Driven: The Sports Car of 1994

[Eye of the Tiger]

Would this be the best time I tell you guys I just got a 2009 STI, sold my old, Japanese AWD car for an American landyacht (Buick LaCrosse), and inherited a BMW?

shoulda got a miata, n00b 

[Cookie Monster]

shoulda got a miata, n00b 

This is a smart man.

[Soup DeVille]

Would this be the best time I tell you guys I just got a 2009 STI, sold my old, Japanese AWD car for an American landyacht (Buick LaCrosse), and inherited a BMW?

I saw an older Subaru coupe the other day and it struck me just how much more attractive they were than the current Imprezas. I don't know what it was exactly, as I've never really taken much notice of the Impreza line-up as a whole, but maybe that's been a mistake.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

good looking old impreza coupe = 2.5RS

[the Teuton]

good looking old impreza coupe = 2.5RS

I just want to point out that Jamie Kitman of Automobile Magazine actually wrote a whole column about how understated and elegant the old Impreza was.  I shit you not.  He especially liked the wagon.  I have the article at home.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I just want to point out that Jamie Kitman of Automobile Magazine actually wrote a whole column about how understated and elegant the old Impreza was.  I shit you not.  He especially liked the wagon.  I have the article at home.

I have an Impreza wagon article from a 1996 issue of Open Road magazine. I'll sell it to you for $20. 

[Soup DeVille]

I just want to point out that Jamie Kitman of Automobile Magazine actually wrote a whole column about how understated and elegant the old Impreza was.  I shit you not.  He especially liked the wagon.  I have the article at home.

He also called the Mini Cooper gay, so I don't put much stock in his opinions.

I think the car I'm talking about is a '99, but all the 2.5RSs I find pics of on the web are ricier than I would like, and I'm not sure if all of them are aftermarket rice.

[the Teuton]

Uh, not for $20, but I might to it for $5 through PayPal.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Uh, not for $20, but I might to it for $5 through PayPal.

Or I could just scan it and post the pics for free. 

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Ricier?

The 2.5 had a hood scoop and some nice big round foglights, that was it.

[Soup DeVille]

Uh, not for $20, but I might to it for $5 through PayPal.

Watch it. This guy tried to sell me a carburetor for $160 million.

[the Teuton]

Or I could just scan it and post the pics for free. 

That would make my night.

Ricier?

The 2.5 had a rood scoop and some nice big round foglights, that was it.

If you know anyone who has those scoops/vents, I need a set so I can put my hood on.

[Soup DeVille]

Ricier?

The 2.5 had a rood scoop and some nice big round foglights, that was it.

OK, most of the ones I found pics of had either a largish spoiler or a full-out Sti wing bolted on the back.

[the Teuton]

OK, most of the ones I found pics of had either a largish spoiler or a full-out Sti wing bolted on the back.

The RS came with the v1/2 rear bumper, the v2 or 4 wing depending on coupe or sedan, a v5/6 front bumper, v5/6 hood (except in steel instead of aluminum), and v3 wheels.  It was kind of a hodge podge car, to be honest.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

pretty typical stockish 2.5rs

[the Teuton]

They did some work to that car, but it isn't anything too radical.  I want it.

[Soup DeVille]

Yeah, that's the right body style, but I'd kill the wing and probably the fogs too. (Will somebody please explain the subaru obsession with giant fog lights and gold wheels to me?). (I'm not even going to mention the sparco seats, pink badge, gratuitous stickers and rallye car mudflaps.

Get rid of those things, and it would be a nice looking car.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

the basics are all there, and yes the older 2.5rs cars are the best looking subies. I'll get one someday(and yes i'll swap in a 2.0T from a JDM STi). A car that looks that good needs to move.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Yeah, that's the right body style, but I'd kill the wing and probably the fogs too. (Will somebody please explain the subaru obsession with giant fog lights and gold wheels to me?). (I'm not even going to mention the sparco seats, pink badge, gratuitous stickers and rallye car mudflaps.

Get rid of those things, and it would be a nice looking car.

Big foglighs and gold wheels are from the rally cars. My guess is that is where subaru gets that from.

[Eye of the Tiger]

That would make my night.

If you know anyone who has those scoops/vents, I need a set so I can put my hood on.

I couldn't find the article about the Impreza Outback, but I found one about the '98 2.5 RS. I'm scanning it now.

[the Teuton]

Yeah, that's the right body style, but I'd kill the wing and probably the fogs too. (Will somebody please explain the subaru obsession with giant fog lights and gold wheels to me?). (I'm not even going to mention the sparco seats, pink badge, gratuitous stickers and rallye car mudflaps.

Get rid of those things, and it would be a nice looking car.

The giant fogs used to be rally homoligation.  The goldies are something that were an STi specialty.  Those wheels in gold only came on the 1998 RS (and JDM STis), which did not have the WRX bumper like that one.  The pink badge "i" only came on JDM STis.  I have a black one on my car.  As for everything else, either it's JDM or rally stuff.  None of it is particularly ricey.

the basics are all there, and yes the older 2.5rs cars are the best looking subies. I'll get one someday(and yes i'll swap in a 2.0T from a JDM STi). A car that looks that good needs to move.

Because that car is only 2,900 lbs. (mine is 2,700 lbs.), with the JDM EJ20s, they can easily hit low 13s, high 12s.

[Soup DeVille]

The giant fogs used to be rally homoligation. 

Fog lights were never required to be homologated. Not even in 1961.

[the Teuton]

Fog lights were never required to be homologated. Not even in 1961.

And speaking that the rally car usually had them covered:



Or had the small Prodrive lights:



You do tend to wonder what the point was.

[Eye of the Tiger]

How do you post a linked thumbnail image? I supposed I could just post links...

[Soup DeVille]

I just think a cleaner front bumper really helps the appearance of the car.

[the Teuton]

How do you post a linked thumbnail image? I supposed I could just post links...

Wherez?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Wherez?

Still uploading to photobukit. The scans are about 850KB each.

[the Teuton]

Still uploading to photobukit. The scans are about 850KB each.

Day-um.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Day-um.

Correction: the first one was 850KB, the other three are over 2MB each. I don't know what happened there. But without further ado...

[the Teuton]

While that car is at least 125 lbs. heavier than my car, that's a remarkably slow example.  Still, I want it.  Oh yeah, that's the older DOHC engine I have (sitting around) not the torquier SOHC from the 1999-01 model.