A Trio of STIs

In the epic STI vs. Evo battle, I have always been on the Subaru side of the fence.  It can’t explain why, other than I saw some rally footage in middle school where the classic blue and yellow Subaru was barreling through a snowy forest.  It was absolutely incredible, therefore the Subaru WRX STI became the first car picture I taped on my planner.  It doesn’t sound like much, but that is a big deal in middle school.

The problem I have with the WRX STI is that I can’t pick just one.  All STIs are built for performance, have all-wheel drive, are used for rallying, and have roughly 300 horsepower.  But if I could have my way, I would have three; a 2004, 2006, and a new 2011.  Here’s why…

By far prettiest and derived mostly from the Subaru Rally Team, the 2004 STi will always be the quintessential Subaru in my eyes, especially in blue with gold wheels.  It stands out in a crowd with its aggressive looks and monstrous rear wing, not to mention the giant hood scoop.  It is a stripped down version of a standard Impreza where even the radio was removed to save weight.  Whenever I hear STi, I will always picture a 2004 in my head.

In 2006, Subaru improved the STI’s performance, but the car simply got uglier.  The top speed and acceleration figures increased creating what I believe is the fastest Subaru ever made.  It is the top of the line when it comes to Subaru cars to drive hard, regardless of looks, so it has to be in my dream garage.

In the 2008 model year, tragedy struck the STI line has it became uglier still and slower at the same time.  In my eyes it was a huge step back for Subaru.  Due to new crash safety standards and Subaru’s desire to sell STIs to more than just the most hardcore car fanatics, the vehicle’s weight ballooned to unprecedented levels.  It was no longer a road legal rally car; suddenly it had a refined interior and a handful of heavy airbags.  While there are a lot of bad things about the new generation, there is one huge plus, they have made it a hatchback.  Finally it can be used as daily driver and manage to blend in with the rest of the cars in the World Rally Championship (in which Subaru is no longer participating).

While writing this piece I finally realized what I would do with three Subaru Impreza WRX STIs.  I would use the gorgeous 2004 as a show car; use the fast 2006 for autocross and track days, then save the 2011 hatchback as a daily driver.  I could honestly be happy in life driving nothing outside of the STI family.

*Thank to netcarshows.com for the great pictures

Welcome

Before I dive into all the cars I would add to my dream garage, I want to say that I have a strange taste when it comes to cars.  I won’t always be added the latest, fastest, and greatest supercars, but rather, cars that I have fallen in love with for one reason or another.  Sure some will be 200+mph hypercars, but others will be cars you are used to parking next to in the company parking lot.  One warning I will give is that I’m not a muscle car enthusiast.  Driving in a straight line, regardless of how fast you are going is boring, so don’t expect to see a lot of classic American iron.  Plus, I am a slow car fast kind of person. There is no rhyme or reason to the cars, and there is definitely no specific order.  “What’s your favorite car?” is the most difficult question you can ask a car guy, so I am going to avoid it at all costs.  I know things are just getting started, but I hope you enjoy my blog and please leave me a comment.  It’s always great to hear from readers and fans.

Having said all that, I might as well start out with a red hot bang called the Ferrari F40. Production started in 1987, the same year I was born, which could explain why I was always playing with it on a Hot Wheels scale.  Sure it was the world’s fastest car when it debuted, one of the few Ferraris to use a turbocharged engine, and only 1,315 were ever made, but I love the F40 because it is truly a racecar for the street.  “Racecar for the street” is a phase used too often in the automotive press, but in the case of the F40, it’s true.  The cabin features a carbon fiber, Kevlar, and aluminum based tub (way ahead of its time in 1987) and in order to save weight, there is no interior to speak of.  Also, the paint is put on so thin that you can see the carbon fiber weave through the paint.  Awesome!

Another great thing about the F40 is that it isn’t constricted by modern electronics.  There is no traction control, stability control, launch control, sophisticated all-wheel drive, or even power steering.  It was the lightest, most powerful car with nothing extra to weigh it down.  Besides all the technical details, I love the classic wedge aerodynamics of the body.  Once again Pininfarina did a great job creating a gorgeous yet functional body for Maranello.  I have wanted to drive an F40 my entire life.  Here’s to hoping that dream comes true one day.