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Volvo: Safety Beyond the Star RatingsThis Subaru WRX STI is a Tuner’s Dream
The Subaru WRX STI is an icon in both the rally racing and the tuning communities for its legendary blend of style and substance.
Rally Legend/Street Legend
When writing about the Subaru WRX STI one could start off making uncharitable references to vape pens, neon green ground effects, and living in mom’s basement. But such stereotyping risks obscuring the facts of the case. Those facts are that, despite what you might think or have heard or have even vicariously experienced through the exploits of your 19-year-old neighbor testing a poorly tuned aftermarket exhaust at 1:30 a.m., the Subaru WRX STI carries broad enthusiast appeal, far beyond the confines of Reddit threads and Tik-Tok videos.
Obscured by the turbo whine and tire smoke is a rip-roaring rally monster for the street. The WRX STI is a legend in the tuning community. Even as Supra Mk IVs and RX-7s slap on the turbos and cladding, the WRX remains the ultimate in more-is-more aftermarket modification.
The bug to mod these cars is so bad my real-life neighbor kid has added the following to his WRX: side skirts, front slitter, larger hood scoop, ground effects, window tinting, flashy aftermarket rims (and wheels tastefully cambered, of course), and a massive rear wing. All this is topped off with the biggest Thune roof rack you could possibly fit, surely negating most, if not all, of the aero gains from the rest of the build, but boy, does it make the car look sharp? And this is just what I can tell driving past; lord knows the bulk of his paper route money has undoubtedly gone to that bottomless money pit lurking under the hood.
The WRX is indeed a tuner’s dream, a blank canvas on which to execute your Big Vision. The only problem is most of prime second-gen WRXs have already been modified, chopped up, tuned and re-tuned to vary degrees of success. So, finding a pristine example, like this 2006 Subaru WRX STI in proper World Rally Blue, is a rarity worthy of conversation. Before we dive into this specific car, here’s a snapshot of the WRX’s background and what makes the second gen the best gen.
WRX STI Background
The Subaru WRX, like the Outback wagon, began as a variant of the Subaru Impreza. The first generation of WRX, 1993-2000, did not make it to the North American market, but the second generation did, arriving a year late to US shores, in 2002. The second-gen WRX saw two major revisions that have subsequently been designated as the Bugeye (‘02-’03), the Blob-eye (’04-’05), and the Hawkeye (’06-’07) each specifically referencing their respective headlight designs. All three have their virtues and admirers.
The Impreza WRX offered a mix of engines starting with naturally-aspirated 1.5L, 1.6L, 2.0L, and 2.5L flat-fours as well as two turbocharged engines, a 2.0L and 2.5L flat-four, the latter engine for the US market. The WRX STI, equipped with that larger 2.5L turbo-four, arrived in North America for the 2004 model year, thus making all STI versions here in the US either Blob-eye or Hawkeye versions.
The WRX STI’s 2.5L flat-four with modified intake and exhaust was tuned to produce 300 horsepower, a gain of 70 over the standard WRX. Additionally, the STI was fitted with Brembo performance brakes, four-piston front and two-piston rear, as well as a hood scoop, a snappy six-speed manual transmission, and fog lights complete with STI logo. A cool aside, the STI logo’s red color is Cherry Blossom inspired by the cherry trees outside the Subaru factory in Japan.
The WRX STI saw several special editions, the most famous and sought after being the 22B widebody built to commemorate both Subaru’s 40th anniversary and their third consecutive FIA Rally championship. The WRX’s you’ve probably encountered were being driven like tiny muscle cars, in a straight line with the throttle pinned to the floorboards. But the WRX’s true nature is as road-going rally car most at home on twisty back roads, sling-shotting out of a curve and spooling up the turbo for a burst of speed before diving back into the next corner.
This Pristine WRX Begs for a Tune
All this brings us to our spotlighted car, a 2006 Subaru WRX STI (the ’06 making this a post-post facelift Hawkeye version). This car is stock and carries a modest 35,952 miles. Stock means no weird exhaust, no “upgraded” turbo or intercooler, even the fog lights, often the first thing blanked out in a WRX build, are still uncovered.
The Hawkeye body style is arguably the second gen’s most compelling visual iteration. In addition to the sharply angled headlights, from which it takes its name, the Hawkeye version added a small spoiler vein atop the rear window for supplementary aero. The front-end design comes together with the Hawkeye’s distinctive tri-form grille. The interior is no less stunning. It’s found in impeccable condition, finished in blue and black upholstery with blue Alcantara adorning the seats and door cards.
Listed for $54,900, this 2006 Subaru WRX STI is about as mint an example as you’re likely to find.
