Again, proof of progress within the same generation. It is a pity we do not have more Impreza wagons to see how well would they perform...
Also, super long post incoming! Yes, I am reviewing a car again!
A bit too F(lacid) for its own good: Toyota Vitz F ’12
Boy oh boy, I really need to learn some lessons about not being a procrastinator. Hello gentlemen, and welcome to another edition of Niku’s COTW Reviews; where cars get abused, jokes get overused and where people make more cultural references than a webpage solely dedicated to Internet memes.
So, while I would love to discuss good cars with the fine set of folk that are part of this great organism known simply as COTW, I am afraid I cannot do that plan justice. Instead, I have to talk about the dull, uninspired and, quite frankly, sluggish 2012 Toyota Vitz F; a basic car that is unable to follow the simple task of being a “cheap but cheerful” vehicle. So, unfortunately, allow me to introduce the boring Toyota that forgot to be fun;
Wait a second. What the hell!? The Vitz was supposed to be parked there, in front of the church! How am I supposed to talk about a car that is not there!? And who in the heck took the car away from where it was supposed to be? This is unbeliev…
What is this? A paper note?
“It’s just a simple avatar idea”? Now what is the meaning of this nonsense? Wait, I know this signature, it belongs to...!
“Why it’s your ever friendly female thief, Saint Tail, always at your beck and call, Mr. Niku. It seems that you have noticed my note, it didn’t take you that long enough to put the puzzle pieces together.”
Well, if it isn’t my esteemed friend indeed, Saint Tail. Or should I say… Miss Meimi Haneoka. I thought I could do without the avatar references, but I guess that was just wishful thinking on my part. Why are you here? And why did you steal my Vitz? Did the famed “religious female Robin Hood” step down that low to become a petty car thief?
“Petty car thief? You do know I would never do something that can wrong God, I had my reasons. It turns out that the Vitz’s former owner was robbed of that car a month ago as part of a scam, before it was sold to you. He told the story to my friend Seira, she told me about it and here we are. There was also the fact that when the police searched the car after I dropped it on the local police precinct, they found a box littered with stolen diamonds…”
Perfect, so I was about to be arrested for driving a stolen car with stolen goods, that is just peachy. It still does not explain why you are here in Italy, however. Aren’t they chasing you?
“Well, the Vitz’s true owner wanted to reward Saint Tail, that being me, with a prize. Unfortunately, he wanted to give her a car of all things. And as you know A) I’m not a car woman and B) I’m far too young to have a driver’s license. Therefore, in order to compensate for taking your Vitz away, I decided to gift you with that car. It should be arriving just about… now.”
Oh boy, you airlifted it via giant balloons!? It is just one thing after the other… And that shape, isn’t that a…
Subaru Impreza Wagon STI '00. Codename: "Rally Tail"
Wow, colour me impressed, your contacts are quite the interesting bunch, Haneoka. Although I do wonder; why are the rims painted in Matte Pink?
“Isn’t that funny, I haven’t got the faintest clue.”
(Niku looks at Saint Tail’s outfit, then looks at the Impreza, and then looks back to Saint Tail)
Suuuure you don’t. What an acid trip this is turning out to be, huh? Anyways, welcome to the actual car I am going to review for the sake of this text; the 2000 Subaru Impreza Wagon STI (Type-I, because the name was not long enough, apparently). The Impreza is one of those cars that should not really require an introduction for anyone, even non-car fans. The answer of Subaru to replace the near-unknown Leone, the Impreza soon drifted its way into the Sports Car Hall of Fame thanks to the fine efforts provided by some of the greatest rally drivers in history. Soon, the visions of Martini-sponsored Delta Integrales blazing through the stages of Monte Carlo were replaced by the sights of Colin Mcrae powering his 555-livery-emblazoned Subaru through the dirt roads of Portugal, doing all this while breaking records and providing many teenagers with dreams (and posters) of doing the same with their own Impreza. And of course, the racing success of the “Gold Rims Wonder” payed their due dividends, as many flocked to the dealerships to get their hands on the closest thing available; the WRX and WRX STI versions, for those who could afford living with a fire-breathing rally monster.
Fast forward eight years; already showing signs of its age, the GC platform was in dire need of replacing. Soon enough Subaru provided the first-generation Impreza with its retirement contract, and brought forth the new age of their mascot, under the form of the infamous “Bug-Eye”. Yes, the design of this car does divide people in an incredible polarizing way; some say that it is “kinda cute” (in teenager speak), while others just believe that the car became dopey thanks to the new ovoid-shaped headlights and the more smooth lines that made up the Bug-Eye’s design. The Impreza became a more slender car, that is true, but it hadn’t lost what defined it in the first place. It was still a purebred sports car, with no signs of flaccidity (unlike certain other cars). And this aggressive and rebellious behaviour gave birth to a surprisingly bold child; the Impreza Wagon STI. You see, the magic of the Impreza lied in the fact that you get yourself the epic rally-stage-destroying performance with an additional dose of arse. Mind you, it seemed that the extra arse didn’t do so much to hamper the fierce and explosive personality of the “normal” STI.
Meanwhile, in Trial Mountain...
“Wow, what a picturesque track… Why did you bring me here, Niku? Are you kidnapping me?”
Don’t be silly, Haneoka. I was just preventing the police in Italy from arresting your own hide. You see, not many people in Europe dress the way Saint Tail does, which would either get you a trip to jail or the mockery of many citizens, who would wonder why a Japanese school girl is wearing a pink skirt and very high boots. You know, it’s just general logic. Now, back to the car… This Impreza Wagon displays quite the juicy set of specifications; the eternal 2.0 4-cylinder EJ20 Boxer comes prepared with 296 horsepower (note: figures taken without an oil change), while the weight is kept at a shocking low 1,430 kg. You may not understand why do I label such weight numbers as shocking, but I will explain that one later. The weight distribution is a bit uneven, at the number of 52:48, but such number can be explained by the nose-heaviness of the car itself. If anything, it isn’t as ghastly as a certain Vauxhall that I know…
But the most important question of all is this; does it still behave like the legendary STI sedan? Does it still act as the fire-breathing, track-destroying sports car that earned its stripes by being simply incredible to drive?
The answer to those questions is a resounding “yes”; the Wagon does not feel like it gained any weight compared to the sedan, nor it feels like it is being limited due to its upbringing as a station wagon. Simply put, it’s still the Bug-Eye Impreza that makes car fans drool; it is still the car that Colin would gladly wrestle around Sanremo. When you drive the Impreza at anger, it will not deny its owner of a proper driving experience. It is a sharp car, ready to corner like a rally champion when the accelerator pedal is sunken down to its fullest level. The understeer is kept to a minimum, meaning that the driver could very well corner at speeds that one would not believe could be achieved in a wagon. The famous 4WD system is a great assist to this cause, as it never fails to maintain grip even on the wildest of situations. Yes, the car does cave in under late heavy braking, with the nose pushing ahead of the rear and causing rotation issues, but keep the car on its path and it will not give up the ghost. It will only oversteer if you either hammer the handbrake or really try to send the rear sideways with a fierce push of the steering. It’s as if this car was never a Wagon in the first place, and just accidentally had Botox surgery to gain the larger rear end and be attractive to family men. It is a car that belies its shape.
But that is not all, folks, because then comes the EJ20 to make this incredible package even better. It’s a fireworks factory of an engine, always ready to push at even the lowest of revs, and always prepared to kick into high gear when the driver calls for it. Largely unchanged from its sedan counterpart, the Boxer monster can eat through the finest sports cars in the world without a single warning from its driver. Case in point;
Picture taken during a National A race in Bathurst, Australia
See that BMW in the picture? That is a BMW M3 from 2004. Yes, even a car that was launched four years after the Impreza couldn’t handle a black wagon with pink rims going through the treacherous roads of Bathurst. And that is the other part of the magic of owning one of these; it’s usable in many National A races, and it can be incredibly competitive while doing so. Even in its stock form, the handling issues are minor compared to the sheer potential that this car possesses, as everything is honed to deliver a strong racing pedigree even with the larger arse getting in the way. And then come the comparisons to fellow JDM wagons, which only make the Impreza an even better proposal; Nissan’s Autech Stagea is a fine piece of engineering that comes with a GT-R heart, but it will set its owner back 45,000 credits. Not to mention that despite coming in with the same horsepower rating prior to purchase as the Impreza at 276 hp (also known as the “Gentlemen’s Limit”), the Stagea is left with only 280 horsepower without an oil change. To make matters worse for the Nissan, then come the weight issues; despite Autech’s best efforts, the Stagea has to pay the price for being a large wagon with a 1,720 kg weight, effectively making the Stagea a less-effective sports car compared to the Bug-Eye wonder. The Subaru comes at a bargain price of 29,980 credits, offering you far more for far less of a cost. The Impreza’s fated rival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, does not even have a station wagon available to use in the game, leaving the role of “sports wagon” to the larger Legnum VR-4, which also suffers from lack of horsepower and a heavier body.
To put it simply, the Impreza Wagon STI remains a wonderful car, despite the longer tail and the family proposals. When it comes to being a Sleeper, the Impreza passes the test with flying colours. Take the golden rims and the badges away (and perhaps try to hide the hood scoop too), and no one would be able to tell that such a car can thrash a BMW M3 or a Toyota Supra around a racing track, all this while carrying the groceries requested by your wife. It retains all the character that made people fall in love with the original Impreza, it is still the rally monster, the Colin steed, the whole Boxer-powered ten yards. Also…
“Niku?”
What is it, Haneoka?
“Can I… drive the car for a short while? I had no idea that it was so fun to be the owner of a car like this. I want to see what puts such a smile on your face.”
Haha, so you want to share the enjoyment? Fair enough, you deserve that honour. After all, I wouldn’t be driving this without your help… Meimi.
“Not a car woman”, huh? I beg to differ… Haha, let the car have it! Subaru and Lewis Hamilton, thank you. Thank you for showing what a wagon can do when it’s eager to show off.
Pros:
- Retains all the great aspects of an Impreza while adding a saint tail (har har);
- Priced exactly like a sedan Impreza as well;
- Can make sports car owners look even more like complete tools;
- Easily modifiable to acheive even better results.
Cons:
- It was not sold with this much potential outside of Japan (thanks a lot, Subaru);
- Beware of understeer under heavy braking and accelerating;
- And make sure to not paint the wheels pink.
Final Veredict: Sleeper; Yes, the Impreza Wagon lacks a detailed interior, and it is not the most track-effective Bug-Eye Impreza available. But you cannot deny its prowless; faster than most conteporary sports cars of its time around a track, this Wagon hides many great secrets, all of them more than capable of surprising its driver. And compared to most JDM wagons in GT6, it also offers one of the best price-to-perfomance ratios you can get. To put it simply, it's no different from the usual solid product that is the Impreza. Bar the extra arse, that is...
): http://www.tyeeimports.com/jdm-cars-for-sale/default.asp?Make=Subaru&MakeID=41
) and take it to Brands Hatch. After three laps on stock tires, the best I could crank out was a 1:42.018. One thing I noticed is to not let the sleeper look make you think that driving the car will be easy as pie. You actually have to be kind of careful driving it because you can go into a corner and the car will turn in perfectly, but then that understeer will kick in halfway through.
), but it's so bloody good.
