Stuey F

Why is it that most Scooby owners seem only to go for the Exhaust, filter and ECU reset tuning option. Whilst they are darn good straight out the box, there doesn't seem to be the scope for tuning Scoobys like there is for the Cossie. Is it a case of availability of parts, hard to tune or are people happy with what they have got??
Surely you guys who go to lots of track days must hanker for more power.

chrisiden

I guess many stick to these simple modifications as they are warranty friendy for people with UK models.

JohnS

iTrader: (1)

Those mods are realtively cheap, don't affect insurance permiums too much, and of course keep the 3 year warranty intact.

You can tune the cars further, but it starts to get very expensive, and you get into the area of diminishing returns. It is possible though, and many tuning companies are now starting to offer these products.

Robbie

I think that for most people the power is generally thought to be adequate - wether it is 218(quoted) for 99MY or 280 for STi's. However the back box and filter do improve things - straight line speed is not what track days are all about - thats why you find people go for a handling option to improve their times before engine as a rule. Anders in his 22B found that with a well adapted suspension set up he was knocking 12 seconds off his lap times at Donnington recently I beleive. Look at the number of people who look at upgrading their stopping ability - then their ability to go around corners. I don't think it is cos of a dearth of options - just reliable options. I would hazard to suggest that the people who buy scoobies do so to a certain extent cos they don't want to be tarred with the Cossie image ( i stand back and wait to be flamed for this). Having said that there doesn't seem to be people going for monster power increases - at least from info I have gleaned from the BBS - I think from the Dyno testing at Power Engineering all they go was 323bhp and 300lbs ft of torque If you are using it for a track then sure you can pump it up no problem - but why would you want to - most people like me who take their car to a track day have to use it to drive home and to work the next Monday. What am i trying to say - my scooby goes quickly enough for me in a straight line - jsut wnat to go around corners a little well a lot quicker

ex-webby

My reason for fitting ScoobySport downpipe was to try and reduce the lag at the bottom end. This looks like it has been achieved. I need to dyno the car to check, but the car I my opinion is now awesome.

MY97, Scoobysport backbox & downpipe, HKS Induction kit. (Water Spray on way)

Andrew M

Robbie seems to have hit the real point here - to get the maximum pleasure driving power is less important than handling.

Those nice people at Bell & Colvill let me take one of their Elise's (a 160 bhp) and Esprit V8 out back-to-back. The Esprit was always a childhood dream.

If I didn't need 4 seats and a boot the cheque book would have been straight out for the Elise. The Esprit however was VERY unimpressive - soggy steering, too bloody big for the road etc. Both felt about as quick as my STi4. However the STi was SO much more fun than the Esprit - you would never even dream about throwing one of those about a twisty country road.

For me driving is all about delicacy, control and feedback. Short of a Caterham / Elise the Subaru is perfect. Most serious tuning would comprimise this delicacy, constrain the flexibility and generally lower the fun factor.

IMHO the best upgrades for a trackday are:

(1) skill
(2) closer pedal layout - driving boots (to help that delicate footwork)
(3) suspension
(4) brakes
(5) power

ex-webby

Yes handling is important, and uprating the brakes before the power is a definate. Though, my reason for the upgrade was to release the power that Subaru had restricted through its choose of downpipe design. Look at STIs 276bhp, yet change the backbox and you look at 285bhp+.

Robbie

One thing people ought to be aware of - not sure if it has been mentioned - but if you have a 99MY or an STi V of any variant - then they only have one cat and not the previous two. This cat is in the downpipe - so removing the downpipe leaves you with no cats at all. just a thought

Nick

I think that the main reason is that many people don't want to mess up their 3 years warranty. Maybe in another few years, when the Scoobs get older & cheaper there will then be a bigger market for power conversions. I think that Power Engineering now have an upgrade chip & of course, there's always Slowdrive.

RobAnderson

TDI offer a 350BHP conversion for £15K for the UK model,I think involving cosworth pistons+forged rods and crank (i.e. not simply peripherals) but this is put into perspective when you look at the cosworth:GGR will do you a 335BHP(green injectors,fuel pump,ecu+exhaust+modest boost increase)for a comparatively paltry £1795(if that may be considered paltry) or there's even a superchips 340BHP conversion for £900(rather less well engineered I should imagine,but astounding value nonetheless)
However, beyond this power the cossie starts to get become almost as expensive (tens of thousands of pounds for 400BHP and beyond for seriously reworked internals) so it's only true up to a point.I think it's a case of delayed law of diminishing returns with regard to cossie versus scooby tuning.It's not even that the scooby isn't capable of big tuning (a place near me- Well Lane Turbo Centre- allegedly has an Impreza with 600BHP-probably not long for this world),I think it's more a case of significant numbers of tuners only just starting to get to grips with the Impreza- it's also notable that most of the tuners that traditionally specialised in the cosworth seem to be now turning their attention to the scooby,and bear in mind they've had nigh on 15 years experience of the basic cosworth engine,so give it time.
It's also perhaps worth mentioning that the original raison d'etre of the cosworth-turbo engine(and most of the tuners we know so well e.g. GGR and BBR) was touring cars and the big 500+BHP numbers that non-inlet restricted turbo cars were eventually making regularly (if somewhat self-destructively initially) is a result of the fast-pace of development through to the parameters of tuning and performance that were permissible according to the, then,touring-car laws that the cosworth was operating in.In line with the 'racing improves the breed' philosophy,it followed that the competition development by the tuners worked its way to the road cars. In the same sphere the Impreza/Legacy turbo engine was designed to fall within the parameters of an inlet restricted Group A legal-framework and thus an effective ceiling of (only!) 300BHP and coupled with the fact that it was/is effectively a closed shop as regards cutting-edge competition development i.e.STi/ Prodrive then it is perhaps unsurprising that 'off the shelf' tuning is comparatively limited for the subaru as compared to the cosworth at present,both in terms of availability and outright power.
Erm,sorry, I seem to have prattled on a bit.
I'll shut up now.