chrisp

UK wise the new 2002 STI UK is 265PS which is 261bhp. A WRX is 215 but for an extra 1600 can have a prodrive performance pack (PPP) fitted which should give you around 240-245bhp and still keep your warranty intacted. There are rumours of a PPP for the STI which may get close to 300bhp but these are still rumours (show me a brochure/price list/sales material etc or a url on Subaru.co.uk or prodrive.com about it ).

If you want to stay UK then theres a P1 which were built initially and sold late 1999 to early 2000 (some remainned unsold and were register later 2000 and 2001). If you get a 2001 model it will have a lot of its 3 warranty left. P1 were all classic shape 2 door coupes and only in sonic blue, best colour IMHO .

Otherwise you are looking a Japanese imports but that another question on models, types etc.

Worth reading this to get upto speed, not quite up to date with the latest flavours but good for the old stuff :

www.sidc.co.uk/faq.htm

cheers

chrisp

[Edited by chrisp - 7/5/2002 8:31:42 PM]

chrisp

George a UK300 is 215bhp not 242bhp magazines always quote with the 1600 optionally prodrive performance pack (PPP). Its quite possible to come across a UK300 without a PPP. It was the same with the RB5 all back of car mag stats thought they had 240bhp . The truth is they cant fit them until they are registered as it get around the type approval issues.


For 15K UK wise:

You are looking at an MY00 classic shape off a dealer you should get 1 year warranty as you woudl if you brought a "proper" UK spec MY00 privately. Privately it would be cheaper and you may get a very high spec one with a PPP already fitted. You may get a modified MY01 WRX euro import for that sort of money as well but warranty maybe an issue. To stay on side with warranties you are not gone get much better than 240bhp from the UK cars. If warranty isnt an issue then you csn decat and play a bit and it really depends how much you want to spend.

For 15K Grey Import :

This should get you a an STI5 with 276bhp. No UK warranty, no UK dealer backup, bigger insurnace premiums, you have really have to run super unleaded and octane booster. They are superb machines though .


It upto you but if you want 300bhp for 15K you are lookign at a grey import but it has the downsides as well.

Just a final note the UK spec wise the only 276bhp cars were the 22B type UK only 16 available and still selling for over 30K a piece and the P1, 1000 made 2 door sonic blue coupe but not seen any good ones for less than 20K.


[Edited by chrisp - 7/6/2002 10:13:59 AM]

zip106

Saxoboy-I had a 106 Gti-essentially a VTS- before my UK Scoob and I can't see how you reckon it is only a "small" step up! Handling wise pos. but power wise...... and it cost the same to insure!
Also, I have been told my 98 MY has the phase 2 engine but I've only got 2 pots??? Is this pos.? ( apparently 4 pots won't fit behind Prodrive Speedlines anyway so thats that!!)

[Edited by zip106 - 7/6/2002 2:49:48 PM]

chrisp

If its got the revised front bumper 2 slats rather than the three of the 98 its an 99 an has a pahse 2 engine unless someone has swapped the bumper, check the front calipers they shoudl be 4 pots unelss someone has changed then as well, then check the rear spoiler shoudl be mid high unless thats been changed as well, I am sure I just said all this or theres an echo in here .

[Edited by chrisp - 7/6/2002 4:15:29 PM]

George L

Hi I will be looking to change my car at the end of the year so I might as well start planing now.

I like the sound of the new STi, but somebody told me you can get a 300 bhp uk spec model? If this is true what are your opions on this car.

I don't want the 200bhp or 215bhp if thats what the std 2.0l turbos are, as I want something a bit quicker!

All help would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

George

Scooby Dooby Blue

Rather than fork out £26K on an STI7, why not haggle a bargain on a new WRX and spend your £6K change on some tasteful modifications.

That's assuming you're looking to buy a UK car.

If not, import a WRX and spend your £10,000 change on creating something extra special

Just my tuppence of course...

Paul

RB5-Black

The problem with modding a car is that the mods don't put the resale value up. £1500 worth of wheels don't put the second hand value of the car up, in some cases they just make it more difficult to sell.

Buy the STI7 IMHO


Black

George L

Thanks guys.

I am not up to speed so thats great. Also I should have made it clear, I don't have £25 to spend, more like £15 plus so if thats altered you feelings please advise me again.

A friend of mine had a WRX with 280bhp? Does that sound right? Its just Idon't want a clio as a step upfrom my VTS as I don't think its a big enough step. Therefore if its on par with the WRX then thats not going to be good enough either! The other option would be to by an Evo 5 or 6! Your views please

Thanks again

George

George L

I mislead myself the UK300 isn't 300 bhp

Impreza UK300 £26,595 4/1994 242/5600 261/4100 178 5.8 145
Impreza WRX STi £29,995 4/1994 276/6400 275/4000 196 4.8 140

So a second hand WRX STi might be the car to have then? failing that an older 280 model??

What you recommend?

George

catflap

Depends on your wants from the car, if its a track tool or ultaimate speed car, consider a westy/Caterham (although the Caterham are much more expensive) for around 10k that will leave all of the above (cept in wet), and will be a lot less on insurance.
If the car is an every day car, the scooby is considered the better choice, its easier to live with.

Evo has more appeal so some (myself included) but took a ride in an evo 5, and it was like driving a tin can full of nails, very very uncomfortable to drive on bumpy roads. BUT IT WAS QUICK.

I sold my scoob to move to something faster, but for an all-round package the scoob cant be beet.

If you want the best of the old shape look for a 99/00 in good nick, they can be found for 11-13k, and itll leave you money for that insurance sting. small bit off modding can see these cars to 250bhp with relatively little cost.

George L

Thanks Catflap

Do you know if they made a 280bhp model around 99?

George

George L

This is the baby!

With 276+ bhp, and 260 lb/ft of torque, mated to a shorter close ratio gearbox, the later Japanese specification Impreza's have the ability to out accelerate virtually all other cars on the road. Official figures are 0-62mph (100km/h) in about 4.9 seconds, although a Tye R was timed at 4.3 seconds (0-60) by Performance Car in the UK. In standard form, these cars are limited to 112mph by Japanese law, but bypassing the speed limiter enables them to reach top speeds of about 150mph+

What sort of money are these going for?

George

DJB

I presume you mean £15k plus.

If this is the amount you have to spend and you want more than the standard UK turbo power then you really have 2 options (unless you buy a modified car):

1. Get a UK turbo (classic shape) with PPP (Prodrive performance pack). This will give you a car with around 240 bhp. Arguably the best of this type is the RB5 which you should be able to get for this money. Note that you can get a RB5 with or without PPP, so make sure its the right one.
The main advantage of going down this route is that the car is a UK model and will be reasonably straightforward to insure.

2. Get a classic shape WRX (with 276 bhp). The name WRX causes confusion. The WRX name always used to be confined to Japanese models produced before 2001 which were only available in the UK as imports. With the introduction of the 2001 model, Subaru changed the name of the UK car to Impreza WRX rather than Impreza Turbo 2000. So if you see an classic shape car (pre 2001) with WRX, it will an import. Most of these cars have 276 bhp as standard (except older WRX's and some 5 doors). But there are pitfalls to buying one of these.
Firstly they are designed to run on high octane fuel (>99 RON) and suffer on UK fuel. You would have to use SUL and octane booster to avoid engine damage. Secondly, it will be more difficult to insure. And finally many Subaru dealers will not service imports so you may have to go to specialist dealer.
The WRX has several different derivatives including the STi which differs slightly from standard WRX but both still have 276 bhp. STi version is better.

Overall if you must have around 280 bhp, get an import WRX or if you're happy with a little less bhp get a PPP UK turbo.

D.

DJB

The last 2 versions of the STi are the STi V and VI. There is little difference between these two. For STi V (1999) you'll pay around £13-18000 I would guess.

Have a look on the Autotrader website - there are usually plenty for sale.

D.

chrisp

LOL how slow is my typing

turboman786

With utmost respect to Scoobys, go 4 the Evo5/6....if in any doubt just take a test drive in a WRX then an evo..and Im sure you'll agree that the evo is the superior machine.The EVO has got absolutely supernatural levels of grip and handling and if your stepping up from a VTS its gonna feel feel like all heell broke lose when u give it some.Enjoy!ps the WRX is a great motor...but if I was to spend 15k, I d feel much more satisfied with the EVO.

George L

Thanks for all these great replies chaps!!! I have leant alot already from this post alone. I suppose insurance is going to be the biggest issue. I have had a quote for a UK 300 for £1000 so I am happy with that. I don't know what the imported WRX and WRX Sti 280s (look speaking the lingo already ) would be in comparison.

As for Fuel I think, correct me if I am wrong, but Shell optimax is 99 ron so that should be ok!?

I might wait another year that way I can buy the car cheaper and maybe even modify it!?

As for warrenty I always find its not worth a ****! That maybe because I own a ****roen which is one of the few flaws my car has being a Citroen that is!

Are these cars prone to expensive warrenty type work, i.e. Engine failures etc etc?

And of course the EVO is always an option, although from what I hear they are more to insure than the scoobys as well

Anyway thanks again

George

chrisp

The EVo v Impreza has been done a lot and they aint a great deal in it to be honest. The grip levels arent a huge different the EVO had the active yaw fitted to up its grip level but the impreza relies on it low centre of gravity boxer flat 4 engine config. The biggest problems with EVO is finding a good second hand one. Ask the guys on MLR how long people have spent looking for one, I was told some guys spent 1-2 years looking for a good one . Safest option with the EVO is new but put aside 27K for one .

£1000 for a UK300 then you are probably looking at 1500 for an import I would have thought. My grey is 50% more than my old UK turbo and the EVO quotes were higher still .

Optimax is 98.6 RON, I run it together with Millers O+ OB.

Engine failures do happen (on Uks and Imports), it important to always run good fuel and dont just buy a boost controller or chip to up the boost without checking whats going on or adjusting fueling etc.

I cant tell the amount of times "lads" have told me they have 350 bhp and when asked about it the normal answer it gotta a super-dupper 5" exhaust and its been "chipped" and a huge DV. When asked what boost are they running on what turbo, what induction, are they running water injection, what fuel additives, uprated TMIC or FMIC. I normally just get a blank and vacant look .

The same bull**** which other marques have for years has appeared on the scooby scene, only time I guess .

cheers

chrisp

George L

1996 SUBARU IMPREZA 2.0 WRX STi 4dr Saloon
1996 1996,TAX,MOT,White.Gold alloys,Ex condition,climate control,Blitz exhaust,300BHP,awesome!. 22000 miles. £10495.

Thats the kind of thing! Just want one a bit newer!

1999 SUBARU Impreza Turbo WRX,
1999, T reg . 30000 miles, Tax/MOT, 280BHP, 1 owner, Hpi clear, Cat 1 security, e/pack, PAS, ABS, AC, 16'' alloys, CD player, totally standard/unabused, looks/drives like new, my personal import, bargain . £10,495. ovno, may px. anytime.



1998 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STi,
1998, R reg . 30000 miles, 280bhp, MOT and Tax, CD and radio . £12,000. ono.

P Reg SUBARU Impreza TYPE R. COUPE
, 1997 P Reg , 31,000 miles . 5 Speed Manual, central locking, Electric mirrors, Electric windows.rear GT aerofoil,ENKEI white alloys, white turbo dials, 555 interior trim adjustable limited slip differential, £12,995.



Sorry for being so tiresome, these cars seem cheaper than I (we?) first thought

George

chrisp

George that silver one is strange as it has a 99 spec front bumper but if you look carefully a 98 low level spoiler . Shoudl have the mid level hoop spoiler (I think).

What you have to remember is that with 15K we were telling you best you could get.

Import WRX saloon (non STIs) were 280PS (276bhp) from MY97 (September 1996-August 1997)

The STI5 were MY99 (Sep 98- aug99)
The STI6 were MY00 (sep 99-end of classic shape)

So yes you can get a 280PS car as a 1996 P reg but best to check the model code on the VIN plate against the list on the SIDC faq to understand what you are looking at though.

Stuart Knight

iTrader: (2)

In my opinion the STi V Type R is one of the best Imprezas around. My mate has one and in real world driving (below 100mph) it can easily keep pace with my 330bhp WRX. It handles a treat, looks the dogs danglies, and the short gearing makes it soooo quick to drive. His example is a 99 with 44,000 miles, white with gold wheels (obviously) totally standard and unmarked, and he is selling it for £13,995. Bargain IMHO.

LG John

Pretty sure I can help here as I had the exact same problem a month or so ago. I have been in and driven a number of Impreza's and recently sold my VTS to facilitate the purchase of one. I would strongly advise to get something better than a standard UK car or leave money for modifications because it would (in terms of straight line performance only) be a very small step from VTS to standard UK. I have looked long and hard at import classic shape WRX's but too many things put me off. Mainly insurance and what fuel, treatment, etc previous owner gave it. A hard driven UK car on 95 RON would be nowhere near as shagged as a hard driven import on 95 RON.

Out of the UK cars the 99 model is regarded as the best, the 97/98's had piston slap problems and don't have clear front lenses, 2-vane front bumper and a whole host of other cosmetic,et tweeks. That said, they have a bigger turbo and for hard tuning purposes this can be an advantage. The 2000 model often has a restrictive ECU and is actually slower than the 99 (emissions reasons). My advice would be to get a 99 or 00 and leave money for a full decat exhaust (will sound amazing) and maybe even a TEC2 or 3 (ECU reprogramme) (total about £1500). This will give the car blistering performance, well superior to our VTS's in every respect. Hope that helps Also, FSH is a must in my opinion.

The Crushinator

Get a 22B they Corner quicker

DJB

Saxoboy

I think that the MY97 and MY98 had the same turbo as MY99. In fact, there are few differences between the 98 and 99 versions. Brakes and front spoiler (and minor engine changes), thats about it.

D.

chrisp

Basically the UK 99 car onwards had the revised front bumper (still with orange indicators and orange wedgy thing at the bottom), mid height spoiler (a la STI4) and had the phase 2 engine, and 4 pots.

LG John

I'm fairly confident that the 99 was the first car to have the smaller turbo and the the 98's had the larger (more kick, faster feeling turbo) John Banks knows for sure, hopefully he'll find this thread. The scooby feels quicker than VTS/GTI due to its turbo delivery and obviously is faster, but having played with them on the road, at Crail and having driven several I don't think its worth the extra money and running costs for just a standard UK turbo (in straight line terms) I want a car that is quick in a straight line, has all weather ability (4WD) and has nice seats and headturning looks. For me an modded MY99/00 fits that bill perfectly

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

97's onward had the smaller turbos, pushing 208bhp, the delivery was different though, where as the 99/00's had 215bhp (and the phase 2 engine).
Basically, from the facelift in 97, all new bits

Tony

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Zip, the MY98 has a phase 1 engine, phase 2 engines came in for the MY99 cars.

Tony

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

For any none believers

1997
Over the years, Subaru has constantly improved the cars, addressing many of the criticisms raised against the earlier cars. The most significant changes were introduced late in 1996 as part of the 1997 model year. The external changes were relatively minimal, with a new style bonnet and a more aggressive nose. The Turbo model received a revised engine with a higher compression ratio, low friction pistons, smaller turbo and revised engine management system. Power output was unchanged at 208 bhp, but maximum torque increased by 5% to 214 lb ft at a lower 4,000 rpm. The suspension was also revised and improved, with the turbo receiving a new/thicker rear anti-roll bar. Brake calipers were also revised.

For 1997, the turbo also received much improved sports seats, replacing the unattractive non-sporty seats of previous models. The seats are still not ideal though, as there is a difference of opinion amongst owners. Many owners find them somewhat lacking in lower back support, whilst others just report them as fantastic.

The ICE system was also changed from the Subaru badged Panasonic radio cassette to a badged Philips unit with removable fascia, and the heater controls changed.

Tony

zip106

Cheers Tony, but how do tell different engines? Some people say if you can hear the OE dump valve ( very faintly ) then it's a phase 2. Or perhaps I've been told a load of boo locks!