Subaru Impreza WRX: How hard can it be to drive a road legal rally car?

In the past, Subaru had an amazing time in the world of rally racing. Securing 47 rally wins from 1993 to 2008 with multiple cars surely boosted their sales and definitely turned them into fan favourites. 

It was the year 2005, Petter Solberg was behind the wheel of a 2005 Subaru Impreza STI pushing the car to its limit. It was probably the first time Aiaz Khan came across a "Blobeye" Impreza. 

He fell in love with it when he first saw the Impreza being built at a workshop where he took his old GT86 for service. 

"I still remember seeing the Blobeye for the first time back in 2019. It was stripped down completely," said Aiaz. 

It was only a year later, in October 2020, when he revisited the workshop and decided to purchase the Impreza. 

"I was casually talking to Anji bhai about the car. He was the man behind the project. He was showing me all the imported parts that were to be fitted to the WRX. That is when I actually decided to buy the car," said Aiaz.

It can be hard for anyone to not like the Blobeye WRX. 

Its barging wheel arches, large hood scoop, and an STI fitted rear spoiler just in the right shape to be used as a picnic table only if you are creative enough. 

Such features surely give this Impreza a unique "aurora" or a road presence unlike none other. 

Aiaz's Impreza is neither an STI nor a WRX to be exact but rather, a hybrid of both. 

Mostly a WRX, this Impreza came with the iconic blue STI seats, an STI rear wing as previously mentioned, and a full STI exhaust setup.

Other than that, it is an automatic WRX with a 2.0litre turbocharged EJ20 engine under the hood.

Fun fact, this generation of Impreza STI was the last one to come with a 2.0 litre heart from the factory. 

Aiaz's Impreza is mostly stock for now with a few notable aftermarket parts such as Tien coilovers, Blitz exhaust, Blitz intercooler, Endless brake pads, and aftermarket headlights.

"I used to own a rotary RX-8 and currently have a supercharged 86. However, the driving experience with the Impreza is completely different from those," Aiaz replied when asked how the Impreza feels like to drive.

"The 86 is a much tamer car and is very easy to handle. The Impreza, on the other hand, is bold! It surely handles better - hugs the road as I am taking a corner and is more planted to the ground compared to any other cars I have driven before. Also, I love the sound of the blow-off valve between 3000 and 4000rpm," he added.   

The Backdrop

How costly can it be to maintain a road legal rally car in Bangladesh? 

Maintaining such a car can surely be costly. But it is worth it! If the work is done right, the car will never let one down. 

That being said, it is very difficult to find spare parts. Also, parts prices increase drastically when the parts finally get here due to the insanely high shipping charges.                            

Do you have any future plans with the Impreza?

Currently, I am planning to install a new ancillary kit from Mishimoto. I will also install a much bigger turbo from BPT which will come with a methanol kit. 

My car is currently pushing 250hp or 260hp at max but installing the new turbo will surely take it up a notch. 

Other than that, I am planning to go for air suspension and stock headlights.