

Interior
The high-backed sports seats, with WRX logo embroidered in the backrests, immediately welcome you to the cockpit of the new Impreza sedan. Their side bolsters make for good lateral support, although not as strongly sculptured as one may expect, and the driver’s seat is also height-adjustable via with a pump-action lever. The second item which caught our attention is the sunroof, now standard on the Impreza WRX, which is fun at slow speeds but quickly elicits much wind roar when leaving suburbia. Combined with road roar from the tyres on coarse tar and the growl of the optional sports exhaust, we were forced to compromise between extra fresh air through the sunroof or listening to the radio. Speaking of which, the WRX sedan is fitted with a Kenwood entertainment system that includes Sat-Nav, Radio/CD/MP3 player and built-in hard disk for storing your music – however, we found it to be less than intuitive in operation. Instrumentation is easily legible with all the necessary switch gear where you’d expect to find it. Updates to the interior of the Impreza sedan are subtle and include a metal-look finish for the centre console, door pull and door lock surrounds in the rear, as well as aluminium pedals and a red tinge for the instrument lighting. Interior plastics, which were once off-black are now jet black and this applies to all trim mouldings. Despite these aesthetic additions, the Impreza WRX retains a no-fuss interior that carries occupants in comfort and which favours practicality over pampering.

Thanks primarily to the dependable symmetrical all-wheel drive system, but also dual front, side and curtain airbags, pre-tensioning front seat-belts with load limiters, ISOFIX child seat mountings, anti-lock brakes with EBD and Brake Assist, the Impreza WRX guarantees all the thrills without the spills.

Boot space is a more than adequate 420-litres, compared to the 235-litres of the previous hatchback model, and can be extended thanks to the rear seats that fold down in the typical 60/40 split. Overall, the new WRX carried us in comfort, marred only by the continual drone from the optional sports exhaust after hours at the wheel on the open road.

The Drive
It’s what’s on the inside that counts, and this statement couldn’t be more true than in the Impreza WRX’s case. Under the bonnet lies Subaru’s trademark horizontally opposed (boxer) 2,5-litre turbocharged engine. More about the performance figures later, but even to the untrained ear it’s a sound unique in the motoring world. Turn the key and the engine barks into life before idling with intent. The weighty clutch pedal adds to the sporty nature that emanates throughout the car. The 5-speed gearbox does not operate with rifle-bolt precision but is accurate enough, which is just as well, because flooring the accelerator pedal launches the Impreza towards the horizon with remarkable pace, and you’d better be ready to grab each successive gear demanded by the heavyweight boxer under the hood. Under full throttle, with the whine of the turbo and induction roar, is when one realises the importance of the front air scoop. Apart from supplying an aggressive look to the car, it also feeds the engine with precious oxygen that is drawn in at increasing volume and pressure as the pace quickens. Once up to speed the WRX is ready to be pointed in any direction you wish, thanks to the legendary Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. Chassis and suspension changes to the new Impreza WRX include larger diameter anti-roll bars at the front and rear (21 mm and 16 mm respectively), slightly stiffer front and rear springs, and steering damper, which Subaru claims reduces kickback on bumpy roads and provides a more linear steering feel.

Despite these improvements to the car’s handling, and admittedly to our own surprise, we would have liked an even stiffer suspension setup than standard. In tighter corners the new WRX provided more body roll and movement than expected, which makes the car feel bigger and heavier than it actually is. Coupled with the V8-esque burble from the sports exhaust, you’d be forgiven for having flashes of navigating a brutish V8 through the corners. However, the mechanical grip provided by the all-wheel-drive is simply amazing and will put the Subaru way ahead of any hot-hatch drivers foolish enough to think they can stick with you through the turns. The WRX sedan is particularly impressive when accelerating through smooth fast sweeps, like a cat with an extra set of claws, the four wheels cling tenaciously to the tarmac as the power builds and slingshots you down the road in search of the next apex.

In short, there are many family sedans that will provide you with greater comfort and refinement but very few as involving, exciting and able to provide the driving experience delivered by the latest Impreza WRX – wow!

Performance
If you aren’t ‘wowed’ enough already then consider the sheer numbers provided by the new WRX. The familiar 2,5-litre turbocharged boxer engine has also been updated in the move from hatchback to sedan and is 26 kW more potent. The 195 kW engine rockets the 1 410 kg car from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 209 km/h. Remove the speed limiter and we have a sneaky suspicion the WRX would not be far behind the it’s bigger STI brother in a straight line. Maximum torque of 343 N.m is delivered in the middle of the rev range from 2 500 to 5 000 rpm. This spread of torque translates into serious drive out of slower corners and power that’s always ready to be exploited. The impressive performance figures have been achieved by tuning in a number of areas. Firstly, the boost pressure of the turbocharger has been increased from 78 kPa to 98 kPa. A revised exhaust system provides a 30 percent improvement in gas flow to deal with the increased boost and engine power, and a key ingredient is the addition of a bigger turbo, which is now the same size as that of the STI. Despite the increased performance, Subaru claim improved fuel consumption and emissions figures over the previous model, with consumption of 10.4 L/100km on the combined cycle and 247 g/km of CO2. We experience an average consumption figure of just over 14 L/100km, but for the Impreza owner it’s a small price for the performance fun. At the end of the day, the WRX is only 12 percent down on power compared to the STI and for two-thirds of the price it delivers serious bang for your buck.

What we like…

• Exciting performance and involving driving experience.
• A punchy saloon with space for family and luggage.

What we would like…

• Although of a high quality, the interior plastics could be tempered with some brushed  aluminium inserts or surrounds.
• Slightly better insulation in the boot to lessen the drone from the exhaust.

Just as soon as the Toyota FT-86 was born and came to this world at the Tokyo Motor show, it’s bigger, badder twin brother is about to hit the stage.

It’s well known that Subaru and Toyota have been in the same bed developing the FT-86 but one question that remains on everyone’s lips is, how, if they are developing the same car, can the two be different? Well it’s emerged that Subaru has been busy waving their wand over the 086A and is going to bring some very Subaru style magic to the table.

The biggest news to come out of all this is that rumors of the car being turbo and all wheel drive are now in fact confirmed. However staff close to the Subaru development side of the project have revealed is that the first thing to differ will be the codes which the cars will be known by. While the version of the FT-86 to go on sale in Japan will be known by the code 086A, and in the US and Europe as the 087A and 088A respectively, the Subaru version will be branded as the 216A. This is to “clearly distinguish between the Toyota and Subaru version of the car”. Things get juicier from there though, with the confirmation of what many have been suspecting all along. The car will be driven by a 2,0-litre turbo charged powerplant feeding power to all four wheels. This will either come in the ‘flavour’ of a revised, lower power but more efficient version of the 195 kW, 343 N.m engine from the Impreza 2.0 WRX, or the current powerplant found in the Impreza WRX STi that pushes out 221 kW and 407 N.m of torque. Our guess is the latter may well be used for an STi version later on.

Body wise, the the Subaru version will be bigger and badder but at the same time tipping the scales to the tune of around 100 kg more than the 086A. This seems to be a reasonable weight gain seeing that the dimensions have been increased in the region of 20 mm all around. Total height and width will go from 1260 mm to 1280 mm and from 1760 mm to 1780 mm respectively. Wheelbase and total lengths have also been extended, with overall length reaching 4180 mm and the wheelbase growing by 30 mm to 2600 mm in total. This is almost spot on to the current Impreza’s 2620 mm so the possibility of them sharing parts or being very similar is undoubtedly high.

So what is the final distinguishing factor between the two? Well, that will be the price. The increased performance, all wheel drive and bigger body will be adding around half a million yen to the tag bringing the car to around 3 million yen come 2011. This is not only to cover the extras over the Toyota but also to distinguish itself from the FT-86 version.

Adapted from 7Tune

Subaru enthusiasts will no doubt be raising a few eyebrows with the announcement that the firms new Impreza WRX STI A-Line Carbon is fitted with a 5-speed automatic gearbox. Apparently Subaru figures there’s a crowd out there just dying to lay their hands on the iconic high-performance sport hatch with an automatic box.

Strangely, the Legacy-sourced automatic box in this model is combined with a carbon fibre roof. Subaru says “this helps reduce weight and lower the center of gravity for improved handling and performance”. Figures aren’t available, but unless the gearbox has been on a diet, then shaving weight off the roof probably won’t make a whole lot of difference to the car’s overall weight.

In addition, the interior of the Impreza A-Line Carbon has been adorned with suede fabric, which covers most parts of the cabin, including the top of the dashboard and the Recaro sports seats, and adds a bit of variation to an otherwise sombre cabin.

The new Subaru Impreza WRX STI A-Line Carbon is scheduled to go on sale in the Japan shortly after the ’09 Tokyo Motor Show.