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There is a life, I spent a few years forging words for Subaru's collateral marketing materials. If you were interested in buying a Subaru in the mid-2000s, well, there is a good chance that the booklet you read or the copy you read on the site was written by yours.
I learned that STi represents Subaru Tecnica International (although I have never discovered why the 'I'm not capitalized). I got to know his main enemy, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and their rivalry.
The 2018 Special Edition Subaru WRX STi Type RA is among the rarest of the few.
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First Look: 2018 SUBARU WRX STI
But I still had to drive one, either as an editor or, later, in my automotive journalist career [19659002] So you can imagine my great joy and my high expectations when I took this review mission and accepted the key ring on a white WRX STi Type RA 2018. Feeling a bit like Captain Ahab looking at the animal in my eyes, I was finally seeing with my own eyes what it was about …
Contender on the Nordschleife
With its giant adjustable carbon fiber spoiler, the 2018 Subaru WRX STi Type RA looks stupid, but its intentions are serious.
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The RA Type RA stands for Record Attempt, a reference to Subaru's record lap on the Nurburgring in 2017. Offered only for 2018 and in a limited edition of only 500 vehicles, mine wore the Crystal White Pearl paint (one of three colors for the RA) as well as the 19-inch BBS forged aluminum wheels of this special edition and cherry red accents.
More important than the fancy livery, the RA Type loses 51 pounds. in empty weight thanks to a rear spoiler and a roof panel adjustable carbon fiber and the removal of a spare wheel. Add to that an increase of 5 horses for a total of 310 (thanks to a cold air intake, a high flow exhaust system and other minor engine upgrades), plus a modified suspension, a third revised report, and restyled front and rear fairings, and you have a specialized STi, which is a specialized WRX, which is a specialized Impreza.
The cost of all this feature is $ 48,995 (plus $ 860 destination). This means that the RA type represents a premium of $ 12,900 on a WRX STi basis. Is it worth it? I do not know I have never piloted another STi.
What I can tell you is that the STi Type RA was an absolute hoot, delivering a smile after smiling on my test loop
A very useful rocket, rice or other [19659018]] 2018 Subaru WRX STi Type RA Recaro front seats in black suede ” src=”http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.4041685.1532533920!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/2018-subaru-wrx-sti-type-ra-black-suede-recaro-front-seats.jpg”/>
Adherent and adherent members are standard on Type RA. You can get them as an upgrade on other STis.
(Speedy Daddy Media, Inc.)
Adherent and adherent members are standard on Type RA. You can get them as an upgrade on other STis.
(Speedy Daddy Media, Inc.)
Sliding in the driver's seat, you'll notice that the Recaro seats covered with Ultrasuede with cherry red trim are ready to body screaming in the corners. Aggressive reinforcement also helps. Surprisingly, the RA type comes with an 8-way power driver seat. It looks like Subaru could have saved even more weight by replacing this mechanism with manual adjustments.
The front passenger does not have it as well. There is no adjustment of the height of the seat, and the seat is essentially mounted on the ground. With the support of the thigh zero, your knees are flared in the most unpleasant way. The rear passengers have better. It's actually pretty spacious there, with decent knee room, shoulder space, and thigh strengthening. But the air conditioning fans are MIA.
While hardcore STi buyers do not care about comfort features or cargo space, the fact that it's a 4-door sedan that can being used as a family car should be attractive to some. Especially given the standard "Top Safety Pick" classification of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
I used the STi Type RA to transport my kids to the suburbs of Los Angeles and into a family reunion in Hollywood. Needless to say, it was hilarious to see the expressions of cognitive dissonance from those who checked the car once they saw a ajumah (Korean word for a woman d & # 39; middle age) behind the wheel, rowing the gears. 19659017] The engine can be old, but it purrs again, then scolds
A cold air inlet and a high exhaust system flow contribute to increase the production of Type RA 310 horsepower
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This ajumah is not usually given to chortles on my buckles. test, but the STi Type RA provided a lot. Subaru's basic dynamic equation combining a low center of gravity and all-wheel drive permeates every one of its vehicles with the exception of the annoying BRZ, but in the STi these qualities are infused with an injection steroids through a myriad of improvements. Let's start with the engine. The turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-bed EJ25 four-cylinder engine from Subaru has existed since 2004, but it also has George Clooney's age. He pulls hard on the rev range, from the release of the clutch to the red line, and the sheer joy of taking it at max rpm means that you'll gladly flirt with the opportunity to get acquainted with the road patrol [19659014] the STi Type RA rest at 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. With very little delay on the turbo, a super strong throttle response with a hearty thrust, and a nice rumble, this engine is one for the ages. I've got 18.3 mpg in a week of mixed driving conditions, a little more than the combined 18 mpg rating of the EPA, so it's not too hard on the non-wallet. more (compared to its performance).
Engine Add-On The 6-speed manual gearbox offers first, second, and second gear ratios that let you crawl at lower speeds without having to change gears continuously. Around the city, the gear lever and the super-narrow doors require more focus, and although the clutch is heavy, its engagement is easy and intuitive.
I wrote about the DCCD function (Driver Controlled Center Differential) the driver chooses the forward / backward torque split, I'm not an expert on which conditions would be optimal for which setting. I left it in Auto, and was perfectly satisfied with the behavior of the transmission. Notably, the DCCD is 100% electronically controlled for 2018.
A ferocious but friendly beast
The Subaru WRX STi is built for performance , but is livable for all
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Equipped with Brembo brakes at the front and rear, with stealthy silver stirrups that spring out of pretty golden wheels , the STi pedal is perfectly calibrated and offers an authoritative performance combined with modulation
The steering wheel is strangely big and covered with suede. The action of leadership is perversely heavy; you do not guide him as much as you fight him, but it is direct and precise. It imbues the STi with a playful presence for the high-speed vehicle, although it's a bit of a bear in city traffic.
Bolted to a reinforced landing gear for track and rally use, Bilstein's RA-type suspension components are tuned to minimize bump jerks while providing a firm and responsive response. stable when entering and leaving a curve. It's not so hard over bumps either; you hear the impacts more than you feel them.
Together, the STi is madly entertaining. You can carry a ton of speed in the tightest turns, pirouette through, shoot and be impatient to go to the next set. This is not the precision scapel that you would normally associate with Japanese sports cars; it is rather a study in brute force. The WRX STi is alive in your hands, but never fight in exchange for its impressive performance. A rock-solid structure, carefully tuned suspension components, sticky tires and heavy but precise steering give the STi a brilliant driving dynamics.
All those years writing on the Subaru WRX STi nothing compared to driving the thing. It's just an explosion, and even more, it's useful and functional and pretty safe even for this ajumah.
In the end, this great winged whale and I became friends. Subaru just picked it up yesterday, and I miss it already.
First pictures! 2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI
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