May issue closing date -> March 17
Subaru Impreza (2007) – Bright blue and super fast for Stefan
The world needs more unique cars, and Stefan's 18-year-old youngtimer is one of them. The Subaru Impreza owes its fame to racing success and impressive performance.
This sedan is special, with a long list of modifications tailored entirely to Stefan's personal taste. It's precisely these modifications that cause him to be regularly pulled over by the police. Not because of his driving, but because of his combination of youth and speed. Stefan is only 22.
The WRX version of the Subaru Impreza?
The extremely reliable and well-equipped Subaru Impreza has striking features, and we are going to reveal their mystery.
An STI spoiler, a bumper kit all around, gold-painted rims, a carbon fiber hood, a starry sky in the interior, black flocked A-, B- and C-pillars, a roll cage, air ride, a custom-designed taillights, a titanium exhaust with high decibels for the "kick", and DEFI meters in the car to measure the oil pressure, voltage and coolant temperature.
All these visible elements give Stefan a good feeling. There are many ways to enjoy a hobby car. The transformation of a standard Subaru into a fighter and show car is one of them.
Why different?
Stefan: "I bought this Subaru Impreza from a dealership in Bornerbroek. The car was completely stock. I immediately added a large STI spoiler for a sportier look. My interest in rallying inspired me to make the modifications I mentioned earlier, under the motto: I'll customize the car to my liking! I bought the car because I wanted something special. I'm absolutely thrilled with it. You get a ton of reactions because the car really stands out. In fact, whether you love it or not, you simply have to see it."
Friendships with the Subaru Impreza
Stefan and his friends, who all have unique cars, attend events to display their vehicles. The positive feedback is warmly received. Criticism from purists is politely countered with: "Thank you for your feedback, we understand your opinion, our approach is simply different."
(The photos continue below.)
In any case, very nicely done, although very unpleasant.
I have a 2003 WRX in black, completely stock except for the engine that's been tweaked to 312 hp, which is fantastic. I love wolves in sheep's clothing, although there's certainly little sheepishness about a standard WRX. The rear only has a low "butterfly wing." When I bought it in 2020, it was lowered, which was also the original.
This one looks exactly like the 2005 WRX I bought in 2007 (also in Bornerbroek) and drove a good 4 miles in 2 years, fantastic car. However, I had a project that I couldn't even drive for two days on a tank of gas, and I felt it was a waste to use it up on commuting, so I traded it in for a Seat ecodiesel in 2011, which was a bit of a bitter pill to swallow 🙃
Unfortunately, I didn't have room to keep it at the time, as it was one of my favorite cars. So, in 2020, I found this one and I'm really happy with it!
The dictionary, sigh. "Unpleasant" was "sensitive to taste," I'd missed that switch.
160 hp is nothing to be ashamed of; the handling, the sound, and how hard you have to work for it define the experience. In my lowered Twingo 1 with a custom intake and exhaust, boasting around 80 hp, it was also a blast to drive without going too fast. The experience is what counts. And that's definitely in this car.
I'm quite sensitive to taste when it comes to decor, so I won't be too critical. 😉 But it's a beautiful car, I understand you're proud of it and enjoy it!
Many decibels for the “kick”?
Noise is downright disruptive to the environment and is even THE reason why roads are sometimes closed to traffic, to the detriment of decent users.
Very interesting car, but...seeing the photos...
It reminds me of a "competition" with my son; he was a bit taken with his leased BMW at the time (25 years ago?), and I had something resembling a Berlingo.
At speed bumps he had to slow down to 10 km/h, while I passed him with the Berlingo at 50 km/h.
Please give me something practical.
I don't see this Subaru taking a speed bump without any problems either.
That's what the airride is for. 😉
It looks well-maintained, and an Impreza isn't just any car (!). Looking up some data, I see a power rating of 160 hp. That's hardly a power output that warrants installing such a whopper of a spoiler. I also read something about the power being pushed to 300+ hp to justify such a spoiler. So, I think that setup is a bit of a shame. Oh well, tastes differ. Be careful with noisy open exhausts. Before you know it, you'll be driving a pack of horses out of the 160-hp stable.
This brings me to that story from almost 50 years ago. A German had completely stripped the front of his VW Golf 1.1. He started by modifying the chassis with Bilstein shock absorbers, stabilizer bars, disc brakes all around, a thicker brake booster, and a slight lowering of about 2cm. It was barely noticeable. The rims were regular steel rims with those silly bolt covers, but 5,5J with a lower ET and 175 high-speed tires. No spoilers except for the slightly longer lip under the front fascia to keep the car stable at high speed. No striping, just a plain, original, civilian color. No high-beam headlights, which were standard on a GTi. Misleadingly, it had "Golf C" written on the back. The TÜV carefully inspected it with glowing approval. Just kept the thing very boringly stock, but perfectly adapted for what was to come. Okay, it was ready to be released into the wild...
A 1,8 GTi engine, which had first been tuned for 160 horsepower, was installed in the front. Then came the cross-bracing between the shock absorber mounts under the hood.
The result was enormous. Safe, incredibly fast, and on the highway, driving an "underdog" that completely outclasses BMWs and Mercedes.
Now that's sporty.