Took a "Blobeye" Impreza STI PPP out today

I've spotted this at the local Honda dealer several times over the last few weeks and couldn't resist taking it for a test drive.

Quite surprisingly I found myself left quite underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, 4WD offers some awesome traction out of corners and I was quite surprised that even with DCCD set to auto - it was quite tail happy, but there was no real sense of speed, which I guess isn't helped by the fact that I'm not a huge fan of 4WD anyway, but with 300BHP it didn't feel as fast as the ST, in fact I'm confident that the in gear times of the ST are significantly faster.

Then there are the brakes; 4 pot Brembo items but they felt terrible, spongy and lifeless.

I guess I expected the newer Impreza to be a bit more impressive, as I've always found half the problem with the classics is most have been abused and aren't nearly as 'tight' as they once were.

Beyond that, when you're not going fast it is a terrible car - the ride is far too harsh, cabin noise is almost unbearable - even compared to a Focus, and the controls felt like something out of an early 90s Jap Coupé.

The only thing that truly impressed me was the launch - I'm not sure if it was the trick diff, better tyres or what, but no other 4WD car has managed to launch quite as brutally as this managed.

A friend of mine, who was in the passenger seat thought I was crazy - apart from agreeing me on the ride/noise point he was amazed by it. Is it just me and my odd driving preferences? Have hot hatches warped my automotive brain?

MikeHiow said:

No real sense of speed, which I guess isn't helped by the fact that I'm not a huge fan of 4WD anyway, but with 330BHP it didn't feel as fast as the ST, in fact I'm confident that the in gear times of the ST are significantly faster.

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Can you get up to any real speed on your island or not though?

I would expect it to be equal to the ST in gear at least, going to pickup pretty quick if you plant the throttle thanks to 4WD!

I drove a 300bhp Impreza and I was not impressed with it compared to my MR2 at the time.

Yes, you can get decent speeds over here, but most of it is B roads.

The thing with the Impreza is there is a lot more turbo lag evident, and it doesn't seem very torquey, especially not until the higher revs. Where as the ST will pick up and go hard, pretty much anywhere in the rev range.

I'm pretty sure the blob PPP was 305 bhp. I never thought the cabin noise to be nigh on "unbearable"...it's a noisy car but if it had the Prodrive exhaust on, you'll be in for a shock if you ever get in one with a Buddy Club or Nur Spec. The ride is harsh, liveable and expected for what it is though.

As far as in-gear times, I guess that depends on what you've done to your Focus? I personally can't see it being significantly faster but I've no idea what you've done to your car. Stock Focus vs PPP STi, I know what I'd back in-gear.

MikeHiow said:

I'm confident that the in gear times of the ST are significantly faster.

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You would be, though.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Evo Magazine strapped a Racelogic VBox to a 330bhp current shape Impreza and it recorded a 30-70 time of a staggering 3.9 seconds.

By contrast, the Focus ST is significantly slower at 5.6 seconds. Interestingly they've also had the same timing gear hooked up to a bonkers power Focus ST running a staggering 327bhp - considerably more than yours. Even in this state of tune it was STILL slower 30-70 at 4.6 seconds.

Whilst I appreciate people will always try and big up what they drive, this does kinda take the biscuit a bit.

Impressive Googling. I had no timing gear, but this only goes to show how much the Impreza actually numbs the feeling of speed. Assuming mine is somewhere in the middle of those two at 5.1 seconds, for a car that is 1.2 seconds quicker 30-70 to feel slower is quite a feat.

My Focus just has a Stage 1 Bluefin remap, Fett.

Cant say I echo your comments. I found my Impreza brutally fast and that was the same, PPP kit plus a few small mods. Interior and road noise was liveable.

I'm not sure what aspect of the STi numbed the sensation...it is for all intents and purposes a fairly raw car in terms of ride, transmission and insulation from the road. I always thought 3rd and on song was nudging brutal even stock.

As far as the in-gear times, I don't know by how much a Bluefin remap will lower the stock time, but the 05 STi with PPP was (in 3rd) 30-50(2.7sec) 50-70(2.4) and (in 4th) 50-70(2.9) and 70-90(3.2).

Just a thought, those who replied that have had one, how much do these cars back off on 95? Would it be significantly slower? (like "night and day" slower, not just "is this placebo?" slower)

You've removed the video!

I decided it wasn't really relevant as it didn't really show what our local roads are like when it's in the pitch black. It's in the Youtube thread if you really want it

Hi there

Having driven both a stock Focus ST and numerous Subaru's I know for a fact that even the WRX feels quicker than the Focus ST, but where I will agree is that the Subarus are a lot poorer interior quality wise to the ST.

However one of the best point of Subaru's is their launching ability, they can be launched so aggressively and its a lot of fun. The EVO in comparison is a pig to launch and if your too aggressive goodbye clutch.

Still acceleration wise, handling wise and fun factor wise an STI should be wiping the floor with even a remapped Focus ST.
Brembo equipped STI's are awsome stoppers, sounds to me if your saying the brakes were spongy then its evident the car was not in good condition and so maybe it was a duff.

My EVO has the EVO brakes, many from here have had their internal organs re-arranged by how good its stoppers are and they are by far the best brakes I've experienced on any car so far.

LOL. Focus ST quicker than an STi Impreza. Now I really have heard it all

Had the chance to drive one round a track a few years ago, had no complaints about the brakes I must say.

The WRX isn't the quickest of machines but with ppp more comparable to the ST I'd have thought

http://www.prodrive.com/up/03MY WRX PPP.pdf

Although I find the gearing a bit long in the WRX, and only 5 speed

Annoyingly they don't have the 30-70 times on the STI info

http://www.prodrive.com/up/03MY STi PPP.pdf

Gibbo: You're clearly a 4WD man, but I completely disagree. I didn't think it handled that great - although not bad either, I was impressed at how controllable it was once things got a little out of hand, but the steering was far too light, ride was crashy the only other thing it really had was traction.

When you're comparing how fast they feel, are you talking about off the line? If so, I completely agree - there is no way I could even dream of getting the ST off the line even close to that quick, but once moving the scoob lost its edge for me.

I'd love to compare my experience in the scoob to something like a FQ300.

Clarkey said:

LOL. Focus ST quicker than an STi Impreza. Now I really have heard it all

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I suppose you've driven both?

MikeHiow said:

I'd love to compare my experience in the scoob to something like a FQ300.



I suppose you've driven both?

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Subaru yes, Focus no. Doesn't take a genius though to work out that a car with much more power and shorter gears is going to be faster. The turbo on an STi isn't laggy at all so maybe it was knackered, likewise the brakes.

Drivers Republic before they disappeared timed their long term mountune remapped ST doing a 30-70 in 4.4 seconds in 3rd almost a second quicker than the times mentioned for the STI by Fett.

The time does seem very quick but it was timed with a vbox.

Dangerous Dave said:

Drivers Republic before they disappeared timed their long term mountune remapped ST doing a 30-70 in 4.4 seconds in 3rd almost a second quicker than the times mentioned for the STI by Fett.

The time does seem very quick but it was timed with a vbox.

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Maybe my butt dyno isn't so bad, after all.

Clarkey said:

Subaru yes, Focus no. Doesn't take a genius though to work out that a car with much more power and shorter gears is going to be faster. The turbo on an STi isn't laggy at all so maybe it was knackered, likewise the brakes.

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Much more power? We're comparing ~275bhp to what would seem is 300bhp on a 4WD system that is going to be suffering from greater transmission loss. I don't think my comments are that ridiculous at all.

MikeHiow said:

Just a thought, those who replied that have had one, how much do these cars back off on 95? Would it be significantly slower? (like "night and day" slower, not just "is this placebo?" slower)

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Mine used to pull hard up to about 120, backed off after that, but up until then it was very quick. A friends RS4 (B5) could not get past it from a rolling start up until 80-90.

I think the fact of the matter is that a Focus ST is not quicker than an Impreza STI PPP.