ESH

The thread about the Type R v RB5 has got me thinking.

I'm not aure if this has been covered before

Why haven't Subaru offered ugrades to compete with the mitsubishi racing packages? I know PPP is offerd but it doesn't ofer the same performance packages or choices.

Anyone?

Esh

marmski

Mitshibushi need to offer these otherwise no one would buy their turbo coffins!!

haha.. only joking.

It would be nice if their was a better selection of performance variants.

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Maybe Mitsubishi have greater confidence in the mechanical integrity of the EVO engine than Subaru have in theirs! (no surprise there!) Compared to the power package range offered by Mitsu. on the current EVO IX - 260/300/320/340/360 the PPP looks (and is!) a bit Micky Mouse.
My son went from an STi PPP to an EVO IX FQ 320 and the difference is far more than you'd expect from just an extra 20bhp
JohnD

ProdriveSTI

Prob closer to 30 BHP more then 20 too!!!

mpr

they should do with 4.5 k service intervals!

I do agree to an extent though, a good thing is that the FQ variants are all registered with the insurance industry so that they can be easily insured without having to argue that the car isn't "modified". IM could and should have learned a lesson there a while ago - they got it right with the WR1 and then forgot about it again - one of the reasons I bought a WR1 and not an STI with PPP.

They should offer PPP as a option on the car new, give it a model name and let the insurance guys know about it to keep it simple for the guys who know they want PPP from new.

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Agreed, on paper 20, in reality 30
Think you may be right about the 260 version - was that not the VIII?
JohnD

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

[QUOTE=mpr]they should do with 4.5 k service intervals!


I service my STi every 3-3.5k Won't make it any stronger though?
That 4.5k service (or 6 months) is a bit frustrating, my sons EVO is coming up for its SECOND service and it's done less than 3k!!
JohnD

Ben v7

In my opinion Subaru do need to up the ante power wise... 280bhp in the flagship UK Sti simply isn't that much by todays standards. The higher spec EVO FQ's can see off pretty much anything - can't say the same for a PPP'd STi, which as pointed out isn't considered as a factory car in insurance terms.

The STi only excel's in a few narrow areas when considering what influences car choice and it doesn't have enough of a advantage in these area's anymore when compared to what you can buy else where and then get all the other benefits.

GC8

For Subaru read Internetional Motors... This is the company who specified the original Turbo 2000 AWD (its lame name is a clue to how competant they are) with tweed f*cking trim, ****e seats, dire colours and a deleted specification.

Ralliart and now Mitsubishi / Colt Cars have a far more enlightened view; IM are floundering well out of their depth. It isnt 1979 and a picture of a Subaru with a sheep and a pair of wellies in the back wont hack it any more....

MikeWood

GC8

How wrong you are!!

IM DID NOT set the spec of the car, that was done by Subaru. What IM did do though is come up with the idea of the Series McRae which came with Recaro seats and a nice colour or did you not know that?

To answer the original point made, we would like to offer various levels of upgrade in performance levels and to some extent we do already. It's possible to buy 4 versions of WRX (230ps WRX, 270ps WRX PPP, 280ps WRX STi, 320ps WRX STi PPP) and the upgrades are now taken through National Type Approval so they could be registered with the package fitted. They all meet EUWVTA noise limits which I don't think is the case for the EVO 'upgrade' models as they aren't to EU standards and are basically Grey Imports.They come through an SVA test as a std JDM car and are then converted into 320/340/360 spec before going to the dealers.

We feel that further upgrades beyond the current 320ps from the 2.5 engine need internal mods to the engine to maintain reliability in the longer term but this isn't going to be cheap as rebuilding engines never is. How much would you pay for another reliable 30-40ps to take it to 350-360ps??

Mike

ralphandcarol

"How much would we pay for another reliable 30-40ps to take it to 350-360ps" ?

Mike,
Judging by the amount of people that spend shed loads on tuning their cars further than IM take them and the fact that a certain Mr.Litchfield does already prepped up type 20 and 25 conversions which people do buy otherwise he would not do them, I would say, a not inconsiderable sum, presuming of course they were covered by the factory warranty.

Ralph

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Mikes comments are valid when you consider the price of an EVO compared to say, an STi plus the EVO is a bit flimsier, comes with no sound system, no spare wheel and really poor dials compared to the Impreza. The EVO is a very dynamic motor car but can be a bit tiring at times.
JohnD

lightning101

A 3 year warranty on an FQ400 is still pretty amazing IMO

C2forWRX

true but most will only do a few miles. id be suprised to see many fq400's with over say 25k miles on them. the ones for sale in the country at the min, most are all under 10K miles. only a year warrenty left and have depreciated nearly 20k.

http://62.254.171.210/tradeweb/stock...tockId=7194972

GazTheHat

If the power is proven and reliable, i think quite a bit. What about the Type 25 and other models, people are interested. The option would be nice...

GC8

Come along Mike; we arent talking about the mechanical specifications here. I understand fully well that IM have to take whatever FHI can and will type-approve: but the interior trim, the deleted incidental specification and the dire 'for farmers' marketing (that IM took years to pull themselves away from), is absolutely the fault/responsibility of of the import concessionaire. Or: are we to accept that FHI monopolise the responsibilities usually taken by the their importers?

Simon

wilb

Never thought of it like that. Maybe ps's how the WRX should have been marketed, 4 clear different types.

MikeWood

Simon

Unfortunately IM have to take the spec they are offered. The problem is that whilst the UK sell more turbo cars, the European market is treated as a democracy and they only get one vote. Other individual markets have different priorities and cost rules out some of the spec for most of Europe. You are correct in pointing out that a Subaru USED to be sold as a utilitarian vehicle in the UK. This still happens in some countries although this hasn't applied to most of the Subaru range (Turbo & WRX models in particular) in the UK for a long time.

The UK generally has the highest spec cars anywhere in Europe, at various times the Impreza came without ABS, spoiler, A/C, side airbags etc in other markets but not in the UK. IM can only tick the boxes on the options list, they can't add new ones on the bottom with extra items in, although they do try!

WR1 would actually be a good example of this where I proposed a certain spec of car that differed in many ways to the std car but was built from 'options' off other models along with lots of UK developed and sourced parts. The things I'm thinking about are changes to the base car like DCCD-A, different interior trim and unique colour which make the car 'special'. IM asked and they got what they asked for.

Mike

Bat-Fink

Simon mate give it up.

mwp

03+sti+ppp+spring kit.
105k miles.
driven hard.
no major issues outside of the usual gripes.
still quick.
still a lovely sound.
good seats and driving position.
as predictable and glued as always.

not a bad advert - regardless of bhp & stopwatch arguments.

I think they've done a good job.