PN_AutoTrader Spread.indd

WORDS BY
JONATHAN MACDONALD
Spec
…
remaining to be sold. The bad news?
They cost a whopping £50k!
That’s a high premium to pay over
the standard WRX STI, but the two
cars really are like night and day.
If you want the ultimate modern
Subaru, the Cosworth Impreza has
to be it!
Upgrades over the standard STI
include a complete engine rebuild
and remap by Cosworth, featuring
new pistons, con-rods and turbo,
allowing the car to produce a safe
395bhp and 380lb/ft of torque.
The car also features adjustable
suspension, and is 15mm lower than
the standard STI. Other upgrades
include the exhaust, clutch and
brakes, with ventilated and grooved
Subaru WRX STI /
Cosworth Impreza
0-62mph: 5.2 seconds / 3.7 seconds
Power: 296bhp @ 6000rpm /
395bhp @ 5750rpm
Torque: 300lb/ft @ 4000rpm / 370lb/
ft @ 3950rpm
Price: £32,995 / £49,995
Road tester Jonathan
MacDonald with
Subaru’s Robin Barlett
discs combined with 6 pot callipers
helping to slow this beast!
On the outside, Cosworth
badges adorn the car, as they do
on the interior as well. Piano black
completes the look inside the car,
complementing the black exterior.
There is only one colour option with
the Cosworth Impreza – black is
definitely back!
All cars are individually numbered
on the engine bay and door sill, and
it was number two that I took for
a drive around the winding County
Antrim countryside. The power really
kicks in just under 4000rpm, and
when it does, it’s almost instantly
time to change gear again!
There is some turbo lag after
h car quickly
i kl
changing gear, b
but the
arrives at the sweet spot again and
takes off like a bullet. Perhaps a
semi-automatic gearbox would have
been a worthwhile addition, reducing
the time to change gears and thus
reducing the possibility of any lag.
Regardless, the car is still incredibly
rapid, and it can catch you unawares.
ed!
The rev limiter is definitely needed!
Hugging carbon Recaro front
seats make the drive extremely
comfortable, and bad bumps
in the road are soaked up long
before they can do any injuries to
d
your back. Despite the power and
performance of this machine, it
can still provide a comfortable
drive.
Th
h makes
k the
h standard
d d
The C
Cosworth
WRX STI feel slow…but really, it isn’t.
The Cosworth is simply an animal.
It’s faster than many more expensive
performance super cars. So if you
have a spare £50k lying around,
what’s stopping you from splashing
out?
R A L L Y
M A G A Z I N E