When the STI first came to the U.S. in 2004, it didn't have a radio. It was a car more interested in going fast. The 2004 remains the lightest and rawest STI we've ever had in the U.S. Today's version is less frenetic and more mature, but heavier and more expensive. It's still a formidable sports car (with a real backseat and bountiful cargo space, mind you), but we can't help but think the polish it's gained has dulled the experience. With the unimaginatively named STI Special Edition, Subaru appears to be shifting focus back to its rightful place.
If we had this problem in Japan, we'd drive an STI Spec C, essentially a rally homologation special for FIA Group N rally cars. We're not getting that car, but Subaru has put its suspension and wheels underneath the Special Edition.
Click to view GalleryThe Special Edition's spring rates are up 16 percent front and 29 percent rear over a stock STI; the rear stabilizer bar is thicker; and the rear sub-frame bushings are stiffer. The result, as we found after a few laps around Streets of Willow raceway in Rosamond, California, is a more agile car. The current STI, when pushed, asks too much from its front tires. Its limits are high, yes, but when reached they return unrelenting understeer. In the Special Edition, the dial's been turned in the right direction; it's more eager to rotate and point. You arrive at corners with the same velocity -- the 305-horse, flat-4 under hood is no different -- but you find more control and confidence from the time the wheel turns off-center to the time it returns.
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