There are a lot of automotive fandoms out there – but few of them have the dedication of the Subaru WRX community. Your local Subaru Dealer will be happy to make you part of the coolest clubs in the automotive world. Drivers who own the Subaru WRX are welcome to join a community where you and other WRX drivers can get together to compare your great sedans and share stories of your adventures. Maybe they won’t rival the ones depicted in the Fast & Furious movie series, but you can definitely see why the makers of that popular movie franchise chose to showcase the Subaru WRX. That’s because there is no other car on the road quite like the WRX and the souped-up WRX STI, which combined incredible all-wheel drive systems and powerful turbocharged engines for performance straight out of the World Rally Championship. This is why a cult-like devotion has developed around devotees of these dynamic cars.
Style Meets Substance in the Subaru WRX
There are plenty of coupes and sedans on the road today that looks fast but have sluggish engines, soft steering, or underpowered brakes. They may look the part, but once you get behind the wheel, you realize that looks may be deceiving. You get all excited to give this pretender a test run, only to find out that it is slow off the light, understeers around the bend, and takes too long to come to a complete stop. The Subaru WRX takes the opposite approach.
To the uninitiated, the WRX may look like just another Subaru Impreza sedan. But fans of this powerful car will instantly know what they are looking at, thanks to the prominent hood school that houses the turbocharger intercooler and the four rear exhaust pipes that allow the powerful engine to breathe freely. This unassuming design separates the WRX from flashy coupes and sports sedans, but once the light turns green, the WRX will leave most of its competitors in its dust – especially in bad weather or on dirt roads where this street-legal rally car comes to life.
The WRX’s performance starts with a powertrain that is designed for optimal power without sacrificing engine efficiency. Subaru equips the WRX with a turbocharged version of its famous Subaru Boxer Engine. This engine is a flat-4 with an aluminum block, keeping weight low in the car for incredible handling. But despite its small 2.0-liter displacement, the turbocharger allows it to deliver an impressive 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It comes equipped with the choice between a 6-speed manual transmission or a Sport Lineartronic automatic transmission with paddle shifters, giving you complete control on the road. As a result, the WRX can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 5.2 seconds, with a top speed of 144 miles per hour.
This attention to performance continues to the WRX’s drivetrain, suspension, and chassis. The WRX features the legendary Subaru Symmetrical all-wheel drive system, so you can get great grip on the road without sacrificing speed and acceleration. Unlike the fuel-saving front-wheel-biased all-wheel drive setups you find in most vehicles these days, the WRX boasts a full-time 50/50 split system that can transfer 100% of torque to the wheels that have the most grip.
The track-tuned suspension has been designed to maximize the cornering of the Subaru WRX. This is because it utilizes a front strut-type suspension with an aluminum-alloy lower L-arm and pillow-ball joint mount and stabilizer bar, while the rear is a double-wishbone suspension featuring a lateral link pillow-ball joint bushing with a stabilizer bar. The WRX rides on a set of aluminum-alloy wheels with summer performance tires to also enhance acceleration and grip. It also offers Brembo brakes with 4-piston front and 2-piston rear calipers for powerful stopping performance.
Subaru has equipped WRX with a number of additional features to improve handling, performance, and ride. Vehicle Dynamics Control utilizes sensors to monitor the wheel speeds, steering angle, brake pressure, lateral g-forces, and vehicle yaw rate to maintain stability throughout your ride. Active Torque Vectoring works with the Vehicle Dynamics Control to automatically apply brake pressure to the inside front wheel on sharp turns to improve cornering. The Traction Control System monitors the WRX’s all-wheel drive and will reduce torque and apply brake pressure to maintain traction. The Quick Ratio Steering on the WRX will also help you maintain control during some of the sharpest turns you will encounter.
Go to the Next Level With a Subaru STI
Even greater heights of performance can be reached when you opt for the WRX STI. This is a WRX that has been further enhanced by Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru’s performance division. An STI can be quickly identified by its distinctive large rear spoiler, but that is far from its only performance upgrade. The WRX STI is equipped with a larger 2.5-liter turbocharged engine generating up to 310 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque. This engine is only offered with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission, giving it a real rally-car feel.
But the most important upgrade to the STI is its all-wheel drive system. With a driver-controlled mechanical limited-slip center differential and front and rear torque-sensing limited-slip differentials, the STI has better four-wheel drive performance than most pickup trucks. This allows it to put all 310 horsepower to the ground, even on the slipperiest of roads.The WRX STI also comes with a standard upgraded Brembo braking system. The discs are ventilated and cross-drilled for heat dissipation under hard braking, while the 6-piston front calipers will instantly bring you to a stop from high speeds.
Become Part of the WRX Community
The Subaru WRX community is a worldwide phenomenon, with drivers extolling the virtue of this unique performance car. As you can see, there is a good reason for this, as the WRX delivers style and performance unmatched by other cars in its vehicle class. Joining the community is not difficult – there are a number of large and thriving WRX clubs across the country. You can easily participate either at in-person events or through the clubs’ online forums. Some of the biggest websites are WRX Tuners and Club WRX. A great way to become a part of the community is by joining one or more of these clubs online and getting to know the other WRX drivers in this virtual community.
Social media has become a great way to break-the-ice with fellow enthusiasts, fans, and fanatics, with many online friendships branching out into the real world. There is even a club for folks who collect the Subaru WRX models put out by Hot Wheels! This is not only a fun and inexpensive way to build on your fandom for the WRX but also a perfect way to introduce your kids to these great little sports cars. Soon, your kids will be bugging you for your rides in your own WRX!
The Subaru WRX has become one of the most popular sports sedans on the market for a very good reason. Few other cars can deliver on the promise of so much performance and handling in such a great little package like the WRX and WRX STI. As a result, the WRX has become an online and on-road phenomenon that is unmatched in the virtual and real worlds.
