MPC-GTR

I just thought I'd let people know what the type 25 was like to live with as an everyday car as I've now covered around 5k miles and got to know it reasonably well.

I picked it up in June and went for the A-line version with the almost mandatory porsche brake upgrade. So at £42k It is expensive if you think of it as simply a modified impreza, but it you think of it as an everyday family saloon with supercar rivaling pace then it seems in comparison much more practical and damn site cheaper to run. Its subtle enough not to draw attention and I think without all the spoilers and exterior cues it is as tasteful as an impreza is likely to get. It is however noisy at start up and idle and at regular driving speeds cabin noise is still very noticeable. The seats are no where near as supportive as you would want them to be and the interior is hardly luxurious or brimming with gadgets.

The gear ratios are so close together you always have to remind yourself you are in a higher gear than you think you are -as it really does feel there should be a seventh gear (in 6th gear at 80mph there are 3.5k revs). Turbo kicks in at around 2,500rpm and it pulls with a savage urgency in every gear thereafter making progress effortless and very swift certainly up to 120mph then it seems to lack the progression of a similarly powered conventional supercars. Grip and handling is brilliant as you would expect with the AST/powerstation set up. On smooth B roads it is in its element and ideal for where I live. Oil consumption is around a pint a week and fuel consumption 150-200miles/tank.

I took the opportunity to put it through its paces on the new Anglesey circuit the other day and enclose some pictures of this - I was surprised to see the Litchfield type 25 race car there too! having just been delivered to the new owner the day before the race. This was running on race fuel but the power had been dropped significantly from that run during the time attack series last year. Anglesey is pretty technical and very twisty most other cars there that day were either Caterhams, Elises or stripped out track day specific cars - only a handful of people had taken what I would call their everyday car - therefore the type 25 wasn't really able to shine relative to what else was there as these track day cars were quicker round this very twisty track as average speed is only 65-70mph for the circuit. So although you could catch up with the lighter cars on what little bursts of straight there was you would lose some time in the hairpins - still a great day though and the car didn't miss a beat and the brakes were tremendous.

Overall I really think that for the practicality performance and reliability the type 25 has few rivals and the piece of mind of it being so understated is a bonus. If anyone is considering taking the plunge I would, forget about residuals and try to enjoy the fact that few other cars will offer such a jack of all trades balance, you wont be in a hurry to get rid of it I'm sure.

XRS

Very discrete No wonder you're smiling in the pics

fpan

iTrader: (11)

Very nice car and pics.
What's the steering response like?
I find it very light in my '07 WRX and it lacks feedback.
Also, where did you get hold of the clear rear fog light?

MPC-GTR

The steering response is excellent and well weighted - obviously this is significantly altered with the suspension and handling modifications compared to the standard STI donor car. I must add the lock and therefore turning circle is particularly bad making negotioating tight car parks and the like a series of three point turns.

As for the fog lights -this was how it arrived new - the A-line is a JDM model if that makes any difference regarding this- I'm sure Iain at Litchfield imports could help you source said item.

cw42

iTrader: (1)

Great write up, always good to see how the other half lives

But, a PINT OF OIL A WEEK! What's that all about? Is that right? Surely not, is something wrong with it?

MPC-GTR

I've been contacted by another type 25 owner and they are having similar oil consumption figures too!

XRS

Are you both Cosworth-engined T25s? My MY05 car hardly uses any at all.

I guess there has to be a downside to all that power

pippyrips

good to know - was only just saying i could be tempted back to scooby ownership by a new T25 some day.

swisstonihasher

I'm running a 2.5 ej257 with forged internals, 482/493 currently and I dont get through a pint of oil a week. Yes I'll need to top her up, but not anywhere near that much - that would worry me, burn fuel not oil.

V5-APS

iTrader: (1)

I was running an EJ257 with forged pistons also.......nowhere near that amount of oil usage !

Houdini

A very interesting write-up on the ownership of the Type 25. Thank you for that! I also have a Type 25 and we appear to be a rare breed - 16 cars only that have been built with the current specification.

I agree with the gear ratio comment - I continually find myself looking for 7th gear, but there's probably only 4th, 5th and 6th that the car really needs as the torque is just gargantuan, allowing phenomonal overtaking without ever needing to change down.

Oil does appear to be an issue, and I have never been happy with the consumption. I too use a pint a week. I suppose the good news is that we're told that that is what it will use and thus there are no internal engine issues, but the bad news is the continual need to maintain the vehicle very thoroughly, particularly if you are doing any track work.

My Type 25 is actually up for sale right now, through Iain Litchfield. It is also on the front cover (and is a featured article) in the new Total Impreza magazine that is out now.

Apologies for plundering your thread, but if anyone is interested please contact Iain. The ad is here: Litchfield Imports

swisstonihasher

Does the type 25 use Type R ratios on the 6 speed then? Why is 6th such an issue as the UK ratios on mine aren't that bad and motorway speeds are fine.

Markus

Very subtle indeed, and that's exactly how I think a T25 should be. The iron fist in the velvet glove. Very nice pictures.

XRS

I believe that 5th and 6th on the JDM cars are lower than on the UK cars. Although mine is the lowly 350 bhp (390ft lb torque) model I still find myself trying to change into 7th on a regular basis

Mikkel

Love the spoiler. Getting the same one fitted myself this month to my "upgraded" spec D.

funnyclub

Sounds like the engines use a wide tolerence when fitting pistons either that or the cars where run in too easy hense not bedding the rings in proper.

Janspeed

iTrader: (1)

Great to hear a personal experience.

Very discrete, maybe a bit too much for me but nonetheless the car I would buy now if I had the dosh!

Happy ownership!

MJW

Nice writeup, thanks - funnily enough I was looking Houdini's car today on Litchfeild's website. Oil consumption seems a bit worrying though, hell's teeth ! The original poster mentions good pace up to 120mph, but what's it like after that ? Is it enough to match the £60k supersaloons like the RS4 or M5 ?

poormansporsche

What kind of turbo came on this car? They don't seem to make specific mention of it in the literature. It's either a GT30R or a GT28R or some hybrid. Anyone know?

cheers

poorman

silverstealth

Poormansporsche - I believe its a modified version of the GT30 on the current 400bhp car and an AP40? on the earlier 350bhp version.

streetbeats

looks just like my motor.



wish mine went as quickly

COLZO

Great looking car, oil consumption scary!