Subaru WRX

    Over the past two, three years in New Zealand, the Subaru WRX has managed to achieve a cult status. Nowadays, it's almost uncommon to pick up a car magazine at the newsagent without seeing a comparison with a WRX. Furthermore, it's uncommon to go for a drive and not see a WRX on the road - such is their popularity!! There is one very simple reason for this WRX madness - SPEED!! For around the price of the cheapest BMW money can buy (316i manual hatch - $39k), you can have a Subaru which does 0-100km/h in under 6secs (Porsche & M3 territory), 0-400m in around 14secs (still Porsche & M3 territory) and with still heaps of room for improvement!!! In other words, for $40k, you can have a machine that can mix it with exotic machinery costing more than three times as much!!! And if you tinker (he he) with the engine a bit (turbo, intake, exhaust, ECU, etc), you can conquer ANYTHING (except for the exceptionally exotic ie. Mclaren F1) in the traffic light sprint (Ferrari's, Lamborghini's included) for something costing all up of around 50k-60k!!! Then there's always the practicality of a four door sedan - something you don't normally get from something so ferociously fast - and the safety of All Wheel Drive which manages to put all that power and torque to the road with exceptionally little fuss. Even in the rain, you'd be hard pressed to find enough wheelspin to get a novice driver into trouble!!

    With virtually no traction problems from that high output turbo engine, the Subaru has handling second to very few cars. In the wet, it's AWD advantages would be magnified and it's handling would move further above most cars. And remember, all this for a price of the cheapest BMW!!!

    For the lucky speed freaks in Japan, there's an even faster version of the WRX - the STi's. They produce a hefty 209kW and sprint from 0-100km/h in less than 5.5s. And of course they come with beefier brakes, upgraded suspension, stiffer body etc. From what I know, the STi's have evolved into their 5th evolution now. Latest word is that a one batch build of 400 STi Version 5's are headed for New Zealand and they comply to New Zealand Design Rules - hence driveable on everyday roads! They will go for $71,000 each and have gearing specailly tailored for New Zealand conditions!
 
 

Is that one aggressive front end or what?!?