Subaru Impreza test drive since 2007 sedan

Simplicity is better than skill?

In the most powerful version of the Subaru-Imrez, all attributes of sports are combined with the convenience of everyday drive, Maxim Sachkov concluded. Photo by the author and Subaru.
The sign limiting the speed on the pit lane remained behind the stern - I pressed the accelerator pedal to pass only three circles of the Adria International Raceway racing highway located in Italy, not far from Bologna.
Warm circle
The reno seats tightly squeezes in his arms - if I were a little more fully, support would quickly be pulled sides. However, such chairs are placed to order - in the regular version for the new STI they offer less tenacious, but more comfortable. Thinking about this, I remembered the words of the chief engineer Hiroshi Mori: creating a car, we tried to make it not only fast, interesting and safe, but also convenient for everyday driving. Needless to say, the task is not easy.
A modernized 2.5-liter engine with a turbocharger was added compared to the predecessor of 20 forces. Mechanisms that change the phases of gas distribution were installed on the camshafts of the intake and exhaust valves, increased the size of the radiator for boost air, and naturally corrected the control program. Motorists worked not only for the sake of a fraction of a second to accelerate up to a hundred - they lowered the speed of the maximum torque, making the engine more elastic. Of course, waiting for unprecedented gravity on the bottoms from the charged imprec like. However, you can be touched calmly, without sending the tachometer to the arrow far up and without overexposure. But if you need to shoot, you will have to raise speeds to at least 3 thousand. Then the compressor will throw the hot motor hot -and he will be lucky. Just keep up with short gears - after all, an electronic limiter is triggered at 7000 rpm - a red light bulb on the dashboard flashes a moment earlier.
On the new STI, the SI-Drive (Subaru Intelligent Drive) system monitors the mood of the motor: by changing the characterization of the electronic gas pedal, it is able to turn the engine into sports and aggressive or make it obedient, like a family station wagon. In Intelligent mode, the unit behaves meekly, gently reacting to the actions of the right leg. Would you like to spur - drive the handle in Sport. The third version of Sport Sharp is best turned on on racing tracks. No wonder many professional pilots who skated guests at the presentation nevertheless preferred the usual sports regime.
The dynamics and handling are amazing. I decided to drive the next circle quickly, for which I paid - STI, slipping off the trajectory, hooked a piece of security zone with right wheels. Electronics could not remain indifferent in such a situation. By the way, this is the first Subaru-impresus WRX STI to receive a dynamic control system VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control). In previous charged impecues, the driver in a difficult situation relied only on his skill. Now the engineers decided to insure themselves, but in order not to deprive the pleasure of fans to scream with tires, they made the device disabled. They pressed a button - and only ABS and a system that helped touch the hill remained from electronic assistants at the post. And if you hold the key for a couple of seconds, then the traction mode will turn on, in which VDS stabilizes the machine only with brakes, giving the opportunity to control the traction.
Miracles on turns
My time has expired, but the opportunity was to drive a couple of circles with a professional pilot. Of course, it is interesting to look at his work, points of braking, trajectories. But I would like to look at how the legendary all -wheel drive Subaru in the hands of a professional behaves. In Auto mode, electronics distributes the moment in such a way as to ensure neutral rotation. The driver at his discretion can adjust the settings. In front of slow, steep turns I usually put a minus, the pilot clicks the toggle switch, - a larger moment goes to the rear wheels, the car is better screwed into the turn.
Quite a long straight and protracted arc: toggle switch -in Plus position. In this mode, insufficient rotation appears. The car slides more than the front part, not so willingly driving into a turn. This allows you to get out of it faster. We are already approaching the finish line - the pilot turns on the emergency gun and the circle slowly gets, cooling the brakes.
Of course, time is negligible for communication with such an interesting machine! It is a pity that the organizers limited themselves only to races along the racing highway. After all, this charged Impreza, despite the formidable STI prefix, a powerful engine, honed controllability, is universal and quite suitable for public roads. Unlike her predecessor, she is more flexor and is not so demanding of the driver. But at the same time, the new STI has retained the main quality -to put the pleasure of driving. However, the ability to check this on Russian roads will present in the spring. The price of Subaru-impresus STI ranges from 1,408,000 to 1,528,000 rubles. Not cheap for uninitiated, inexpensive for connoisseurs.
On the letter n
At the beginning of winter, at the exhibition in Bologna, they introduced the Subaru-impresus WRX STI, prepared for rally in group N4. From the civil version, the N14 model (the number is the serial number of the version renewed every year) is almost no different, unless, of course, it is considered mandatory mudguards and combat coloring - the main differences are hidden under the shell. The workpiece is the usual STI with the specified technical regulations with a 2.0-liter engine (with this unit, cars are delivered to the Japanese market). More powerful brakes, adjustable shock absorbers, an original engine control unit, which can be reconfigured, even from the driver's seat, are installed on it. Well, it is forbidden to touch the iron in the motor, in addition, the supply of air to the supercharger limits the washer with a diameter of 32 mm. The standard box is changed to a fist. All unnecessary is removed from the cabin, the safety frame is welded, the glass is glued so that the fragments do not fly apart in the accident, the sports seats with 4- or 6-point belts, the navigator equipment and the fire extinguishing system are installed. Group N is considered inexpensive -the price of the version for racing is approximately twice as high as the civilian one.
In search of symmetry
The all-wheel drive of the Subaru-impresus WRX STI is called symmetrical, but under normal conditions the moment between the front and rear wheels is distributed in the ratio of 41:59. For the sake of controllability and security, this proportion helps to change the central differential, which is controlled by electronics by signals of recoils of accelerations, the position of the steering, engine speed. In addition, the driver can forcibly shift the balance in the direction of the front or rear axle. The moment between the rear wheels is distributed by the mechanical differential torsen (Torsen). Ahead is also the mechanic’s traction - differential Helical (Helical) has a milder character.
Impreza WRX STI - will help the driver reveal the capabilities and soften its shortcomings.
Maxim Sachkov
 
 
 
 

 
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"