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CAR MAKE & CAR MODEL:
Modified Cars Subaru WRX STi Impreza Spec C 2005
EXTERIOR MODS:
resprayed Ferrari red, full carbon fibre WRC Impreza body kit
comprising front and rear bumpers, front wings, side skirts and
high-level rear spoiler, thinner glass, roof vent, alloy bonnet vent,
WRC-spec alloy bonnet, thinner gauge roof and boot construction,
lightweight bumper beams, carbon fibre WRC door mirrors
INTERIOR MODS:
2005MY STi Alcantara bucket seats, Spec C Momo leather
steering wheel with no air bag, passenger air bag removed, remote boot
opener deleted, transmission tunnel insulation deleted, boot carpetting
deleted, simplified dashboard fixings, manual window mechanisms, air
conditioning deleted, head unit in customised gauge pod
ENGINE MODS:
Spec C 1998cc EJ20 16v flat-four, Spec C camshafts,
ball-bearing turbo, uprated intercooler with 12-litre water spray tank,
uprated fuel pump with rotating chamber, lightweight water pump,
transmission oil cooler. Rear mechanical cable-type LSD, quick (13:1)
steering rack, smaller windscreen washer bottle, 50-litre fuel tank
SUSPENSION MODS:
Spec C suspension with pillow-ball top mounts, Spec C anti-roll bars, rear cross bar, plated differentials (no DCCD), uprated bushes, modified front control arms using early- and late-model Spec C parts, anti-lift kit on front wheels, 2005MY Spec C lateral rear arms
WHEELS:
18” magnesium WRC Impreza alloys
TIRES / TYRES:
205/65 Michelin Pilot SX N43 cut-slick tyres
OTHER INFO:
RALLY BUG
This bug-eyed Scooby is about as authentic as imitation world champion rally cars come. As well as being kitted out in an original carbon fibre WRC body kit, this spec C model also dons magnesium alloys that formally belonged to Petter Solberg.
It’s fair to say that owner Frank Sprongl is a die hard enthusiast and thankfully his job goes quite some way to accommodating for this passion. He runs a company called Four Star Motorsports with his brother Daniel in Georgetown, Ontario. Through this company’s gleaming reputation for building and maintaining competition cars at regional, national and international level, it has become Canada’s leading rally preparation shop. Since 1991 the company has earned itself six Canadian Rally Championships and four North American rally cup championships for cars it has built, maintained and campaigned for.
Of course another perk of working here is having first grabs on all the state of the art machinery that comes their way. Even that Prodrive Carbon fibre WRC Impreza body kit just happened to be hanging around at the workshop waiting for some life to be breathed in to it. A rather stunning Subaru Impreza spec C model was imported for the job. It wasn’t long until this stupendously hot saloon was stripped right down to its bare shell and devoid of some of its original bonnet supports. A bit of re-modelling on the inside of the front wheel arches was also required before the kit could be fitted.
The discrepancy of 55mm between the WRC Impreza’s longer wheelbase and the standard road car was the next little dilemma. But after a few sums and a bit of creative imagination a solution was found. Offsetting the wheels was the first step, then a Spec C control arm from a later Subaru Impreza was sized up for all its extra 15mm in length. This was matched up with an earlier Spec C control arm which had the extra girth of its mounts in its favour. The next part of the plan involved an anti-lift kit which prompted the wheels to shift a bit further forward and make the final difference in length about 25mmm. In the near future however, Frank plans to make a jig and custom control arm to further improve the fit.
The rear wheel arches also needed a nip and tuck here and there. A 25mm trim around each curve was the initial step, then the quarter panels were trimmed inside and out as well as the doors being subject to a tad of handiwork. The odd spot of welding was also required to smooth off the arch and seal the doors. Feeling a little weary after all this hard graft, Frank was rather relieved that the carbon fibre rear bumper only needed a couple of holes drilled through the boot floor to fasten it down.
Stepping back in appreciation, Frank eyeballed the creation from a number of angles. His critical eye then picked up on the anaemic shade which he decided had to go.
A Ferrari red was the chosen replacement due to its blatant ability to score maximum points for impact. He co-ordinated this with a new look for the wheels; once gold, Petter Solberg’s former 18” magnesium alloys were transformed to bright white. They may be pretty laborious to clean, but hey, no doubt Daz would be proud.
And they aren’t the only ones; Frank won a few points with his Mrs and child for the creature comforts he added next. As well as 2005 MY STi Alcantara bucket seats in the front, Frank also installed a customised gauge pod at the top of the dash for the CD/radio headunit to go in. The most surprising mod though was replacing the C-spec doors with standard ones, complete with electric windows. However he did go some way towards minimising their weight by replacing the glass with the thinner Spec C variety.
Adapting the Scooby to left hand drive was another tricky mission but it was much more familiar to his wife to drive a car with this set up. So gallantly he set about drilling out the original bulkhead to replace it with one from a North American left hand drive STi. The pedal box, heater box, electronic servos, dashboard, carpet, brake lines, master cylinder and wiper arms have also been borrowed from the donor STi.
As far as the engine goes, the Spec C comes with a whole list of improvements as standard so any further tweaks we’re hardly a priority. What with its re-mapped ECU, 22B IHI turbo and upgraded camshafts and cylinders, it’s certainly no slacker in the power stakes. It also has a flowed intake manifold, improved valve lift and revised valve timing.
Primarily the benefit over the standard model is a more torquey feed of 283lb ft at 4400rpm. The 280bhp limit remains the same but the Spec C is more responsive than the STi as well as having very durable and efficient components. In the future however Frank wants to further maximise its potential by introducing a fully tuned EJ20 in order to realise an even more potent 4-500bhp.
Of course, Frank’s Subaru Spec C is a great show car for the company and what’s more it provides just one example of the kind of work Four Star Motorsports can do. There are plenty of other options and a whole range of products if you’re thinking about sprucing up your own motor. Their WRC-style body kits can be supplied in either carbon fibre, fibreglass or carbon/kelvar for a range of different Subaru models. Their website will also give you inspiration for engine enhancements as well as brakes, suspension and interior upgrades.
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