Subaru Impreza Wrx STI 2005 test drive - 2007 sedan

Review of the new model Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C Type Ra-R

The fact that Subaru engineers are not indifferent to vehicles is known for a long time. The most striking evidence of this love can be considered the development and production of Subaru WRX STI Spec C. But life does not stand still, and now an even more advanced version of this car has appeared on the market, which has been assigned the Type RA-R index. The task of the designers was quite definite - to make sure that the machine equipped with a 320 -horsepower engine becomes even better. How they managed to cope with this, read the report of our journalist, who made on a new car a trial on a highway abounding with complex turns.
 
Carried away by driving, I forgot about time!
When I finally returned the car to my former place and got out of it, only then I felt that I was breaking in my lower back. Do not think, however, that this is all because the designers did not make sure that the driver was convenient. Although when creating this kind of machine, the question of comfort is really not in the first place, but still not to the same extent! No, the point here is completely different in the time that I spent the wheel of the car, it seemed to me equal to one minute, although several hours passed on itself. And I, sitting in a driver’s place, was so carried away that I did not even notice how it ran. That's what it means when you control the car for your pleasure! It should be noted that the main idea, which inspired the developers to create this variety of WRX STI, was, according to them, to create an Impreza car that would fascinate with its energy. And, it seems, they completely managed this Impreza WRX STI Spec C TYPE RA-R car, which it was decided to release a limited edition of 3,000 units, really fascinating, you just have to be driving.
So, in this case, we are talking about a machine produced by a limited party. I am sure that at the mention of this, many will immediately remember that among the machines of the Subaru brand there is already a similar limited Impreza S204 model, which is equipped with a 2-liter Flat 4 engine with a 320 hp turbocharger. and the largest torque of 44.0 kg/m. Indeed, on the car I described is exactly the same motor, and, it would seem, why did you need to do something new!? It turns out that it was necessary, since the car I described is distinguished by the best traction characteristics! Well, if the machine is able to develop a higher speed, and, mainly for this, it is created, it is clear that its brakes should have appropriate ones.
Imagine what is riding on the ring track? This is an endless alternation of complete gas and brakes on the floor, that's what. Naturally, the higher the nominal speed of the machine, the more powerful it should be brakes. And no deviations from the principle of proportional growth are unacceptable here. Otherwise, this immediately affect the condition of the driver, it will become clear to him that somewhere it should beware, in a word, anxiety will appear. But what will this be for riding in a circle if the driver will constantly think, no matter what happens!? Now, I hope you understand why suddenly the authors of the Type Ra-R project decided to strengthen the front brakes. Currently, they are specially selected monoblocks from Brembo, each of which has 6 pistons. To this it is worth adding that the mobile part of the brake mechanism (discs) turned out to be increased both in diameter (18 inches) and in thickness (32 mm). This, on the one hand, made it possible to increase the brake force, and on the other hand, to make them less subject to overheating with the subsequent decrease in efficiency.
The aluminum 18-inch wheels themselves were specially made for the Type RA-R model and are designed for tires in size 235/40R 18 Potenza RE070 brands. The chassis is made on the basis of the WRX STI Spec C car, only 15 mm below became the suspension, well, and the stiffness of springs and shock absorbers also increased.
On the other hand, it was decided to make not only the hood out of the aluminum alloy, as in the WRX STI Spec C car, but also the trunk lid. What can I say, even if the body was without a primer, and the internal walls of the trunk - without facing panels! In a word, designers and designers did not regret anything to make the car as lightly as possible by weight.
 
 
To the brakes - complete trust
So, here I am sitting on the driver’s place of one of the coolest cars called Subaru Impreza, and I study the objects surrounding me. Yes, - I immediately say to myself, - the front panel is by no means the highest quality of execution. It’s good that lately, even for cars, for which the main thing is to come to the finish line on time, it is customary to put both air conditioning and electric windows. Yes, and door mirrors of the rear/lateral appearance, which are cleaned and unfolded automatically, is also by no means superfluous. This is to the fact that, in general, taking into account the functional features of the Type RA-R car, the arrangement of its driver's place can be considered quite at the level.
I look at the salon with a whipping look, and immediately touch the place. Just in case, I put my leg on the brake pedal and suddenly, with surprise, I notice that it is unusually stiff. The free course of the pedal is very small, it can be said, it is not, so you only need to press it a little on it, as immediately the leg rests on something elastic. But one has only to overcome this resistance, as the area of \u200b\u200bactive braking immediately begins. In other words, unlike machines that are produced in the mass order and for a mass buyer, here the pedal works somewhat differently. Namely, after the free move, there is a stroke of the worker, and there is no transitional or buffer zone between them. That is, completely, as in a real sports car designed to participate in racing competitions.
On that day, by the way, I didn’t have a chance to travel on the ring track, but I was happy to drive along the road that consists of turnover, cool and not very well. Therefore, I had to constantly be on the alert, so that, completing the next turn, immediately begin to fulfill the next. However, no matter how tight I had to, it never came, figuratively speaking, to braking on the verge of a foul, so that, you know, it was already a screech. The brake pedal has always resisted pressure with the same force, regardless of what kind of point of its work move it was - at the very beginning or closer to the end. Therefore, I always had a clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhat kind of force you need to apply to it in order to obtain the desired intensity of braking. And this well -traced connection between the force with which the leg presses on the pedal, and the emerging moment that arises as a result forced me, in the end, to finally believe that I can definitely control the braking process, and that you can really rely on the brakes.
 
And accelerate and turn the car also knows how to
I talked in such detail about how the Impreza Type Ra-R car can stop, which one might think that this is its most important advantage. Meanwhile, this is completely wrong, because it can also gain speed, and it can also turn it no less talented. The engine, which is by car, is equipped with exactly the same powerful turbine as on the Impreza S204 car. And in the same way, while the engine holds momentum just above the idle stroke, the torque is not very powerful. But as soon as he spins, how everything changes at once. The engine is not even required to overcome the bar of 3000 rpm. To provide the machine with confident traction. But the most important thing is that when you think everything, this is a peak of power, and the leg continues to put pressure on the gas pedal by inertia, it happens amazing: the tachometer already shows 3500 revolutions per minute, and the intensity of acceleration does not think to fall! Well, isn't that great!? This should be added to this: then because of the not very large weight-only 1390 kg-or because of something else, but only if acceleration is on a reduced gear, then at that moment the driver’s body is simply squeezed In a chair, how powerful the traction power is on the car.
What else can truly hit the driver is the excellent handling of the car. In fact, despite the fact that the front axle has considerable weight, you just have to turn the steering wheel, as the front front of the car briskly briskly begins to deviate towards the turn. So briskly that it is truly fascinated. This ability of the machine is especially impressive on a steep turn. But if the turn is more or less smooth, so that the speed seems to be not necessary, then you enjoy a slightly different kind: under the influence of the force of inertia, the car does not throw the car, but on the contrary, presses to the road, and the car becomes unexpectedly stable.
Of course, in terms of comfort, not everything is so smooth. Judge for yourself: when the car is moving along city roads, that is, when you have to often slow down and gain speed again, the body constantly throws the body, then, on the contrary, it pecks with your nose. And even when the car goes on a high-speed highway, the body still cannot calm down and everything strives to jerk somewhere. And yet, if you put insufficient comfort on one bowl of scales, and on the other - the ability to ride, turn and stop perfectly, then, of course, the latter will pull. So for those drivers for whom the main thing in the car is running qualities, the car Subaru WRX STI Spec C Type RA-R is suitable, and how!
Technical characteristics of the Subaru WRX STI Spec C Type RA-R model:
Length 4475 mm x width 1740 mm x height 1410 mm.
Wheel base: 2540 mm.
Machine weight: 1390 kg.
Drive: all -wheel drive
Engine: 2-liter, 4-cylinder with a horizontal cylinder location, two distribution shafts and a 16-valve gas distribution mechanism, turbocharging with intermediate cooling of the heated air, developed power of 320 hp. at 6400 rpm, the largest torque is 44.0 kg/m at 4400 rpm.
Machine price: 4 million 284 thousand yen.
 
 
 

Source: Webcg.net