Time to get my dream come true.
So after years of waiting, and I do genuinely mean years, I'm trawling forums, sale sites and finally narrowed my search down to three cars - The forth being 6k over budget! (Spec c) I will let that dream slide.

Despite sometimes conflicting information, some what naivety on my part of the full Subaru WRX / STI, Spec C / D /, Type RA / RA-R, 2.0L / 2.5L , 2004 this 2007 that, I've listened to my heart and narrowed down what I know will truly be great cars non the less, getting me in that seat of the iconic WRX fanboy equivalent I grew up watching.

Not a single Subaru goes past me without me twitching my head, undoing a window, or pausing my music to listen to.

My search has narrowed me down to the following 3 cars.

- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Type UK - 2007 - 74,000 Miles - Blue (unfortunately its been mapped)
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Spec D - 2006 - 96,700 Miles - Silver
- Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5L GB270 - 2008 - 101,000 Miles - Blue (very compelling styling)
These all fall within £500 of each other in pricing. Im in the process of getting Full service records to understand that these have all received the big milage Belts / pump replacements that are expected at this milage.

I would love to know everyones feedback on which they would buy and why! Hinting at maybe I'm still undecided - trying to avoid my dream car going pop.

 

Hello mate, there’s so many horror stories regarding the 2.5 engine. Great engine if it’s been forged but your looking at high mileage ones which is a big risk and your dream Subaru could soon become a nightmare. Do you have specific requirements in what your Subaru must have as the scoobynet lot will try and point you in the right direction.

 

Spec D's were limited to 300 cars but were never numbered by Subaru. They are all Crystal Grey not silver...but really you can only see this when you put one next to a true silver car, then it shows.
Great stealthy fun, with all the STi things like DCCD, 6 speed, widetrack rear track, Brembo's and so on - but at a glance looks like a WRX to the untrained eye. Great for the odd blast when you are incorrectly judged by your rear spoiler.

They often don't really get talked about on forums, yet they are so rare now :

109 left taxed on the road, but the accuracy of this site could be questionable https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=...&commit=Search

My 2007 Spec D is on 91k miles and was fully forged 4k miles ago, needs a rad now this weekend, My original block went on cylinder 1 - Hence this was actually my second forged build on it (last build was about 40k miles ago) and was mapped my Bob Rawle. 342bhp and 410ft lb....yes, a very good fast road car.

Read up as much as you can on 2.5 issues, they are common sadly. My advice would be to buy an already forged one by a reputable builder or at least budget for a forge build in the future. Sad but true.

You sound like the sort of person I'd sell mine to, someone who would look after it and not molest it - It's been looked after so well, cherished and is a very very clean example 100% stock outside, inside and under the bonnet appearance, want's for nothing.
Not for sale though.......yet :-)

ps, my road tax is a whopping £580 a year.

 

Loved my Spec D admittedly it had a GB270 spoiler on it, gloss black wheels and the full PPP so it was quite loud but man it was a good car. They have the 2.5 so you need to be aware of the risk there or buy forged.

 

As above, you need to find a forged 2.5l, by a reputable builder; a full rebuild will cost >£4000, but is a cost that is unrecoverable at resale; so it is MUCH cheaper to buy rebuilt and forged than to do it yourself.
When forged, 2.5l engines are superb

 

I must admit, I don't get the GB270 fascination myself.. Isn't it just a WRX with some styling bits? Still the same 5sp gearbox and WRX brakes, for example?

 

It’s exactly that with an ECU remap and an exhaust too. I looked at a few and the prices are varied, one was STI import money and a complete rot box which had seen a hard life and hadn’t been serviced in 6 or 7 years, it’s up for nearly £11k. If the OP is spending about that much then an import will work out well especially as the Hawkeyes still had the 2.0l fitted.

 

we may have scared him off, he’s gone looking at evo’s instead

 

I'm not looking to ever modify one, just completely remain engine wise stock. Potentially uprate some suspension components.
Would seem that the market at the moment has not got many 2.0L within my budget. Guess If Im listening to all the horror stories on a 2.5 I may look towards waiting for the right 2.0.

Still not phased by Blob / Hawkeye, I guess maybe understanding the difference in engine codes to avoid over any.

 

GB270 is the Rally celebration model, running higher power, maybe some uprated components to support. From what i've researched its still full WRX suspension / transmission / breaks.
Its the trim level that plays a role for me buying one, never really fallen in love with the STI / WRX interior. Something about the Alcantara seats that draws me.

The Spec D is full leather similar in trim to the RB320s.

Trim over modability for me.

 

All depends on what you want really mate. People will say STI but depends what the goal is. Like you said the interior and styling does it for you then fair enough.

Sorry I didn't see you budget, might have missed it. And its always good seeing someone new join the Subaru gang

 

I never mentioned. Working with a tight budget of 10k so options are somewhat limited. Puts me looking at higher mileage motors, but that doesn't phase me.
Im still researching what is more likely to fail, a WRX over STI as there are some obvious power differences here, and naturally different engine codes too, so maybe one less likely than the other.

 

Thats a very healthy budget. You should be able to pick up a widetrack STI for that much if you're going that route.

 

happy days mate, get some pictures up once you’ve bought one

 

Can you wait for the right car? You’d do well talking to an importer at that budget, it’s exactly the way I’ve chosen to go due to the state of the UK cars. A very nice WRX should be under that budget and an STI should be do-able for that, special editions and widetracks more money. A 2.0 Hawkeye also becomes an option which is the styling you’re after but the durability for the 2.0 and the STI’s get the 6 speed.

 

Wrx SL's have "leather" interiors. Of course none of it is actual leather.

 

If you are not bothered about it being a blobeye or a hawkeye, a blobeye will have the stronger 2 litre engine and much cheaper to tax. The 2.5 in the gb270 is under less stress than an STI so less prone to fail but that is not to say that it won't. Alcantara seats are not standard in a gb270, that were an option so you might find one that looks like a standard wrx inside. They weren't so much a rally celebration model, more a run out model as these were introduced just before the hatch model, standard wrx fare really other than ppp and Prodrive wheels/spoiler/grilles. Good luck with your search (you are not the chap that works for dominos that I had a conversation with about subarus last week by any chance?)

 

I was in your exact position a couple months ago and thought I had bought my dream car until the head gaskets went, shortly followed by the bottom end and yes it was a 2.5. It's now at ScoobyClinic, who you'll learn to love awaiting an engine rebuild.

Do your research, buy under warranty and take it to ScoobyClinic or any other Subaru specialist for a leak down and compression test etc.

 

Oh No!! such a shame. Cant go wrong with scoobyclinic - Thier place is amazing