It’s been a long time coming, but finally, after the teaser photos and Tokyo Show debut, Subaru’s radically reinvented Impreza STI has finally landed in the UK.
We’re treating the opinion-splitting all-wheel-drive hatchback to a good old-fashioned evo-style welcome, with a two-day thrash across the relentlessly testing tarmac of North Wales. And to add some spice we’ve also invited the Impreza STI’s ideological enemy: an Italian supercar, in this case the hard-as-nails Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.
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It’s a mouth-watering meeting cunningly engineered to test that fondly held belief that on the right day, on the right road, and in the right conditions, twenty-five grand’s-worth of plucky all-wheel-drive icon can harass a bona fide member of the automotive aristocracy. It’s a peasants’ revolt the old STI saloon was always more than capable of pulling-off. If the new STI can do the same, it’ll go a long way to appeasing those who question Subaru’s sanity in ditching four doors, a boot and a ruddy-great wing in favour of a dumpy five-door hatchback.
Comparison
| Subaru Impreza | Lamborghini | |
| Engine | Flat-four, turbocharged | V10, normally aspirated |
| Location | Front, longitudinal | Mid, longitudinal |
| Displacement | 2457cc | 4961cc |
| Bore x stroke | 99.5 x 79.0mm | 82.5 x 92.8mm |
| Cylinder block | Aluminium alloy | Aluminium alloy, dry sump |
| Cylinder head | Aluminium alloy, dohc per bank, four valves per cylinder, active valve control system | Aluminium alloy, dohc per bank, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing |
| Fuel and ignition | Electronic engine management, multipoint fuel injection, turbo | Electronic engine management, sequential direct injection |
| Max power | 296bhp @ 6000rpm | 522bhp @ 8000rpm |
| Max torque | 300lb ft @ 4000rpm | 376lb ft @ 4250rpm |
| Transmission | Six-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel drive, centre diff with viscous coupling, front and rear limited slip differentials, VDC | Six-speed e-gear automated manual gearbox, four-wheel drive, rear limited slip differential, ESP, ASR |
| Front suspension | MacPherson struts, coil springs, gas dampers, anti-roll bar | Double wishbones, coil springs, gas dampers, anti-roll bar |
| Rear suspension | Multi-link, coil springs, gas dampers, anti-roll bar | Double wishbones, coil springs, gas dampers, anti-roll bar |
| Brakes | 330mm ventilated front discs, 305mm ventilated rear discs, ABS, EBD | 365mm ventilated front discs, 325mm ventilated rear discs, ABS, EBD |
| Wheels | 8x17in, aluminium alloy | 8.5x19in front, 11x19 rear, al alloy |
| Tyres | 235/45 R17 front and rear, Dunlop SP Sport 01 | 235/35 19 front, 295/30 19 rear, Pirelli P Zero Corsa |
| Weight (kerb) | 1505kg | 1420kg |
| Power-to-weight | 200bhp/ton | 373bhp/ton |
| 0-60mph | 4.8sec (claimed) | 3.7sec (claimed) |
| Max speed | 155mph (claimed) | 196mph (claimed) |
| Basic price | £24,995 | £150,000 |
| evo rating | 4/5 | 4.5/5 |
