A Subaru Impreza WRX STi, seen at the Goldenport race track in Beijing in 2017. The speedy Japanese sedan was painted in Subaru-blue and fitted with the obligatory golden alloy wheels.
The second generation Subaru Impreza was manufactured from 2000 to 2007, with facelifts in 2004 and 2006. Our Beijing car is a post-second facelift example.
The WRX STi was officially sold in China. It was powered by the 2.5 liter turbocharged flat four, officially rated at 300 hp and 407 Nm. The engine was mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, sending horses to all wheels. Top speed was 250 km/h and 0-100 was gone in 5.2 seconds. All that speed came at a steep price. In 2007, the STi model went for 448.000 yuan.
Sadly, this particular machine appeared to be in a bad shape. It looked like it hadn’t been used or cleaned for a long time. The poor car was covered in a thick layer of Beijing dust with scratches all over the place.
The interior was better preserved, albeit with an after-market radio unit. There is a ‘Subaru World Rally Team’ sticker on the ash tray.
Heavy damage at the rear. The bumper, boot lid, and lights were broken. The Impreza was likely rear-ended, either on the road or on the nearby track. Apparently the owner didn’t care to fix his car.
Well, at least the badge was still pretty. Always loved these red STi logos with the blue-silver Impreza badge below. There were speedy Subaru cars around the track at any time. More on those in later posts.