Drivability of a high bhp impreza
 

Evening all,

I have an interesting question for you tonight.

What is the drivability like for a high bhp impreza?

I used to have a type R running ~330 bhp and on a flat corner, i felt it had just about the right amount of power. How would this change if the same car had say 400 bhp? same again, but with 500 bhp? how do these figures correlate with what you could get out of the car in the real world?

Does going for a rotated GT30 get silly, i.e. nothing nothing nothing nothing MENTAL POWER, far too much for road use and probably too much for track use too? I have no experience with silly bhp figures so this is all just an idea to me.

Lastly I assume a newage will be more refined with big bhp. Same question again, but applied to a newage.

Go.

Well I have a bugeye sti, standard 2.0l and a 20g running just under 390bhp and I think this is almost my limit on this engine, much more turbo lag and it would drive me insane.

When this engine lets go, I will go 2.1l and maybe push up to 420-430bhp.

Interested in see what people say about more power

I'd of though that is a pretty safe limit with that engine/gearbox, I have a blob sti with a 20g @390bhp/355ftlbs and its not really that laggy to be honest.

It a good daily driver too, I'd imagine when you get to 430+ and needy of a stronger/heavier clutch the daily driving would get a bit annoying.

Somewhere under 500 in lightened classic witha JDM close ratio 6 speed box.
A great drive, but I find it harder to be in the right gear at the right time with the 6 speed and it can be a bit of a handfull. Dont get me wrong no regrets. In a straight line it leaves everything standing.

For me about 320 in a classic with a TY754 5speed with lots chucked at the brakes and suspension and mapping in the right hands probably makes for the best balanced, quickest car in the real world. (out and out straight line performance excepted)

430BHP 2 litre Classic (5 years at that power) and 460BHP Hatch 2.5 (18 months at 460) both drive like mice til you press the loud pedal. Easy clutch pedal and quite economical unless you drive like a loon everywhere.
As with all power increases, you get used to it and "learn" how to use it.

i have a 500+ classic and you do need to be a bit careful especially in the wet, i booted it in 3rd the other day completely straight coming on to a dual carriage way and it swapped lanes ! wouldn't change it tho :)

Wouldn't say it was laggy tbh, obviously going to be worse than a td04 but its all compromise. I use a single plate ACT clutch and its barley heavier than oem

so you prefer a slower 5 speed drive to the higher power 6 speed? interesting!

Classic circa 450 bhp is very drivable and with a single plate Ap organic it's been virtually no different to oem. It is laggier, but even off boost it has more power than normal so its not bad. Very fast for the road at that level and probably just about ideal tbh. I drive it completely normally when it's dry i.e. rag it, and am just a bit more circumspect in wet/greasy conditions.

Much more than that and lag gets longer, you have to start feathering the throttle even in the dry etc

Exactly what I have and it's spot on :thumb:

I'm hoping for around the 430-440 mark in my 05 sti. do u think this will be still a easy enough daily drive for my wife???

Hawkeye JDM imported by Iain Litchfield and tweeked up to 400bhp with a Litchfield LM400 twinscroll turbo, 800cc injectors, uprated fuel pump and a remap. I find it easier to drive then the Bug WRX i've got. You can just about leave it in 6th and cruise around then put your foot down and it goes... the twin scroll makes a huge difference.

400bhp makes for a brilliant road car..............even 500 is easily do-able just needs more fettling time to time........

when you talk silly power as some put it then you must also remember that they will have other supporting mods to help transfer as much power to the road and through the corners as poss............especially if they have it for track use

those who just go hunting for figures and don't have the correct supporting mods normally find these 400bhp road cars all over them and winge why their car didn't fair so well against a car with 1,2 or 300 bhp less

just because you have a lot of horsepower doesn't mean you need to drive with the gas pedal jammed to the floor all the time, as long as she's easy with it she will be fine, unless of course she likes to drive quick in which case she will love it :)

Following on from James' original post, I would like to know, what would be the highest power you could run on a UK Sti Blobeye and still retain reliability? Sorry for going off topic James.

My personal opion is that the ratios are nicer in the 5 speed than the JDM 6speed

there is absolutely no figure hunting here, i am only after the drivability of said figures due to my experience only with 330 bhp

no worries quinvy, its almost on track :)

Im picky :cool: my other car is a GTR running stage 2 so around 580bhp'ish...

I just find the impreza has to be in the right gear to go anywhere, but the GTR is a different story.

Big power cars with the right map and the right clutch can be docile daily drivers. I pootle about in mine.

Its just for me being properly quick is being able to tip toe the tyres over the limit of grip and back in a controlled way and drive it on the limits. A 320hp classic is great at this.

Whats fast???
Driver, Brakes, Suspension , Engine power in that order

Ducking out now :)

I am at 380bhp in a newage and for me its pretty much fast enough for what i need, i dont do track days, so in most cases off the lights or on A and B roads it will see off most cars or whatever, only in the rare occasion on a motorway at naughty speeds could it do with a bit more umph.

as stated you do get used to the power but if you dont stop somewhere you will be forever getting more at more expense and at more chance of losing your licence! its not a case of IF they catch you nowadays its WHEN

Just over 600bhp in mine and its really easy to drive around the doors as it has a little lag but then if it came on boost at say 2000rpm it would be a nightmare to drive.

Your best option would be to go and drive a few and make up your own mind.

The mrs used my car "once" to take her and her mate out for the day (Manchester - mainly a motorway drive) and its fair to say she loved it and that was at around 400bhp, I recall she said "some kn_b was tailgating her for a few miles when he could have easily overtaken", she then said "she left the prat for dead" I asked what the car was egging her, and she said "wasnt sure but, it looked like the one at the end of our road". By this she means at home which is a FQ340 :lol1::lol1:

Rob

I have a 340 in a newage with BC Coilovers adjusted on the softer side. I think driveability is important not just power.

My suspension can do with a bit more work so that it feels safe when burning round corners and bends. Personally I feel the car has a little understeer and need to do something else so that it stays clued to 3rd lane as I go round at speed. I do not want to lower it any further as its a nice height, any suggestions on my concern about understeering.

wow, hope you have your flame suit on, the 6 speed lovers are gonna be all over you lol

All joking aside I dont like 6 speed ratios for road use either

If you get your car well tuned with a few adjustable maps then it will be easy for anyone to drive. 460bhp and my 60 year old mum has had a drive. She was fine until I moved it into setting 7 (full power and Anti lag) :thumb:

Great thread this! :thumb:

I only have 333/381 in my 5 speed 06 wrx and that is a great car for the road. Enough power really for every day use and “playing” when required. Like with every car you can still push it beyond the limits of the uprated suspension & tyres but you always adjust your driving to suit the roads. Could handle more power for a road car personally.

Would like to see what some of the big boys say about using their monsters on the roads and if they have had any hairy moments where the power has been too much?

It all depends on your driving style tbh and where/ how you use the car. If you like to keep within the speed limits then you would ideally want a setup that offers you a fast spool and very reponsive low/ mid range. If you want to see more power at high speed and dont mind risking a driving ban then like at fitting a bigger turbo and look high Bhp figures.

Just remember that in real world driving, big bhp figures wont always win you races especially when it's that 1/4 mile blat between junctions/ roundabouts;)

I would fit a thicker adjustable rear Arb and decent droplinks all round, plus get the geometry setup correctly by a specialist.

anti lift kit if funds will allow and better tyres.....

Nice question. I hoping for 370 is this year with the help of a 18g in MY03STI. I have done supporting mods and lots of handling stuff all first along with some nice break pads for my brembo's. I think it will make a nice fast road car, daily drive with not much lag. But still learning and hope I'm right :D