sulli

I have been looking at WRXs for my next car, however my current insurers (Tesco) have told me a WRX will cost me 600 quid p.a. more than a UK Impreza (contrary to a quote I got from them a while back!).

Anyway, looks like i'll have to plump for a UK model, but a standard one is a little slow I think (have only driven a P1, thats about right power-wise I think, but the WRX/Sti is the only comparable car I can afford).

So i'd like to know from all you UK owners, how much does it take to get decent power (not that 215bhp isn't decent) out of the UK model? Also, do UK owners, after a short while owning one, find they are underpowered? I am only going on my experiences, and may find the UK OK, but I doubt it, in standard form.

Cheers

catflap

Hay mate, i got a uk99, i did want an sti, but insurance, so decided on a wrx, same thing ended up with a uk.

I know for a fact that my standard uk 99 would be faster from a stand than a mates k plate wrx.

FOr around 600 notes you could take the power of it to around teh 250 mark, (i think)

Ill elaborate, remove the cats and fit a dawes, possible a little octane booster.

I am almost there, minus 1 cat and the dawes ( i got 235 bhp) and hope to see close to 250 when i remove the down pipe and fit my dawes.

Yes you’ll always want more power, but in 1st and 2nd i have more than enough to send it into a wild rear end power slide out of tight corners, with the tail coming around.

lumby

Why not go for an older WRX cheap money now and with 240/260 bhp upwards and lower gearing , more fun I reckon .

jods

I have a UK '99 - Same problemo - the 215 is actually nearer 225
Stick a ScoobySport back box on to make it sound right.
Drive it for a year - get a bit used to an "Ordinary" Supercar
Advice I have had is - Get Scoobysport down pipe Ł180 ish + fitting
BIG GRINS AGAIN - I've decided to go this route + a short shift gear mech - around Ł240 + fitting

jods

I have a UK '99 - Same problemo - the 215 is actually nearer 225
Stick a ScoobySport back box on to make it sound right.
Drive it for a year - get a bit used to an "Ordinary" Supercar
Advice I have had is - Get Scoobysport down pipe Ł180 ish + fitting
BIG GRINS AGAIN - I've decided to go this route + a short shift gear mech - around Ł240 + fitting

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Sulli, unless your driving at over 100mph everywhere you wont notice that much difference between the wrx and the uk car.
The main "feel" thats different is the turbo kicking in, its a lot smoother on a uk car than it is on the wrx and a uk car is a more "balanced" package over a wrx too!
The down side to jap car owning is that the wrx's only take super unleaded fuel where as a uk car can run on normal u/l.
Jap cars are of a higher spec as standard and depending on what year your buying the power output wont be much more than that of a uk car, which is possible for not alot of money to get over 280bhp out of

Tony

stevejohnson511

I used to own a 95 wrx now i own a 01 wrx.
When i bought my 95 wrx i drove both uk and
jap spec cars.The jap wrx is miles faster
in my opinion,Although i love my 01wrx i still
miss the power of the 95wrx. You will easily
spend the money you save on insurance trying
to make a uk car as fast as a jap wrx

Tractor

Standard Sti, and I would imagine the later 280bhp WRXs are a LOT faster than standard UK cars, but you already know this. Its hard, and in fact probably impossible to get Sti power out of a UK car with just breathing upgrades, so you could try a Dawes, which loads of people are using and which are bloody cheap, or go for un upgraded chip e.g. Unichip or Link (more expensive). If you are worried about cost, go for an Sti 2 or 3, as they have full power and can be picked up for not a lot these days....... and spend the rest on insurance.

GREEN SCOOBY

Ive tried the WRX and the UK TURBO and found no real difference between them at all.I opted for a grey WRX at first but that fell through and fortunatly a great priced UK TURBO (97my) came along which I bought.It seems every body thinks that the WRX is the faster machine due to having around 237 bhp of power standard (or 240 ps) but you have to take into consideration that it will only have 237 bhp of power if run on 100 ron fuel which is only available in Japan.The Uk car only has around 208-214 bhp according to Subaru but on rolling road tests in magazines and of course the search on this board these cars usualy have around 220-230 bhp standard with the sub standard fuel we use in the UK. This is usually the same as the WRX cars if not sometimes more using the same fuel as us including octane boosters etc.At the end of the day they seem pretty much matched in power and sprint speed and I dont think the cars are that much different at all unless you believe in what an insurance companys says.
Then there is the STI version of the Scooby which is even slower than the UK TURBO, NAH only JOKING thats a very different kind of BEAST all together and we all know that.