THE Impreza WRX STi represents the very best of the road-going turbocharged, all-wheel drive performance that is on offer from Subaru, one of Japan's more off-beat manufacturers. It has direct links to the company's successful World Rally Championship cars, which has prompted much of the adulation the vehicle receives from the Playstation generation and beyond. The latest STi is a much-improved vehicle compared to its predecessor. The performance edge has been softened ever so slightly due to weight gains, but in its place comes more equipment, increased body rigidity, improved ride quality, sweeter handling and a big dose of refinement.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi
Released: October 1999
Ended: May 2000
Family Tree: ImprezaALTHOUGH the regular Impreza WRX has been a part of Subaru's Australian line-up since 1994, the STi did not arrive until 1999, by which time the high performance series was up to its fifth and sixth versions. The Version VI four-door sedan landed in October, 1999, soon after the release of the Model Year 2000 (MY00) Impreza range. It was preceded by the MY99-based STi Version two-door coupe, which went on sale in January of that year. But the Australian-spec Version V coupes were unique, differing from their Japanese counterparts in that they were fitted with the less sophisticated suspension set-up from the Version III model. Both STi models were only available as limited editions (400 examples) and sold out almost immediately.
Facebook Twitter Instagram