Designed for purpose? You betcha! If the
purpose is to go fast in a straight line, corner fast, and make a great sound
while doing all this, then yes, the WRX STi is most definitely designed for
purpose.
Is it a practical choice? Who cares! It’s a
4-door sedan, with a usefully-sized trunk, but it’s the performance that is its
one true value.
The WRX badge first appeared in 1992, but it
was in 1995 that the STi-tuned version jumped into prominence when Colin McCrae
won the World Rally Championship.
The recipe was simple – a compact,
lightweight body, turbocharged boxer engine, six speed transmission,
all-wheel-drive and the ‘extra tweaking’ from the STi division ensured that the
WRX would remain a vital element of the Subaru model catalogue.
Essentially bred for rally competition, the
WRX is nonetheless brilliant on bitumen, and its blur-fast acceleration and
pin-sharp handling means that it’s impossible not to enjoy driving it quickly.
To evoke the real magic though, you need to do all this well out of sight of
Mr. Plod and his Highway Patrol car.
Incidentally, in Australia, back in the 90s, the NSW Highway Patrol acquired about 50 WRXs to chase speeders, and the cops I spoke to loved them!
The WRX STi in my driveway is a fabulous
car to drive, it does everything right. The ride is a bit filling-loosening-stiff at suburban speeds, but you really appreciate the suspension and body
control when travelling quickly.
However, I think the sound from the
flat-four boxer engine is such a sweet and well-tuned blend of burble, that I
know why Subaru owners like to fit free-flow exhaust systems.
I can’t think of anything to criticize. The
interior is subtle, well-designed and nicely trimmed; the seats are fabulous;
and the all-round vision is excellent – aided by remarkably thin A-pillars.
This is a car for real enthusiasts. The
kind which are disappearing as we get older, to be replaced by millenials, who
could give a damn.
Go REX!
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