I know there are some here who frown upon a street race, but here it goes for those interested on how our STR's respond to modding and late model muscle: Whilst approaching a stoplight, a new Subaru Sti was exhibiting his wish to teach my warmed 03 STR a lesson by quickly approaching my rear as I approached the light. While stopped, I burped the motor to emit its growl as a means to signal back...ok, i know your there and we'll run. When the light turned green, I made a right onto the parkway (no other cars) and as soon as I was on and he was still close behind, I noticed he had already began to charge on my right. I was going 60 mph and he had already sprung into action, so realizing he had the advantage by having already downshifting for a bursting launch, I nailed it, and was pleasantly pleased that she downshifted to 2nd or 3rd, where: gearing, an est. 460 chp, and on or near 500 lb/ft trq. were at my disposal. This friggin STR with an opened up intake and exhaust, 3 lb pulley, and a 1/4 tank of 93 octane, behaved like the beast she had become!
Though the Sti tried in earnest, the STR quickly, not slowly, laid down a huge gap of a few hundred feet within approx. 1/4 mile at 130+ mph, where then he gave up. My STR gets to the triple digits in lickety-split. Much quicker than stock. Soon going for an ECU tune to see if we're missing anything. What an adrenalin rush!

 

Jaguars will always be sleepers. People just don't know what they are messing with sometimes .

Reminds me of my last run-in with an STI...a little older but likely more modified than a brand new one:

 

I love it! Handin out the beat down on the streets of NY...video next time?

 

Yah! Some people don't know cars and that Jags are docile cats until you try and tease them!

 

Thanks brothers! Must admit I was concerned wether it was I who'd be taught a lesson. Though I've learned to launch her from a dig with minimal wheel spin, I'm glad it wasn't, especially against a factory modified AWD turbocharged Subaru. Though a warmed STR is no slouch from a dig, it's an even tougher contender from 60+ mph...like a freight train from hell. Have to give much props to the intake, pulley, and exhaust. Tomorrow the Dynomax VT mufflers go on as a means to both increase flow and quiet the exhaust note during cruise (bad cabin drone). Oops! Forgot to report on the Audi S4 AWD 4.2L @ 340 chp, that was also slayed on the same parkway a few months ago.

 

I was trailing an STI a couple months back coming back from Miami and he tried to pull away from me but couldn't, in fact I had to lift off the gas to not rear end him. Then I am the lead car for a bit I kept going a little faster every moment and he would speed up with me so I just floored it and pulled a huge lead on him. In the STI's defense, they are great track cars and I'm actually a huge fan of them!

Great video by the way!

 

I'm scared of their lightening off the line burst. Ditto, def. a quick 0-60 and track car. They also look menacing with that huge hood scoop, flared wheel fenders. and huge intercooler showing off in the front grill.

 

The downside to their 0-60 time is that very, very few people know how to properly launch them and most will bog bad and be slow off the line (see my video). From a roll and especially at higher speeds they aren't much to deal with unless they have some decent mods, which happen to be cheap and give a lot of power in return unlike some British car brand I know of...

 

LOL! You wouldn't be referring to the STR? Got to see what an ECU bench tune does. If it works out via a pre/post dyno, we'd have another tool in the STR modding tool box.

 

WRXs (even non STI) and Evos have explosive acceleration due to their short gear ratios which is inherent in any rally bred car. I used to have a WRX (non STI) that was 276 hp on the stock turbo (ECU, Prodrive exhaust, Perrin under drive pulley, Helix Downpipe, PDE uppipe, Pony Express CLE eliminator, and no cats). I humbled many $$$ cars from that era (early 2000s) with it and it was stoopid fun to drive. Was my favorite car til I got the keys for my STR. Great kills, but great cars too! All of them!

 

I have a friend at work that swears his sti will kill anything on road. He hung a bunch of crap on it and claimed 430 hp, and it sounds like a wet fart. I told him he was going to blow bottom out of it. He went "phtttt" with a wave of his hand.

Three months later after he blew the bottom out of it, he claimed the new engine would hit 500 hp no problem. It's a shame that engine blew up on the dyno cause I would have like to ride in that before he lunched it.

I think he said he was shooting for about 350 hp on the one he's building now. But the final insult was another coworker telling him "I don't care how much you spend on that Subaru it will never sound as good as Larry's car."

 

Good stories and comments. Subaru makes an excellent product. Look at how many WRX and Sti's are out there. The adrenalin rush is what I'm in it for. As for the STR, getting the air quickly in and out, revised ECU programming, and a LSD with lower gears would make this car both an excellent affordable cruiser-bruiser.

 

I would love to build mine as an AMG E55 Kompressor killer but that 1.3 liters we are lacking in displacement is hard to compensate for given the limited aftermarket for ours cars. ECU tunes do magic, that was by far the best thing that happened to my WRX - it was around $550 and made day/night difference (granted it raised boost a little via turbo). I may grow some ***** and take her to a reputable shop to see what they can do for a custom tune, even if I have to throw a piggy back on it (this scares me though because a bad tune can cause detonation). Dunno. I'm on the fence about that one. If it was a Mustang Cobra or something everyone knew how to tune, I wouldn't be nervous at all...

 

AFAIK, there isn't even any known 'compatible' piggy back's to work with the STR's electronics.

MAP-ECU I've used on several cars, and is very robust piece of kit, if it could work on the STR would certainly be worth a shot,

 

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Ditto. I'm smelling an ECU tune within a month or two, and of course share with my brothers. Haven't completely decided wether to go Eurotoys or ECU Tuning Group, though likely the same tune from a central distributor like Vizio, etc. Anyone have info. on this allegation? The XKR and XJR community used both. The XFR likes the ECU Tuning Group tune. Paramount Performance must have come out of liquidation due to its active website?

 

Just got off the phone with ETG (ECU Tuning Group). They won't tune an STR with a 3 lb pulley due to potential engine damage. They recommend the 1.5 pulley. This has been the same sentiment of the other tuners. If this is the case then back on goes the Mina 1.5 lb pulley.They said the change in parameters allow for a noticeable improvement in power, throttle response, and elimination of flat spots (i got these). He also said the rpm will be raised too.

 

ETG doesn't make tunes themselves, they buy off the shelves, and these are tunes for stock cars, although they could also order with special wishes.

Then of course these stock tunes will be way to sharp for such an increase in boost with the 3"pulley (have you ever measured your actual boost levels?).

So you have to consider what offers more power
1) a sharp tune made basically for a stock car with just the 1.5"pulley, or
2) higher boost on modified car with the stock tune.

 

I have a 3.0 and I'm looking to replace it soon, and I'm having a hard time not swaying over to an AMG Merc like an E55 or even a S65. So tempting....

 

For the same money as an STR, you would be better off looking at a CLK55, C55, or C32. I was considering an E55 Kompressor but it was a bit more money. The thing is, the STR is faster than the CLK55, C55, and C32. Also, the supercharger on the C32 is built for that engine so when it goes, you are buying a replacement from the dealership $$$!!!!

I say buy an STR

 

This is a bit eerie don't you think??

You do know that a forum member was killed when he wrecked his STR racing a WRX on the street?? He also killed an innocent lady in that same wreck. He most likely died because in addition to the brilliant idea to race on the street he was not even wearing his seat belt!!

The jackass in the WRX he was racing was traced thru his license plate as he fled the scene of death. Nice guy he did not even stop to help! He was caught and charged with various crimes and is now in prison serving a 10 year term. It should have been more!
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