Modding a wrx is a slippery slope .Have a look at my project i dread to think what i have spent,luckily i dont keep receipts.

 

primary use is daily driver, I don't and probably won't use it for track days or anything like that so going lightweight is kind of irrelevant for me. Because I work offshore mileage is quite low (I've done 3000 miles in 6 months)

If I sold the subaru, lets say for arguments sake I got £4k for it which in its current condition I think is reasonable, I would have about £8000 for a car and the rest would be for annual insurance etc

If I did change the car I would like something similar or newer, skylines and supra's are very appealing but apart from the main worry that I would be a bit over zealous and run it into a tree, I wouldn't want to go back in terms of age. It's mixed so far, I'm hearing one argument to keep the wrx and modify as it is a cheaper option (mainly from the mrs) or try something new.

I would probably cap the budget at £2k which would have to inc brakes, suspension and remaining engine mods inc remap....does this sound do-able?

 

Any regrets?

 

Not really it has been a bit of a hobby.it doesnt get used everyday.once i have a forged engine iwill be happy

 

This made me laugh!!!!

 

Why don't you just throw a couple of hundred on a STI top mount, STI injectors, fit the turbo you bought, get it mapped in and then see how you feel?

The 335 are good when mapped, but when things start going wrong the Bills are ridiculous

Can't think of anyone I know who has kept there bmws for long term

But if you feel the need to change, then change

But the day will come when a m5 or RS6 is up your **** and your suddenly feel beaten again!

If you really want to compete with the bigger boys you need to have a good think on where you want to be power wise and see which is the best route for yourself

Hell you could build a 1000+ bhp car if you wanted to, but again you need very deep pockets and there will always be someone out there who will be faster

**** it get saving and buy a veyron SS, you should be ok then

 

why is it all about speed???
so what if the impreza is slighlty faster than the beemer, the beemer is a far better car inside which is where you will be be and you wont look a massive bellend driving it too.

 

I'm not figure chasing here I'm more than happy with 300 as the final number for the wrx. I'm trying to weigh up whether it is worth keeping the wrx and modifying to that point or going for the 335i, financially the first option is better but logically....I don't know.

My mate keeps saying if there is doubt then there is no doubt so I'm thinking I might just keep ahold of the subaru for now

 

Now you say this but the amount of bellends I have seen driving, locally and motorway, that are behind the wheel of a bmw is quite surprising...probably more than subaru drivers if I'm honest, I don't think the make/model of a car dictates what driver is behind the wheel anymore

 

i mean, why is the subaru is the better everYday car because its faster?

that is ALL it does have, the downsides are crap interior,ridiculous running costs and the awful image.


the beemer would be the best car to use as a daily.

 

Mate the BM can be very problematic. Believe me the amount of stuff that can go wrong is eye watering. They've got so much unnecessary crap on them it's mind boggling.

 

If you bought the WRX with that lot fitted, surely it must have been remapped? The Prodrive sports cat/ STi up-pipe would put the engine management light on pretty quickly..

My WRX made 287BHP with similar mods to what your has already, with a 16g (according to Andy F) you should make 300-320BHP.

You then really do need to be thinking about the clutch, gearbox and really crappy Subaru 4 pots, not to mention handling mods as well.

 

im sure but then probably a different car altogether is a better choice then

 

although the thread is about possibly swapping to a beemer I do have to agree with this hence why I would buy a warranty regardless of what bmw I bought, I wouldn't want to worry all the time whether it was going to go wrong, not saying subaru's are without faults but parts are easier to come by and don't necessarily rape the wallet

 

bought standard mate I have been buying the parts as I have gone along, only parts fitted so far is the catback the rest is in the boot waiting to be fitted.

I always thought wrx gearboxes could handle up to 350bhp?

 

take no notice of **** matts wrx ramblings, you will be running near the limit of the box and bottom end of the engine with increased power so more chance of it breaking.

350 bhp is around the limit for box and engine on a wrx

 

So just to clarify, if I ask the mapper to go to 300bhp with parallel torque it should be easier on the internals? I'm of 2 minds as to whether to go down the turbo replacement route and just stick with the basics to go to 280ish then focus on suspension/brakes

 

300 should be fine,but the brakes would probably need upgrading too.

 

Agreed, they are ****e standard I've had new pads and discs only 2000 miles ago ran in properly etc etc but the stopping power and bite is awful. Any recommendations on calipers, etc that doesn't kill the bank? I know brakes are there for a reason but I just do not want to pay stupid money on them

 

Did this back in 2005, spent loads of money on a new WRX then about half of what the car was worth on modifications, and ended up with a car as fast as a standard STi PPP of a similar age, but worth not as much and obviously less reliable(weaker 5 speed box/clutch/engine). I would never go down this route again, what a waste of time/money!!

My WRX back in 2005

 

nice looking scoob did you have any issues? What makes you say it was such a waste

 

Never had any issues, bought the car at 3 months old, and sold it 2 years later, But I poured loads of money into it, AP brakes where £2k, it was running coilovers and some other suspension mods, and then when you add up the price of the STi parts(STi fog covers, bumper winglets, turbo, intercooler, injectors etc) the car was running STi parts so was as quick as a STi, but the money spent could have bought a proper STi.

 

Something like this maybe

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-audi-...item5b0a8fffa3

 

you @rse! All set on sticking with the impreza and you put that under my nose....had never thought of an older S4, friend had a 56 plate S5 and what an absolute monster that was.. *sigh* curiosity test drive at the weekend

 

A £45k, 10 year old Audi, with 4 owners and no idea how it's been driven or maintained. Yep, that'll be cheap to run

 

curiosity test drive only. Running costs aren't a major issue with the minimal mileage i do.

 

I've had BMW when I was younger when it was all about image. I've been driving scoobies for 6 years now and wouldn't go back until I could afford a classic M or Alpina.
The car park at work is full of new BMW and Audi, I would trade my Scooby with them. They are very boring and can cost a fortune just to change a headlight bulb.
My favourite car I've driven recently was a Skoda Octavia VRS, it was so much fun for 2wd. Better than the M135 I had for a bit

 

They can take much much more than 350bhp. So long as you keep torque to 350lbft you can go a bit loftier with the BHP.

A good tuner will let you know how.

For the brakes, at less than 330bhp just run with uprated brake fluid and brake hoses and see how it goes.

 

If you had come up against a similar powered STI you would have massacred it. Not to mention you'd be getting 28-36mpg and he 18-25mpg ....with cheaper maintenance too!

When sticking below 350lbft, (which is getting into wheelspin territory for the STI) the WRX is by far the more logical choice.

Obviously if you plan on sticking above 50mph on specific race tracks then go for an STI where durability and shorter 4th/5th gear will be a benefit.

WRX owners need to realise because the their transmission is more efficient they can get more power to the wheels so each mod makes more of a difference than what it would on an STI. So many STI owners running over 400lbft have told me their 1-3rd gears were unusable so in the real world where you are powering away from tight corners, junctions or traffic lights Deffo get or stick with a WRX where the long ratios are a massive advantage, they limited spin, making harder to hit the limiter and don't slow you with the extra change.

WRX owners have to see torque as something you use to pull caravans or to overtake Ladas without dropping down. You only need up to 350lbft, Run something like an SC38 at low boost and safe power figures of 370/330 should be achievable with the right supporting mods. In my experience a 370bhp WRX will live with STI's up to 450bhp.

 

From my experience, limited mileage is no guarantee of low running costs. Even more so on older cars where you have no real knowledge of how they have been driven or maintained. A £50k car new, will still have the same running costs if you buy it for only a 1/10th of that price.

That's not to say don't get one, as there are some massive performance bargains out there. Just go in with your eyes open. You can easily spend the cost of buying the car in the first 12months just through consumables and preventative maintenance. If you are still on a downwards depreciation curve, the real costs can be even more.

Be realistic about the worst case scenario. If you really want the car, have done your research and are comfortable with the potential costs, then go for it. If you just fancy a change and just see the purchase price as a huge bargain, you are taking a gamble, which could prove costly. You may get lucky of course