2006 Impreza STi
Discussion
Currently have a 24 hr test drive of the new (06) version of the STi. Back in the house after 150 miles of mixed road driving.
Compared to my current (03) STi:
there are slight changes to the nose + grill (OK, I think) and an extra spoiler (rear window)
the bonnet scoop is slightly lower but still looks agressive
the lights are even better
the engine (2.5l) is more powerful and better spread of torque making it easier to drive in towns
instruments are easier to read (thankfully - the 03 speedo is a joke, but I have a HUD)
controllable centre diff is very good
but...
Biggest impression came from the tyres. Bridgestone Potenza RE070 - 225/45-17. They look and behave like racing intermediates. The grip must be awesome in the summer (when warmed) but over the last 24 hrs they have been "interesting". It is possible to overcome these tyres in the cold way before my Toyo Proxes - and they must be really entertaining in the wet!
If you test drive this one - take care with those tyres!
Still, I must have one. A more refined and more capable car all around. Might keep my Prodrive wheels and the Toyo tyres, though. And I will swap out the strut braces (front and rear) + the HUD. And I must have the Prodrive mods - 350 horses (limited due to the injectors; need to change these + opther fuel line mods if you want more).
John
Compared to my current (03) STi:
there are slight changes to the nose + grill (OK, I think) and an extra spoiler (rear window)
the bonnet scoop is slightly lower but still looks agressive
the lights are even better
the engine (2.5l) is more powerful and better spread of torque making it easier to drive in towns
instruments are easier to read (thankfully - the 03 speedo is a joke, but I have a HUD)
controllable centre diff is very good
but...
Biggest impression came from the tyres. Bridgestone Potenza RE070 - 225/45-17. They look and behave like racing intermediates. The grip must be awesome in the summer (when warmed) but over the last 24 hrs they have been "interesting". It is possible to overcome these tyres in the cold way before my Toyo Proxes - and they must be really entertaining in the wet!
If you test drive this one - take care with those tyres!
Still, I must have one. A more refined and more capable car all around. Might keep my Prodrive wheels and the Toyo tyres, though. And I will swap out the strut braces (front and rear) + the HUD. And I must have the Prodrive mods - 350 horses (limited due to the injectors; need to change these + opther fuel line mods if you want more).
John
Cheers,
You haven't tried yoko A539s as well by any chance? I was going to put the proxys on my pug 1.9 but was persauded that the 539s were better. They are good, grip well but never seem to 'warm up'. It could be that the pug is too light to work them. Even after lighting up the front(s) around 2nd gear bends they are still not hot.
My Focus ST arrives in Mar with contirubbish2. Clarkson was having fun on a wet airfield with them but they look like they will suffer badly on track (seve ral massive continous grooves). Replacements will be......? The proxys are a definite possibility, or PZero Neros etc. Difficult to tell on a subaru I know, but the most important things for me is to reduce the understeer as much as possible. What are they like for that (and compared to the 539s if you have ever used tham on your sub).
Cheers once again.....
Nords
Not used the 539s - no comment.
I did have P Zero Nero on an STi and they would not hold her on the track. Massive understeer, and 'photos showed that the tre had pulled over onto the side wall. Working with a Mitchelin tyre engineer, we found that 41psi front pressure was optimal to support the side wall and reduce understeer.
Compared to the PZN, the 'S' is an improvement. On a dry track I can get better grip at normal tyre pressures. In the wet they are yards (or mph's) better.
On the track, my technique for reducing understeer is to brake later into the corner, so turning in still under breaking. This transfers weight to the front and stops the understeer. Clearly, the back then breaks away and a rapid shift from brake to gas gives me a four-wheel drift around the bend. Not recommended for the public road.
I should have less understeer on the 2006 STi as the drive is 49/51 and the electronic central diff should provide improved grip.
Not used the 539s - no comment.
I did have P Zero Nero on an STi and they would not hold her on the track. Massive understeer, and 'photos showed that the tre had pulled over onto the side wall. Working with a Mitchelin tyre engineer, we found that 41psi front pressure was optimal to support the side wall and reduce understeer.
Compared to the PZN, the 'S' is an improvement. On a dry track I can get better grip at normal tyre pressures. In the wet they are yards (or mph's) better.
On the track, my technique for reducing understeer is to brake later into the corner, so turning in still under breaking. This transfers weight to the front and stops the understeer. Clearly, the back then breaks away and a rapid shift from brake to gas gives me a four-wheel drift around the bend. Not recommended for the public road.
I should have less understeer on the 2006 STi as the drive is 49/51 and the electronic central diff should provide improved grip.
Interesting stuff. My Civic Type R came with Bridgestone Potenzas as standard. Shockingly awful tyre. Very noisy, crashy ride, tramlined like nothing on earth and in the wet the car would wheelspin in 4th gear on full power. Potenzas have very stiff sidewalls and a dual compound. Good on track but poor on UK roads.
Changed to the Yokohama Parada tyre which is so much better in every respect. It is a more sports orientated tyre than their A539 model with a stiffer sidewall and a greater contact area over the tread pattern. You would get a crisper turn in with the Parada compared to the A539's. Would highly reccommend them for your Hocus Pocus if you can get a size to fit.
Cheers
Justin
>> Edited by Saied on Wednesday 11th January 09:19
Changed to the Yokohama Parada tyre which is so much better in every respect. It is a more sports orientated tyre than their A539 model with a stiffer sidewall and a greater contact area over the tread pattern. You would get a crisper turn in with the Parada compared to the A539's. Would highly reccommend them for your Hocus Pocus if you can get a size to fit.
Cheers
Justin
>> Edited by Saied on Wednesday 11th January 09:19
Eliminator said:
I should have less understeer on the 2006 STi as the drive is 49/51 and the electronic central diff should provide improved grip.
hmm this is interesting, as the earlier STi type-R and RA's have a 36/64 f/r split (with adjustable centre diff lockup through DCCD), and understeer really isn't a problem with those. do you know what other drivetrain changes they've made?
Best of luck with the new Scoob.SO, went to the track with a few friends to check performance. Pictures from Bedford 4 March, as promised.
http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba003432
http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba003432
http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba003432
Car is unbelievable. So much better than the 03.
Much less prone to understeer, and then suprising what can be cured with a little throttle. Very cold day, but tires heated up well and boy did they grip. Much better than the P Zero Nero's that came with the O£. No sign of falling onto the side wall during hard cornering. The drop from 305 to 271 bhp was not an issue, the improved torque, gear ranges and the fact that I could carry more speed through the corners resulted in a higher V-max (just before the chicane on the back straight, if you know it) Was 128 in the 03, now 129 (by data logger). Best improvements in comparison came in the second half, techincal section of the track.
The active central diff makes this a very easy car to drive very fast.
Things to improve:
Brake cooling. Noticed much higher brake tempreatures - could have made toast off the discs when returned to the track. Disc swept area, pots and pad compounds same as 03, so can assume only that there is reduced arirflow to the brakes due to re-designed front damn. Needs to have a mod here to duct air in to cool.
Big fan of this car.
Big, big fan.
http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba003432
http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba003432
http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba003432
Car is unbelievable. So much better than the 03.
Much less prone to understeer, and then suprising what can be cured with a little throttle. Very cold day, but tires heated up well and boy did they grip. Much better than the P Zero Nero's that came with the O£. No sign of falling onto the side wall during hard cornering. The drop from 305 to 271 bhp was not an issue, the improved torque, gear ranges and the fact that I could carry more speed through the corners resulted in a higher V-max (just before the chicane on the back straight, if you know it) Was 128 in the 03, now 129 (by data logger). Best improvements in comparison came in the second half, techincal section of the track.
The active central diff makes this a very easy car to drive very fast.
Things to improve:
Brake cooling. Noticed much higher brake tempreatures - could have made toast off the discs when returned to the track. Disc swept area, pots and pad compounds same as 03, so can assume only that there is reduced arirflow to the brakes due to re-designed front damn. Needs to have a mod here to duct air in to cool.
Big fan of this car.
Big, big fan.
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