We upset some of the Scooby faithful with our comments about the STi's wet weather behaviour, but the more I drive it the more I know it's a very different animal to the old Impreza Turbo. Where the old Turbo/RB5/P1 breed put its power down in a very calm, even-handed style, the '02 STi deploys its 261bhp far more aggressively. The balance shifts between the front and rear more noticeably both under power and when lifting off, and you can really feel the inside front wheel pulling the nose tighter to the apex, dialling out the mild power-on understeer balance of the earlier Imprezas.

The result is that the STi is a less flattering car to drive quickly. That's not to say it doesn't have the ability, merely that you have to be that bit more able and experienced to extract the maximum from the chassis. You don't just jump in, nail it and trust the car to mask your errors to quite the same degree. This is a good thing if you like a challenge and want your input to make the difference, not so good if you've bought an STi expecting it to be as benign and forgiving as the 'classic' Impreza.

Many of you have been e-mailing me to see if I know anything about the forthcoming Prodrive Performance Package for the STi. The short answer is no, save that it's rumoured to boost power to 310bhp (up 34bhp) and torque to 300lb ft (a 25lb ft increase). You can be sure I'll do my best to have it fitted to my car as soon as it becomes available.