Subaru Impreza WRX STi CAR review

Please, please tell me the WRX STi is more impressive than the standard Impreza...

It is, though the naturally aspirated 2.0-litre Scooby isn’t without merit. It provides a decent base for the WRX STi, which has always been the best of the breed since the first version appeared in 1994. But Subaru has tried to go mainstream with the latest Impreza, and we've been fretting that this WRX STi would be a dull-as-ditchwater limp-wristed five-door. Now the wait is over - and we can confirm that Subaru hasn't made a dog's dinner of it. We should have guessed once we found out that the mechanicals are largely carried from the previous car, albeit improved… To read Ben Oliver's full eight-page first drive, read the new December 2007 issue of CAR Magazine on sale now

So what exactly is carried over?

The six-speed manual ‘box is pretty much the same, though Subaru claims there’s a 30 percent reduction in shift effort. Unfortunately the looks are radically different from the distinctive outgoing Scooby, and even the huge front spoiler and aggressively blistered wheelarches can’t disguise the car’s ungainly looks. Never fear though, because you can still spec that distinct WRC blue hue, and get gold BBS wheels too. UK cars will still come with a 2.5-litre engine, but for now the only test cars are the Japanese-spec Imprezas with 1994cc engines. The major changes over the old car are the addition of a twin-scroll turbocharger, a bigger intercooler and the variable valve timing now on both inlet and exhaust sides. There are minor changes to the block for improved strength and cooling, and Subaru claims better economy and emissions. The engine also sits 22mm lower for a better centre of gravity. What we’re interested in though is the 304bhp and 311lb ft…