Page 1 of 1 Subaru's fastest and most powerful Impreza ever - the WRX STi 'WR1' - is about to enter dealer showrooms, with more than half of the 500 limited run already spoken for. The special edition Impreza WRX STi celebrates Petter Solberg winning the Driver's Title in the 2003 World Rally Championship. It features a power upgrade to 320 PS plus a host of technical and visual upgrades and costs £29,995 on-the-road. First unveiled in January at the 'Autosport' show, the Prodrive-developed 'WR1' has just received official Subaru (UK) engineering approval after recording the best performance figures ever for a road-going UK-spec Impreza.
Guaranteed to excite enthusiasts is a driver's control centre-differential (DCCD) via a switch mounted next to the handbrake. It means the torque distribution between front and rear wheels can be manually selected. This allows the choice, for example, between a sharper cornering turn-in or more stable straight-line running. The system defaults to 'automatic' mode whenever the ignition is restarted. Also new for the 'WR1' are special, Prodrive-developed uprated springs and bump-stops with a 25 mm lower ride-height.
Other handling-enhancing features include 18 ins diameter P-FF7 (Prodrive Flow Forming seven-spoke) alloy wheels with 225/45 Pirelli PZero tyres. Externally, the new 'WR1' is instantly recognisable thanks to its new Ice Blue Metallic paint plus driving lamps and a stainless steel mesh grille. Interior changes include anthracite instead of blue suede-effect seats, a special gear knob, imaged carpet mats and a tax disc holder engraved with the special edition number. Features shared with all Impreza WRX STi's range from a six-speed gearbox to Brembo brakes and front and rear 'Suretrac' differentials. Page 1 of 1