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Jack Olsen Jack Olsen is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
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I respectfully have to disagree. I've driven both the normal WRX and the STI at the track, and I'd say that dollar-for-dollar it's easy to get better performance out of a 911.

Obviously, the Subaru turns great magazine numbers. But I think that's part of the problem with the STI model, in particular -- it seems like it was built to crank out great numbers at the expense of real-world functionality. I actually thought the stock WRX was a better-mannered car on a track. The STI was too peaky for my taste. I think its gearing is lower, too. I kept hitting the rev limiter, and the boost kept kicking in and dropping out.

The 4WD makes them very forgiving when it comes to saving yourself from too-hot an entry to a corner. But even with all the tricks done, they're not all that quick around a track. In the Open Track Challenge, pro driver Gary Sheehan ran a heavily modified WRX in 2002. He essentially had full factory supprt for the effort, and reportedly went through several transmissions (and more than one engine?) in the course of the week. He was in the 'unlimited' class, which meant he could run any tires he wanted, and they had a truckload of them. Even so, his best times at Willow Springs were three seconds off what my car can do there on street tires.

I'm sure the Subarus will get quicker as more aftermarket support focuses on track-specific mods. And don't get me wrong, I think the WRX is a very capable street and track car. I'm glad that cars like this are being made. (And I wish Porsche would build something like it.) But I think you can still build a quicker 911 for less money.
Old 06-25-2005, 05:55 PM
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