The news was delivered at the launch of the latest addition to STI's growing stable, the limited-edition S204. Only 600 will be built. And according to Ito, nearly 400 have already found a home in Japan while 100 will be shipped to the U.K. to commemorate the last model of an era. Subaru's British importer caught wind that the next-generation Impreza, due out in late 2007, will change into a hatchback, and so ordered a batch of the very best Impreza sedans STI could produce.
Set to raise the bar in the Japanese sport sedan genre, the S204 is said to have the power and the pedigree to make STI's latest dream come true. And to reach this double-sided goal, it has taken its hottest production car, the WRX STI and added a dash of cosmetic surgery and a healthy dose of steroids to produce the S204. Wearing a new lip spoiler, rear wing and 18-inch wheels, it might look a little dressed down for the occasion, but as they say, don't judge a book by its cover.
So how does this new saloon stack up? Is it the M3 of the STI lineup? The answer isn't quite that straightforward.
Purposeful power
On the road, the S204 is sensational. Inheriting a reworked 2.0-liter, turbo, four-cylinder boxer engine from its predecessor, the S203, the car pumps out 320 hp at 6,400 rpm, while torque is up slightly to 319 pound-feet at 4,400 rpm thanks to a remapped ECU and a more efficient intake system. The 0-to-62-mph sprint is expected to take around 4.5 seconds, with a sub-13-second quarter-mile and a top speed of 155 mph.
From 3,000 rpm, beefier midrange torque means the driver can make better use of 3rd gear, particularly in long corners, and still have plenty of revs for lightning exits. Push it beyond 6,000 rpm, however, and the retuned exhaust note invades the cabin as it takes on a primeval howl. The sound is purely addictive and before you realize, you find yourself plucking extra gears, just to "feel" that sound again. The six-speed manual gearbox makes life easy with precise gear changes, but could do with shorter throws.
However, for a car costing upward of $43,000 — that's $14,000 more than a standard Japan-spec STI — you'd expect to have your pants blown off. Although the S204 is quick out of the blocks, it's not explosive acceleration, and could do with another 50 hp.
Heavenly handling
However, there are no complaints about the handling. The newcomer has been dropped 2/3 inch and gets spring rates bolstered by 50 percent. Rear stabilizer bars have been reinforced and the chassis is stronger all around, with better roll rigidity and a revised suspension setup. But it's the innovative step of fitting what STI calls "performance dampers" to the body structure between the front and rear suspension strut towers that makes the difference. Apart from their ability to absorb and dissipate vibrations and bumps, plus give a superb ride, they permit smoother initial turn-in, deliver more information to the driver and virtually eliminate understeer. Point the car where you want it to go and it goes there, boasting the most driver-friendly manners of any STI.
The best-handling STI so far, this car devours corners, helped partly by the grippy Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, a product of Subaru's World Rally Championship relationship with the Italian tiremaker. Combined with the chunky, no-nonsense four-piston Brembo brake calipers, the Corsa rubber generates the most grip I've ever experienced on a road car.
Inside, though, it's a different story. The cabin might be noticeably quieter than the S203 thanks to the incorporation of some rather effective sound-deadening materials, but the design of the instrumentation and dashboard leaves much to be desired. Based on a stock STI cockpit layout, designers have merely added two leather Recaro seats in addition to splashing a few extra yards of high-quality leather around for good measure. Granted that the Recaro seats are special orders boasting a recline function, they each cost upward of $4,500, are too tight across the hips and lack sufficient shoulder support for a car of this sporty nature.
As for the exterior, lose the rear wing, S204 badge and 18-inch BBS alloys, and you'd mistake this for a current STI. Yet while work is definitely needed on the aesthetics, nothing comes close at this price for performance and cornering potential. So STI hasn't quite built a car worthy of BMW's M division — but it's close.
