JDM is in a different league I loved my JDM Type 20 to bits I didn't reckon I could afford a new 2011 JDM Saloon so bought a UK 340R.

I am trying to source a JDM BRZ as I don't want half a car

Tony

 

DROOL!! Black one FTW!

 

John your a Knowledgeable guy and all that, but I think the above quote is a little absurd.

The front cross members are reinforced on a spec c along with aditional spot welds and bracing throughout the body. I will try and find a pic with all the changes highlighted.

ps you got a nice looking motor there.

 

I've yet to see evidence that the spec c shell is stiffer, and have been told it has some internal panels deleted, but am not able to confirm that myself.

Spec C front of the car is of course less capable of withstanding a frontal crash than the JDM STi due to the delete of the subframe crash structure fitted to the JDM STi. It's also worth noting the car was targeted towards competition use with a roll cage, so wouldn't need as much strength built into the shell as the JDM STi.

If you have proper info on the differences, then please post it up.

yeh, Obsidian Black Pearl really works when it's clean, especially with the satin black wheels.

 

John what you suggest was my understanding on the chassis. Only the front struts were stronger so I was led to believe.

 

I'm not even sure that is different Shaun.

 

A friend of mine ran the Subaru rally team in the Asia pacific rally from 2005-2007. He seems to think there are big differences structurally on the spec c's.

There is also a plate that is welded from the lower A pillar (in line with the middle of the front door) to the inner wing on the spec c. As you said the front subframe is missing however if the car is being used for sprints/track days it's not something that is going to be missed.

Out the box the cars the cars are nothing alike and it must be down to all the changes made.

You only have to look at this video to appreciate how much faster the spec is over the JDM STI (A LINE).

Note the spec c starts at the back

http://www.streetfire.net/video/suba...x-mr_75940.htm

 

Immy - those "journo" videos don't mean ****!

Of course a SPEC C will be quicker than a same year JDM STI (both standard) No one would argue with that, but the difference in timing round a track would be very small.

 

anecdotal evidence on the shell there immy, i want to see something concrete.

FYI on the MY05 for example, the JDM STi is the model that is FIA homologated for GroupN initially in Nov 2004, it is only later in the season Jan 2005 the Spec C gets it's homologation, and even then it's the Spec C WR Limited that is homologated, not the lighter Spec C.

On the MY02/03/04 the Spec C isn't FIA homologated at all, only the JDM STi is homologated, which means to build a GroupN car you had to use the JDM STi as your base car, Spec C was a marketing exercise as far as rallying was concerned.

 

With regards to videos, i think there are a few out there of my JDM STi kicking the bottoms of Spec C's, these videos don't mean a thing.

 

John I didn't know the spec c had not be homologated for the 2003/04 season do you have a link to this information?
I was under the impression the Spec c had been homologated since the MY02-MY07.
I know the STI was homologated in 2008 and then the spec c in 2009.

As for the video it's four racing drivers round a track, I would of thought it was more reliable than our short sprints and traffic light GP data
However I did lose faith in series when the R35 GTR beat the gen 2 turbo with total ease.

 

Here you go, 29 mins of differences between a JDM sti and spec c.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N5AScA-5q4

ps the chap in yellow drives for Subaru

 

Sure http://www.sti.jp/e/competitor/n_homologation/2005.html is the listing of all homologation papers between 2000 and 2006

The footnote at the bottom will save you looking through all the papers (being a nerd i have read them all in the past )

"For the homologation forms, please refer to the table of homologated cars listed according to the type of cars.
Type B, C, D of IMPREZA WRX STi Spec C(JPN model) is not homologated."

 

As John said, the first was the MY05, they used the standard STI for the others.

Tony

 

John you nerd

 

Almost Tony, the GDBA MY01 they used both the JDM STi and the JDM STi Type RA, then it was JDM STi only until the MY05 Spec C apeared later on, after the MY05 JDM STi.

That video is not a comparison of JDM STi and Spec C, it's a comparison of the MY05 and MY06 Spec C's done by a car magazine, nothing in there has changed my opinion.

 

Lucky man.... I was going to ring him myself but thought to long about (TBH its no brainer with this car).......Glad its gone to a good home.....Enjoy!!

 

I know for a fact that the Spec C gets a thinner steel roof, thinner glass all round, and an aluminum boot, which the standard JDM/UKDM STIs do not have. But does anyone know if other body panels are thinner as well? For example the front and rear fenders, doors, etc.

BTW I believe kerb weight in Japan is defined with half a tank of fuel. Which is probably why the JDM STIs are quoted at 1450kg (half tank of fuel) while the UKDM STIs are quoted at almost 1500kg (full tank of fuel). The JDM is definitely lighter with a small bumper beam etc, but not by 50kg. Being JDM, the Spec C quoted at 1390kg is also with half a tank of fuel.

 

I have a uk Sti and a spec c, both 2006. When I take a speed bump at an angle (one wheel at a time) in the Sti, I can hear the chassis flexing. In the spec c it's completely silent.

I've also compare the under bonnets of the two cars and sure enough some of the welding, seams and strengthening ridges are different on the spec c.

I've had both cars on the weigh bridge and the spec c was 140kg lighter than the Sti.

 

Nice car by the way

 

Hi Gerald. Good to see you here as well. It's Errol. The Spec C chap in SCSG.

Anyway, that's a good question. I believe there isn't any official information from Subaru saying those parts are any different other than the parts you listed, but strangely the part numbers for the front and rear doors are different (STI against Spec C). Logically that could mean something. If the panels are not thinner, they could have less or thinner crash beam, braces etc. or less insulation.... Of course, this is just based on logic and what i think.

The front fenders have identical part numbers though.

 

That's my understanding as well Shaun. The part numbers of the suspension turrets are different. But then again, like i posted above, so are the part numbers of the doors, and i've not come across any official information saying that the doors are any different.

 

I think you'll find there are far more differences than we realise between these cars.

If the part numbers are different, you can be pretty damn sure the parts themselves are different too.

 

The part numbers of the doors are different, due to the lack of side impact bars.

 

Only the roof and glass are thinner, the boot is steel, just put a magnet on it

Tony

 

The boot lid is off a WRX and nowt special about that! lol

 

That's news to me. I do know that the RA-R has an aluminum boot, thought the Spec C had one as well. I ordered one from Japanparts.com and it was stated as being a "Spec C use" type. Had the option of having it undrilled (wingless), or drilled (S204 style spoiler or STI style spoiler).

 

I just put a magnet on my boot lid and it's NOT steel.

Which MY do you have Tony?

I also found that the part number for the rear diff is different to that of the Euro spec STI.

And I can confirm that the brace from the A pillar to the front wings is different on the Spec C - it has a steel tube running through, whereas the STI just gets a steel plate.

My spec C doesn't have the front impact box section inside the bumper, but it does have a steel brace with a ~2 inch tube running the front of the car.

The serial numbers for all the glass is different to the EDM car as well.

There are also differences to the rear "subframe" cross member.

The pedals are different too.

 

No side impact bars on the Spec C?

 

No, plus my MY is an MY03, 2nd one ive had though ive not checked the boot on this one, my first had a steel bootlid, and that car I had since new (as Shaun said, its a wrx bootlid).

Tony