Subaru Says Farewell To Impreza WRX

Anthony Fontanelle
July 12, 2007

It has been five years since Japanese automaker Subaru introduced the redesigned Impreza in the United States auto market. The introduction of the said redesigned Impreza has made waves in the auto industry. In fact, the Subaru Impreza has set the benchmark for future compact sports sedan in the country.

During those five years, the Impreza has received many upgrades including a facelift which gives it a look similar to an Alfa Romeo. For the 2008 model year, Subaru is slated to introduce the newest installment of the Impreza, but the company will no longer be offering the sports-tuned Subaru Impreza WRX.

The street legal rally car is called the GB270 which comes from the United Kingdom’s Rally GB. The said auto model was designed by Prodrive. The motorsports and automotive engineering company designed the last of the GBs to be instant classic rally cars.

The engineering team behind the development of the last of the GBs has given the car a modified version of its standard engine. The original engine of the Subaru Impreza is a 2.5-liter boxer engine. After the modifications done to the engine, it now produces 266 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. That power and torque output is 40 hp and 74 lb-ft more than the output of the standard engine.

The standard engine can propel the Impreza to 60 miles per hour from a standstill in 5.9 seconds. With the modified engine, the GB can reach that speed from a standstill in just 5.3 seconds. With increased torque, the GB has better acceleration. Stopping power is provided by efficient and capable Subaru brakes which are known for their reliability. From a standstill to 100 miles per hour, the conventional engine would take 14.4 seconds but with the Prodrive modified engine, 100 mph can be attained within 13.9 seconds.

Aside from the modifications on the engine, the Subaru Impreza WRX comes equipped with a lowering spring kit which gives the Impreza a lowered profile. Reduced air drag is the result of this addition. Sportier handling is also improved with the sports tuning of the Impreza. According to Subaru, the last GBs will also be equipped with a quickshift gearchange. Included in the package are 18x7.5-inch GT1 wheels.

On the outside, the last units of the Impreza WRX were given a new rear spoiler and mesh grille for the sedan variant. For the sports wagon version of the WRX is given a new rear waist spoiler, front and rear aerodynamic pieces and black mesh grille and gloss black rollers.

While many performance enthusiasts will be clamoring to buy one, Subaru announced that only a handful of these hopefuls would be able to take home the final edition of the Subaru Impreza WRX. This is because only 400 units will be manufactured by the Japanese automaker. 300 of this will be sedans while the remaining 100 will be wagons.

According to Subaru, the Impreza WRX will be offered with optional features which include an ICE pack which is consisted of a Clarion SatNav and iPod adaptor as well as a Bluetooth phone kit. Other options include Alcantara leather for the interior, and glass window tinting.

Source:  Amazines.com