STI has quickened the car's steering ratio to 11.0:1 it feels just right and turns in with perfect weight and feel. The combination of the Michelin tires and Brembo six-pot monoblock calipers in the front creates exceptional stopping power and superb brake feel.
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With stiffened dampers and springs, the ride is a little harsher than that of the base WRX STI, but this upgrade was necessary to make the most of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires specially developed for the RA-R. That makes it difficult to effectively heel-and-toe downshift and tricky to maintain your rhythm when barrelling into corners. The brake pedal is set a little higher than it should be in relation to the accelerator. If there's one point of contention, it would be the pedal positioning. A new muffler improves exhaust gas flow by a claimed 60 percent and gives the car a throatier exhaust note.
The upgrades give the engine more balanced, smoother responses. One attribute that really stands out is the beefier low-end torque-the RA-R's turbo spools up more quickly and makes the car feels faster across the entire power band, without the stock 2.5-liter STI's over-eager turbo-boost surge when punched. Combined, they make for a driving experience that is both more polished and on the edge at the same time. STI's slight revisions to the engine programming, turbocharger, and intake and exhaust plumbing make throttle response snappier and more aggressive, and it more obediently drops revs when the clutch is engaged. And because the RA-R is the lightest current-gen STI ever, it also has the best power-to-weight ratio.īut it's not only the extra output that makes it special, but also the way the power is delivered. This likely will be the last outing for the aging EJ20 engine, and as the swansong, the RA-R's version is among the best that STI has ever tuned. (By comparison, the turbo 2.5-liter used in the United States–market STI is rated at 305 ponies and 290 lb-ft, and the 2.5 in the WRX STI Type RA is good for 310 horsepower.)
That engine pumps out 324 horsepower at 7200 rpm and 319 lb-ft from 3200 to 4800 rpm. Under the hood, the RA-R uses the turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four from the limited-edition Japan-market S208. At the same time, STI engineers significantly reinforced the bodywork and chassis, fitted bigger brakes, and added aerodynamic elements. Subaru's racing arm, Subaru Technica International (STI), started with the current Japan-market WRX STI, but put it on a weight-saving regimen that sheds some 22 pounds compared to a standard WRX STI, bringing total mass down to a claimed 3263 pounds.
RA-R, by the way, stands for "Record Attempt-Racing," which is what the STI has done and continues to do in the World Rally Championship, Japan's Super GT series, and at the Nürburgring. This STI might have one of the longest, least-inspiring names Subaru has ever used, but on the road, it is unsurpassed. Subaru's STI division is celebrating its 30th birthday, and what better way to commemorate such a milestone than to create the lightest, fastest, best-handling version of the WRX STI ever? That's what Subaru has done with the WRX STI Type RA-R.