Shocks come no bigger than last year's Subaru Impreza WRX STi failing to make any impression on eCOTY 2002. The form guide was good - the last Impreza to feature at the annual shoot-out had been the P1 in 2000, when it came third. Before that, only the sublime Porsche GT3 and Ferrari 360 Modena prevented the RB5 from taking the big prize back in '99. With 300bhp courtesy of the Prodrive Performance Pack and the promise of huge ability on the slimy Welsh roads, the STi looked good for a top five finish. After a week of hard driving it came eleventh. Out of 12.

So what had caused this improbable fall from grace? Well, it wasn't the bug-eyed looks. In fact, we'd almost grown to like its challenging face. No, it was the stodgy steering response and its nasty habit of turning awkward understeer into snappy oversteer that scored it down.

In truth, it felt a bit old and woolly. In absolute terms there is no doubting the previous STi's ultimate pace but the finesse was gone - and with it that satisfying knowledge that you were in one of the very greatest driver's cars available at any money.

But in the very same issue there was something for Scooby fans to smile about. The first drive of the '03 model Impreza suggested that many of the niggles that afflicted our eCOTY car were about to be addressed. Now we've had our first chance to drive the new STi in the UK, complete with 300bhp Prodrive upgrade, and I'm pleased to report that it's a substantial step in the right direction.

Aside from the external revisions (which look much better in the metal) it's the interior and specifically the smaller Momo steering wheel for which you'll be immediately grateful. It sounds like an insignificant change but the smaller diameter rim is much nicer to hold and crucially it gives you access to a new and much improved steering rack. At 2.6 turns lock-to-lock (down from 2.75 turns) and fitted with a new, variable-capacity steering pump, the feel and precision of the helm are improved significantly.

The more faithful responses can also be traced to the subtly revised suspension - at the front new bushes on the tops of the struts, strengthened mounts for the transverse linkages and improved strut-bracing reduce geometry change under hard cornering. The ride is still pretty unyielding but the sharper responses make it less of an annoyance than in the old STI. You can forgive it hunting out cambers because the greater body-control at speed justifies the set-up.

Prodrive's power upgrade is carried over from the previous model and consists of a revised ECU, high-flow catalyst and a sports silencer. Power is up from 261bhp to 300bhp and torque is increased to a mighty 299lb ft from 253lb ft. Crucially, it creates a much more linear delivery than the clunky and obviously strangled standard STi Type UK. Thanks to a reduction in the list price of the STi to ΂£24,995 you can have a Prodrive-equipped Impreza for ΂£27,990 - ΂£495 more than the last 'Prodrive style' 261bhp STi.

With 300bhp and torque to match it's no surprise that the STi is absolutely ballistic cross-country. Turbo lag is absent above 2500rpm and each gearchange brings another burst of frantic acceleration. In fact, there's so much power that the chassis is worked very hard to contain it. The '03 STi turns-in with real precision - there's still a natural tendency for initial understeer but it never develops into an unmanageable nose-led slide - and if you judge your entry speed correctly you can get immense drive out of low- and medium-speed corners.
Don't expect all-wheel-drive invincibility, though. The huge torque available at around 4000rpm quickly reins in understeer but swings the Impreza through neutrality and into oversteer in the blink of an eye. The reality of road driving means you can rarely nail entry speed perfectly and the tendency is then to overcompensate with a floored throttle mid-corner. In these circumstances the Impreza can take on some pretty wild slip angles and you'll need to stay on the power to sort it out cleanly - it definitely errs on the uncomfortable side of snappy (though Prodrive claim 18in wheels with PZero Neros improve things). To drive it quickly in the rain takes bravery and skill in equal measure. Mind, even at 7/10ths you'll be more than a match for most. On track, where you can load up the chassis on turn-in, it's much more exploitable, serving up beautiful drifts.

The combination of ballistic pace, a hard ride, sharper responses and a distinctly tail-happy balance take the STi ever closer to the bonkers Mitsubishi Evo. It's not quite as raucous but it requires just as much concentration to reap the rewards its chassis is ultimately capable of delivering.
It's not such a convincing all-rounder as the new WRX. Faster and more exhilarating in the right conditions it may be, but more often it just feels edgier and more ragged. Still, if you're after an unrelenting adrenaline rush, the Prodrive STi won't disappoint.