Personally I wouldn't touch a 2.5 again, but the RB320 looks great. For me, it would have to be a JDM Hawkeye. This would appear biased, but this car has been, without doubt, one of the best and most reliable performance cars I have ever owned.

They handle totally differently and there is no moving away from that, especially since the diffs will be doing a lot of the work in the way the cars are set-up.

The STI diffs vary from model to model and the best set-up is reputedly the diff set-up used in the Blobeye widetrack JDM's (which is the same as the same year SPEC C's).

Mine is a Hawkeye JDM STI and the handling is spot on for a road car, once I put on a rear ARB, anti-lift kit and adjustable top mounts. With nearly 6degs of castor, it has very quick turn-in and no appreciable understeer. Stock suspension, 17" wheels and tyres that work.

My mate who owns a MY08 hatch, took mine for a drive and couldn't believe how much better it handled compared to his hatch. Different car and set-up totally different though.

As with most things, it's about understanding what makes the chassis perform at it's best, without expecting just to change all and sundry. Measured, step by step approach is always a good way to go imo.

In comparison I drove a Hawkeye SPEC C which had coilovers, uprated ARB's & 18" wheels iirc. It did not feel as tight or as sharp in the handling department, as my lowly STI.

As with most cases of modding..... it's not always what you start off with, but what you end up with.

 

Have u had one ? then

 

No way hawk ,even spec c ra-r would handling batter than hatch sorry but thats way they develop hatch to keep on WRC but it didn't help them.
What you know about handling without coilovers , roll centre kit ,heavy duty mounts, uprated drop links ,strut braces etc.
its not how You feel its about time.
Best car could be type 25 spec c with burble

 

Id say he knows a lot more than you with your wrx and chav stance wheels

 

A lot of people are just all talk. They get on the JDM bandwagon without even owning one.

 

You really do yourself no favours.

 

fawor,
The Hatch suffers from understeer, is soft and has quite "empty" steering in standard guise. These are well known traits - it's still a great car (I love them).

The Hawkeye is much more focussed as a drivers car in comparison. Sharper, tighter and some what harder.

I suspect you've never driven a hatch and blobeye widetrack/hawk before. You immediately noticed the difference in the handling characteristics.

If you want to see what I know (or should I say learnt) have a look at these two threads, if you have a spare week.

Previous project car (you'll love this, if you think the TYPE25 SPEC C is the nuts):
https://www.scoobynet.com/projects-4...oject-car.html

Current project car:
https://www.scoobynet.com/projects-4...a-hawkeye.html

 

Makes me laugh (the advert that is).
'Very rare' - so rare that there were 600 of them made.

Only 200 Cats, 500(?) RB5s, and a few other 'rarest' editions iIrc from a thread on here.

However, a VERY coveted machine, so probably about right.
(Would certainly sell before most other models at that price).

 

So that makes it the only er.... RB500 in the er.... world then John?



PS should have got the thing along last week

 

I've not been in an Evo IX Chris, but I wouldn't be making a guess as to which provides most focus.

 

Anything of 'similar power' would give something of similar power a run for its money Richie, surely?

Evos and Subarus are known as the fastest cars between two points on the planet ie. not just straightline muscle.
However, they are so closely matched that I bet one couldn't overtake the other in the scenario you've mentioned.

 

It takes a very large power advantage to leave any car for dead, that said it's never cut and dried as there are many other factors involved such as the road, condition of said road, traffic and the big one driver skill or lack there of.

 

When I went to the dark side I kept the scoob for a few months as well.(not good on the wallet).

Just in case I did not like the evo.

In the end I sold the scoob,as the evo is so much sharper on turn in and has no under steer whats so ever.

Also with just a stage 1 tune it made 400bhp- 420ftlbs and its a 9 mr so it has the smaller turbo for better low and mid range punch, and also weighs 70kg less than the scoob. Its a hoot to drive.

Would I have another scoob hell yes.
Loved every minute of the 8 years of owning scoobs, I could push the sti to its limits(or my limits)and really be on the edge used to love driving it.

I cant get this evo to do anything but go round corners with no drama what's so ever which means I can get down the road faster in it which is intoxicating and a real buzz ,but it is a bit less involving than the sti.

Both fantastic cars, I cant really split them.

Both have there pro's and con's. Every petrol head should just try both.

Wish I had the ££££ to have kept both of them on the road.

But sadly one had to go.

 

The point I was trying to make is that a Spec C is thought of to the ultimate STi you can buy,An FQ isnt the ultimate Evo you can buy.

You have to have driven both to understand the point I was trying to make.

 

I haven't, which is why I didn't

 

So thats a no for the rb320 then

I don't understand, I thought that what makes a Subaru so good was the 4 doors, the boot and the ability to cart the family around with the added benefit of the noise and performance.

They are all rounders and IMO that is what makes them great, by making them a little more uncomfortable and getting rid of the low down burble and giving them a track focused engine and gearbox is defeating the point.

If you want a focused car then get a lotus elise.

 

RB320 is a good car, but for the money you can do better not saying a JDM will be everyone's cuppa of tea as some like the scooby burble and maybe you prefer the torque of the 2.5, and JDM hawk STi's dont exactly come up for sale very often.

You could get a standard hawk STi with PPP which is all a RB320 is for around £10k which is a big saving for just not having a so-called limited edition car.

Then if you want to sort the suspension out throw some springs on and a thicker ARB with a geometry set up and you got RB320 handling for less then £500, not to sure if a RB320 has the same suspension as the hawk STi PPP cars, but im sure someone could tell us!!

Still I like the look of the RB320, if I was going to keep a car standard and be happy then id have a RB320, But prices are still quite high so would not entertain one at the moment!!

 

An RB320 was originally the car I was after.
I like the colour and looks.
However, the two that were advertised at the time weren't available. Why do sellers advertise cars they haven't got?

If I want an RB320 I'm not going to get fobbed off with an STi or Hatch or whatever they have left in stock - am I ???????

Mind you, the T25(s) I fancied were the same.

I haven't driven either model (in their ex-factory state anyway) so couldn't comment about performance and comfort. However the comments about Subarus being all-rounders is very valid.

I'd also add a big plus imo - safety.
OK, so they're not as safe as a Swede in an accident, but then it's far easier to avoid accidents in a scooby in my experience.
I've had to jink around sheep, go round a roundabout at 40+ and veer and accelerate to avoid a plank who's shot out of their driveway about 10 yds in front of me.

 

I've had to jink around sheep, go round a roundabout at 40+ and veer and accelerate to avoid a plank who's shot out of their driveway about 10 yds in front of me.[/QUOTE]

Never jink around a sheep,always stop & bum it.

 

Never jink around a sheep,always stop & bum it.[/quote]

But not with the front of a scooby !
Was in a bus once that hit a sheep at about 20mph. The damage was pretty surprising.

 

The RB320 has different suspension setup than the same year STI.

Brocksta,
A better comparison against a IX would be at least a Blobeye widetrack. The Blobeye non widetrack had totally different capabilities. Different castor, track, diff and sensor setup made for a more point and grip setup.

 

The RB320 has unique Bilstein suspension, not the same as a STi PPP.

 

My Spec-C is a great family car , 4 doors a boot and a bit of poke....Cant see what all the fuss is about :P

 

RB320 for show, JDM for go

Get a Spec C for preference... standard chassis' start to creek and crack with proper power and useage

 

Mine isn't.
The missus is scared stiff of the thing.