How much are the STI letters worth to YOU?
 

Imagine two identical cars, both are 2007 Subaru impreza's with EXACTLY the same gear and both are HIGHLY tuned to over 500 bhp with almost no original parts, everything is absolutely the same and they are both sold by the same garage.

Now imagine you had all LOADS of cash lying around and you absolutely love subaru impreza's and cant think of buying anything else, so you go to buy one of them and something interesting pops up when you are going over the registration documents.

One car is registered as an STI and the other car is registered as an Impreza 2.0

How much monetary difference would you be prepared to pay (IF ANY) for an STI registered one, as opposed to non sti one..

The STI will allways be worth more because it was a better car to begin with.
6 speed gearbox, driver adjustable center diff, wider track, 2.5 litre engine (on hawkeye) different front and rear wings (due to wider track) much better interior including instrument binicle.

These are all things people don't change when trying to make a car something it's not.

Buy an STI

Unless of course it is a STI that is simply the wrong discription on the LOG book, which is more common than you might think.

The idea of this poll is not to argue whether to choose an STI or WRX or 2.0, the idea is to see how much extra you would pay for an IDENTICAL car, but with different log book names.

I did say "with almost no original parts" but i used it wrong i suppose, only since i personally cant imagine highly tuned impreza with alot of original parts.

But i guess it doesnt have to be, just imagine it as a perfect STI, but it has over 500 bhp and is highly tuned and there are 2 of them.

i like it that will make them think (or will it)

If you are talking about two highly modified STI's one with the incorrect car discription on the log book. Then there is no difference, as it's still a STIand the DVLA will correct the mistake if informed.

If one car was originally an STI and the other a lessor Impreza model, then the STI will be worth more, and easier to resell.

There's even a line in the poll for people who wont :idea:

changed

It might even have been a DVLA error (but we cant ever find out if it was or not) , but lets assume that DVLA cant correct that error for whatever imaginary reason.

OR

One of the cars started as a 2.0 but because the owner was crazy and spent insane ammounts of cash on it and went bankrupt, the 2.0 now looks EXACTLY the same as the other car that is registered as an sti.

Because there are absolutely no differences in the cars and they are identical on a molecular level we have no idea to find out which one it was and it is only the paperwork that is different.

Well Id defintaly buy the sti that was built in a factory in japan and not a gl that had been turned into an sti by some complete nutter.

Well, when you change your brake pads you already allow some nutters take your wheels off, when you tune your engine to 500 bhp you allow some nutters to take out your japanese engine apart and out of the car and screw it back into the car.

Etc, the list goes on. If its highly tuned - its already not as factory built as it was.
How much worse can the car quality get than the original if a proper workshop put on a few bits of plastic here and there for you ?

yes fair enough.
What I meant though is you would have to be nuts to modify a gl to 500hp, what would be the point when you can buy an sti which is half way there ?

Well there are some scenarios. Imagine a tuning company that is building an uber race car ( of course they wouldnt use 2007 shell because its too heavy, but its just an example). If they get a 2007 sti, they have no use for its 2.5l engine because its too weak and they would rather use a 2.0 closed deck. They cant find a use for its 6 speed gearbox because they want a dog box. They cant find use for its brakes because they want to use AP kit.
So really, all what makes the sti so great is useless to them, getting a GL at half the price is a more sensible approach.

If both are 500hp then there can't be many original parts left :lol1: STi is meaningless in such a situation.

TX.

TX, i'am of the same belief - yet others are not, hence the poll :)

yep with TX on this. i am going to have 500bhp wrx why do i care that the car didnt have some sti parts on when it came from the factory. The 6 speed box is the only good part of a sti.

Have to go for the STi base every time.

For 500 bhp... only need a new turbo, decat exhaust, remap and maybe injectors / front mount intercooler. Not saying it would last too long tho at that.. gearbox either!

All the other STi goodies would be there - DCCD, bigger brakes, better gearbox ratios, better cam profiles, seats, trim etc.


If starting from a bare shell, no real difference AFAIK on that year ( unlike new hatch shape - wider arches, wider track, loads ) but would need all the right bits whether STi or WRX or n/a 2.0l.

If starting from a 2.0 NA without engine or gearbox as you suggest, there are still loads of items to change as the STi has different / better / stronger parts, and some bits not interchangable...


Basically the base car counts, and log book stating the base model helps with resale value, and unless you are going to strip to bare shell and start again from a box of parts or a tuner build, get an STi.


If you want it to look like an Sti, just get the exterior plastic bits - spoilers, wheels etc. as said above, then interior trim bits, and tune the motor!




Why not just buy a slightly older STi and mod it?

Good answer vulnax, but slightly in the wrong topic.

I dont want to get an older one as i only like the hawkeye.

What are the stronger and better parts that you mention that are not interchangeable ?

Perhaps interchangeable with effort or other parts...

Alloy wishbones, DCCD diff in gearbox, front LSD std, Sti rods & pistons & cam profiles & heads, damper & spring rates, bush density, gearbox rations & final drive ratios ...


Why not buy your GL / N/A 2.0 and a body kit and a few badges, sorted!

Thats exactly what im going to do and get 2 front seats, a speedo, LSD and suspension on top = poor man's sti.

How much does a used front LSD go for these days ?

Thanks.

Vulnax - you think a 500hp STi will be better / faster than a 500hp WRX?

TX.

or a gl for that fact?

If that is the case, then the only difference I can see would be the perceived resale value of an STi over a GL in your country.

As said above, if you just slap on bits to make 'em both 500bhp, and original cars remain as is, then yes, STi faster with same power as better gear rations, LSDs, suspension rates, bigger brakes, aero etc.



If as the guy says, strip to bare shell and build from a box of parts to identical spec then no.

^^ The WRX will have a 6 speed to handle 500hp, probably have better suspension than a standard STi as it will have been upgraded along with the power, brakes likely to be 6 pots or better etc ;)

My point is that it won't be identical to a STi, it will probably be better! The OP however is suggesting identical cars albeit one with STi badge & the other not ... STi badge still seems irrelevant to me.

TX.

Which bit of
"As said above, if you just slap on bits to make 'em both 500bhp, and original cars remain as is, then yes, STi faster with same power as better gear ratios, LSDs, suspension rates, bigger brakes, aero etc.
"
did you not understand ... why would wrx have upgraded suspension, 6 pot brakes when the premise of my response was JUST MAKING THEM 500BHP and ORIGINAL CARS remain as is....
Unless starting with bare shells andusing bits...

I wish I could find an original WRX with 6 pot brakes and upgraded suspension as is...


Just an Sti badge, try e-bay for about £5

^^ Sounds like YOU'VE misunderstood the question then ... you can hardly make a WRX 500hp & leave the brakes, suspension etc standard :lol1:

TX.

Firstly you picked the wrong poll type, I can vote with all the options ;)

Anyway, the STI badge has the kudos it does not because of a name but because of what the car is itself.

In your scenario two identical cars makes the STI badge nothing.

Its not the badge Im buying but the package, to have its own identity is a nice addition :D

it seems that many here are saying well the STI as it has better parts better ratios ect

the OP has asked about an STI badge on two IDENTICALY specced cars one based on an STI and one based on a lesser model
as said the STI badge means nothing its a STI snobbery thing
we have an STI of well over 500 hp and there are hardly any engine parts left, no brake parts left not the same clutch flywheel, upgraded suspension all round, not even the same block its no longer an STI its a ZEN

That was exactly my point badbird! How many actual original parts are used on a 500bhp + scooby's and if the interior and exterior have been matched up to look like an sti, even if it wasnt from the start, why do some people still care it was not an STI from the factory ?

Road tax would be cheaper on the lesser model :lol1: