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Subaru unveiled the 2011 Impreza WRX STI today at the 2010 New York Auto Show. Aesthetically speaking, this year’s model is drastically different than the Impreza from before. For the first time the WRX STI will be offered in two body versions; 5-door and 4-door. The Impreza also comes with a new design and a significantly revised suspension tuning with lighter 18-inch wheels for even sharper handling. The biggest changes are made on the exterior. Up front it gets sharpened bumper corners and wider, blacked-out fog lamps, a lip spoiler with three-dimensional detailing, a newly designed front grille with black base and blacked-out Subaru wing. The exterior package is finished by a newly designed wider rear fenders. On the mechanical end, the 2011 Impreza WRX STI comes with a lowered ride height and new pillow-ball, higher-rate springs for both front and rear suspensions, and spring rates increased by 15.6 percent in front and 53 percent in the rear. The car sits on 18-inch aluminum wheels featuring high-luster paint. And finally, on the interior, the trim panels, the steering wheel air bag cover, and steering wheel switches are now dark cast metallic which compliment the silver and black interior. To finish off the updated Impreza model, Subaru has added technological features such as control switches for Bluetooth, a Navigation system, iPod capability, and an XM/Sirius radio. UPDATE 06/09/2010: Subaru today announced that the Subaru Impreza WRX STI Sedan has become the fastest WRX STI Ever. It recorded a Nurburgring time of 7’55’’00, the fastest lap time ever in a Subaru. Hit the jump to watch the video of the record setting Subaru! UPDATE 10/07/2010: Prices for the 2011 Subaru WRX STI have just been announced for the UK. The four-and five-door variants for the Subaru WRX STI can be yours for £32,995. Press release after the jump. Press release Subaru of America today introduced a new 4-door version of its Impreza WRX STI performance flagship model. This will be the first time that the WRX STI has been offered in two body styles (5-door and 4-door). In addition to the new styling, the 2011 WRX STI features significantly revised suspension tuning and lighter 18-inch wheels for even sharper handling. New Designs for 2011 In front, the 2011 WRX STI models feature sharpened bumper corners and wider, blacked-out fog lamp nacelles to accentuate the "wide and low" profile. A jutting lip spoiler with three-dimensional detailing emphasizes the cars’ sporty intent. The newly designed front grille with black base and blacked-out Subaru wing highlights the headlights’ shape to give the entire front end a more powerful appearance, accentuated by larger grille and bumper intake openings. New Chassis Tuning for 2011 The Subaru WRX STI was already a highly optimized performance machine. Specific chassis tuning. Aluminum front lower L-arms reduce unsprung vehicle weight. Major chassis tuning changes include a lowered ride height and new pillow-ball bushings in front and stiffer bushings for the rear subframe that supports the double-wishbone suspension – these improve camber and toe stiffness. The Ultimate Performance Subaru The 2011 WRX STI continues as the ultimate-performance Subaru with its high-boost 305-hp turbocharged/intercooled 4-cyl. Boxer engine and 6-speed manual transmission. The STI also features Multi-Mode Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) version of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with three "Auto" modes, as well as a manual mode with six driver-selectable differential locking settings. Sporty, Spacious and Versatile Interior New for 2011, the WRX STI interior is finished in black and silver to highlight its sporty design. Trim panels, the steering wheel air bag cover and steering wheel switches are now dark cast metallic. 26 comments: Subaru Impreza WRX STI Excellent style! I don’t expect this type of design this is much better than the hatchback version of subaru.
 True, not everyone who buys an STi or even the majority of people who buy STis consider practicality a huge issue, but clearly enough do, which is why 2008 and 2009 were the STi’s top-selling years.
 Not faster, just better looking. The sedans chassis will probably be stiffer, meaning better handling. Besides few people buy an STi with practicality in mind. Its all about pocket speed and of course, the big bad wing.
Is the sedan going to be any faster than the hatch though? It may look cooler, but it’s less practical and I don’t think that there’s any performance difference.
The STi is probably the best all round car money can buy. The EVO X is faster and is a great car but you can’t drift in an EVO.
 I think this model of impreza are the one that are tuning up to max level and compete on the race track.
I recently saw a video of what appeared to be a test mule for the FT-86 with an STi front bumper and headlights, so the coupe version of the STi should return in the form of the FT-86 concept with the STi’s powertrain. That should give a 0-60 time of between 3.8 and 4.0 seconds. I think Toyota should succeed the LFA (which is supposed to have only a two year production run) with a Supra derived from an FT-86 with a twin-turbo version of the Camry’s V6.
 I really miss the sedan version of the WRX. What the hell happened to the STI? they pulled out over the WRC.
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Posted on
05.16.2010 @ 23:50