Manufacturer Specs:

WRX Sedan (manual trans):
0-60 mph, sec 5.5²/5.9/5.8
1/4 mile, sec -/-/14.7@93

2002 SVT Lightning:
0-60 mph, sec 5.8
1/4 mile, sec -/-/13.9@100

The lightning is still a bit quicker.

Daniel

PS --
WRX forums are best over at the I-Club... www.i-club.com ... I hang out over there since I have a bunch of friends with WRXs who I autocross with.

 

You can try:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/f63/

 

I've seen a few WRX's running 12.5's at englishtown. All it really takes is exhaust, the bigger turbo and better intercooler.

 

One of my best friends just bought a WRX. At first I gave him a ton of ***** about it. (I'm obviously a domestic V-8 kinda guy). Well, he picked the car up and took me for a ride in it the same day. Although I wasn't very impressed w/ the Torque....the handling was AMAZING!! I could not believe how incredibly this little thing stuck to the road! The roads were still wet from a previous rain, but the WRX stuck like glue in the curvies. I was grinning from ear to ear afterwards.

Despite it's handling, the power just wasn't enuff to excite me. UNTIL he began to mod it. He dropped a "Turbo-back" on it (Catback for Turbo cars), a Downpipe, underdrive pulleys, and a chip (The chip gave him 48 Awhp and 54 Awtq!!). We took it to the track (Capital raceway for you local guys)...where he ran a 13.01 @ 105 with 18 lbs of boost. This was his first time EVER at a track so his 60ft's weren't the greatest (1.90's on All-weather bridgestones). With some practice he could easily runs High 12's with just simple bolt ons. Suddenly I was becoming a little more impressed with this little beast.

I talked with him last night and he told me about a new Turbo that Garret is coming out with. It fits in the stock Turbo housing and bolts on in less than an hour (no modifications necessary). This Turbo will be good for 30 lbs of boost and around 400 Awhp. He expects to run high 11's with it. BTW....The turbo will cost a "whopping" $900.00.

Believe me, no one was a bigger skeptic about these cars than me....but Holy crap, these things are gonna be WICKED once the aftermarket really gets going for them.

BTW....there is a BB forum for them....it's: www.impreza-rs.com

Lots of good info there.

 

i have a 99 bone stock L, i was coming home the other night and here comes a WRX thinking he was hot *****. we get stopped at the light and he tosses me a few revs, so i nod and wait for the light. light goes green i pull about a half truck on him and creep on from there. i didn't warm the tires up and no power launch. then he tried the "ricer flyby" so jumped on the gas again and pulled back ahead of him.

the wrx's should lose stock for stock.

 

Oh brother...I was afraid you would say that....sorry to burst your bubble but the Gtech is hardly accurate.
For someone who is "relax" you sure seem to get uptight when someone cracks a joke....especially when it is in your favor.


rarrrr

BTW...the WRX's are damn sweet...freind of mine out here has one....and we havn't raced yet, but when we do, it will be 1/4 mile, not the 0-60 thing the magazines made up. I think I am one of the only people that doesn't think it is ugly!

 

Saleen,

you're not alone.

Bob

 

Only if it's not dry. Have played with a couple of the and had no problems. One stock the other light mods.

 

I've only had a disagreement with one. I got the lane I wanted, and his only solace was that my exhaust goes out the side, instead of out the back in his face.

 

Good to know im not alone bob



Thanks!

 

Theres a little problem with upping the hp on the wrx tho. The drivetrain can't handle much more than stock so when you start getting up around 260 horses you have a good chance of breaking something. The interior is cheap also. Other than that its a nice car. I would like to see the STi come to the states.

 

I'd still put my $$$ on the Lightning. I drove a WRX because I was considering getting one. All the Lighting has to do is roll out of the hole and hit it. The WRX is quick for a 4-banger, but no competition for the Lightning.

 

WRX offers good bang for the buck..

As stated before - avg person doesn't want to drop the clutch at 6 or 7k every race.. Sooner or later the clutch will be toast if your lucky.. In time the trans will be shot also..

Should be a nice winter car though while your L is in storage..

In regards to the question - screw the magazine times - you have to line them up..

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 95 Saleen S351
[B]

Oh brother...I was afraid you would say that....sorry to burst your bubble but the Gtech is hardly accurate.
For someone who is "relax" you sure seem to get uptight when someone cracks a joke....especially when it is in your favor.

If you knew the answer they why did you ask the question??? Believe me you are not bursting anyone's bubble
it takes more than a stupid joke to crack this hard *** ex-marine.

BTW GTECH is pretty accurate.

 

'Expy:

Your brother is in for a big disappointment. Stock-for-stock, a Lightning will K-I-L-L a WRX, as long as the distance of the race is more than about an intersection-width.

With the AWD, the WRX is a terror out of the hole. I've seen a lot of sub-2-second 60-foot times posted for stockers, some in the 1.8's. That's a stout launch. However, by the 2-3 shift, it will be nothing but rapidly shrinking tailgate in the WRX pilot's window. The WRX's just don't have the grunt to keep pulling as the speeds rise, as evidenced by the accuratly reported mid/high-14's at low/mid-90's quarter mile numbers. As for 0-60 times, driver-for-driver, the Lightning will prevail. The Lightning is VERY easy to drive/launch/race, whiel the WRX takes considerable expertise (read - "abuse") to make it scoot.

I own a bone-stock 2000 model Lightning, and have very recently taken an extensive test drive (read - "joyride") in a blue WRX sedan (stock except for some wide MOMO wheels and performance tires).

Driven in a sane, normal manner, the WRX is a D-O-G of the first order. Not just any sort of dog, but a prissy little Chihuahua with one of those queer doggy sweaters and a pink bow on its head. It is wery un-nerving to troll around town at 6000 RPM with the wife yelling at you to upshift (DAMN IT!) and the steering wheel buzzing in your hands, but that, unfortunately, is what you must do AT ALL TIMES with the WRX if you want the "fast, powerful car experience". Above about 4700 RPM it's a rocket, but below that you're Civic-bait. Honestly, in a "normal driving mode", the WRX is as nutless as any other small-displacement econobox.

For example, at 2000 RPM in third gear (a reasonably typical "normal driving scenario"), a throttle stomp in the WRX produced no perceptible forward thrust, just a sickening groaning/wheezing sound belching up through the gaping throtle body. Pull this move in the Lightning (without forcing a downshift), and youre gobbling up real estate RIGHT NOW!

I didn't have the nerve to pull the "6000 RPM clutch side-step", but that is certainly what it would take to put up any sort of impressive numbers off the line. Ouch! I did, however, run it through the gears with full-throttle power-shifts right at the rev limiter, and I can tell you a couple things. First, the car will fly, relatively speaking, if you abouse it in this manner and keep the revs above 4700 RPM AT ALL TIMES. Second, the tranny is tough enough to take a few power-shifts, although the accompanying BANG!/CRUNCH! was terribly un-nerving and the whole car sort of shook/rattled/twisted when the cogs engaged at full throttle.

As for the insurance issue, my Lightning is as cheap to insure as any other standard-cab 5.4 liter F150, which is to say, CHEAP! You just need to find the right (read - "ignorant/uncaring") agent. I'm with State Farm.

Also, the WRX looks pretty decent to me, and all of the styling/packaging/interior "works for me", if you follow me, but in general the car is very cheap and plasticky inside and out. The interior, although very racy and functional, is EXTREMELY cheap, annoyingly so, and I fear not up to par as far as durability goes.

Indeed the turbo power plant is cheap and easy to mod the bejeezus out of, and that is one of the most appealing elements of the vehicle. However, I imagine that it's damn near impossible to modify/repair/maintain the AWD (viscous coupling?) system and that might provide a serious barrier to serious modding.

Just a few thoughts on a topic that I've looked pretty hard at, having formerly (until the test drive) coveted the WRX.