The Forgotten JDM Nürburgring Hero: 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C Type RA - Review
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
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Today I am driving a hidden gem from the world of JDM cars - a Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C Type RA. Built explicitly to attack the Nürburgring - is it a good road car?
#Subaru #JDM #WRXSTI
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Jay I have a 1999 uk 2000 turbo 315bhp your welcome to review.. superb example for a uk car with some very tasteful modifications. Never failed a mot in 24 years. Well maintained. If your interested let me know…
Grande macchina ma alettone posteriore da schifo...
Che gusti del c....o
Had one of these in the Hawkeye shape (2005). Absolutely brutal B-road blaster, capable of dispatching dozens of wet miles and your licence in no time at all.
Probably the best Subaru you can get.
@@v4skunk739 I have one. 2007 Impreza WRX STI Type UK.
@@JackosJingles that’s a very differerent car to drive to a spec C ( still great)
@@rallycrosscraig those engines fall apart
@@hassyg4083 driver error
Subaru was really tapped into something special during these years.
Also blob eye = best eye!
It was called minimalism and good sense in design
@@roy254ify That along with actually competing in WRC as an OEM, less stringent US safety regulations, and less emission requirements forced by the Green Mafia.
tapped into alot of walls and curbs
I'm on my third Subaru now and my second JDM one. I keeping coming back to them for a reason. I've had a lot of cars in my time, but there's something about them that gets under my skin. Brilliant cars and if maintained and not tuned aggressively, much more reliable than made out.
Another great review James. I've no idea how much time you to spend researching each model you review, not to mention taking the time to get the great shots. There is no disputing your work ethic and at nearly 300k subscribers, it is certainly paying off!
i am going to buy one soon 2004 exactly whats in the video its a bit customized do you recommend me going for it specifically i cant buy any jdm or good car in that price range but im scared of how many times i am going to take it to the mechanic or air condition doesnt work.. so please help me if you have an instagram whatever account so i can contact you and ask you some questions whenever you’re free , help a friend please.
theres literally nothing else that compares to how subarus drive, theyre just so predictable and easy
Owned 7 Imprezas over 15 years. GC8 to Hawkeyes. The best one was a 98 WRX RA, 1100kg fitted with a 2001 Spec C RA engine and mapped to 302 bhp by the late great Simon Roe. S202 Titanium backbox, Sparco Prodrive seats, newage brembos and the quick rack made it such a fun drivers car. Much better sound with unequal length headers.
Anything with the 2.0 engine is good.
Why 7? That's alot. Don't they last?
@@alphatrion100 I wanted to experience as many as possible.
@@GRfourfun
I understand.
Personally when I fall in love with a specific example of a car I don't want to get rid of it. Been driving my 2009 fn2 type R FOREVER 😅
@@alphatrion100 Great car and I get it, I’ve found my forever car now. GR Yaris Circuit pack.
Loved the bloby eye! Had several STi UK and one JDM (twinscroll & equal length headers). The Spec C was always the unicorn of this shape!
"i'm saving the rare stock suspension"
Best excuse for modifying ever
That’s perfect weather for a Scooby
Tell that to the sills…
Tell that to all the Rust 😂
If you know, you know....
100% stick to the road like shit to a blanket 🤣
I have a real soft spot for the Impreza having owned one and my dad has owned three great drivers car and an addictive sound track.
had me a v9 STI for a few years, great driving experience, you feel so connected to the road. Handled like a dream. Fast forward to know, driving an ISF, massive step up in raw power
I sold my 2007 WRX Hawkeye about 1,5 years ago, and I still do miss it often. It was incredible on B roads, for a Saturday/Sunday bit of fun. Insanely fun and reliable in the wet and on snowy surfaces. Man, I've had so many good times with that car. One of the highlights being driving it to Northern Italy from The Netherlands, and climbing up the Stelvio pass.
Curious, why’d you see it?
@@smileypaper5589 It was nearing 200.000km’s, fuel prices going up like crazy here in Europe, and wanting something more comfortable.
Been subbed for years, massive JDM fan! We are out here 👋
I had an early classic and it had a tweed interior and 15" wheels. It was fair to say it was an understated masterpiece. I loved it.
Nice to see the RA in Blue, have not seen one in the flesh so to speak or the rarer Red. I have one in White with same spec and power, I can confirm the parts needed to keep standard are really hard to obtain. The suspension part as per shocks, lightened glass, rear spoiler, wheels the list goes on.
Great review! You really dug into the subtle differences between variants. I think the RA stood for “record attempt”. Improvements were made in every model year. You’ve worked hard and earned every sub. Happy birthday!
Pretty similar car to mine, 2003 spec c, world rally blue. mods. Alloy front subframe, forged gold wrc enkies, wrc replica wing, h&s exhaust.
stock map
4.2 seconds to 60
had it 7 years
Nice ride.
Hands down the best car review channel. You explain the driving experience perfectly
I really hope there's so many more viewers out there with rare and iconic cars like this. You are unsung heroes. Amazing quality and quantity video once again.
Maybe if Subaru did not TRY so hARD making its cars as FUGLY as they can, they would sell many more, and at much higher profits.
Currently own a subaru wrx 2001 bugeye estate, impreza's are the most joyful cars to own I would urge anyone to purchase one you won't regret it.
So far this is the best Car i have ever Driven and its always a Joy to Pull it out of the Garage.
I’ve had many Scuby,s since around 2000 or so- last 2 have been WRX & WRX STI. As one commenter noted- they are bombproof of left stock. Now that the STI isn’t available, they’re becoming collectors cars no matter which year you own. I also own a GT3 (991.2, manual) - the two most driver focused cars you can drive. And complement each others driving experiences- love them both for different reasons. I plan on retaining the STI for the rest of my life. Just cannot see a car that offers the same functionality.
I remember getting Forza Motorsport on original Xbox back in the day, it had that blue and white splash painted STI C, which we aptly referred to as the STICk, because you could beat the hell out of any track and race theyd let you in. The max modification for it was somewhere around 650 HP. Instead of braking, you'd fly 90 degrees sideways into a turn past the other cars lit up tail lights, then at the right moment start feathering the throttle until it grabbed and took of again. It wasn't pretty, it ate tires like a starving kid attacking a candy bar, so we abused the "Tire Wear: OFF" feature just to do some really absurd driving. Even in full simulation mode, if you could keep the torque under control for the tire's sake, you could absolutely demolish almost any other car in the game, but in full sim it was suuuuuper difficult to handle, very demanding. The legend of the STICk lives on 20 years later and I am actually considering buying an 04 STI even though they average $20k-30k, double that for low mileage excellent condition.
I owned a bug eye wrx uk300 with full pp kit - loved that car for many years , fantastic characterful car - never put a foot wrong . Only problem with it was I discovered cars from Germany .
The bug eye is highly sought after here in the states. It has a certain funkiness that I find quite charming.
I recently acquired a wrx s4 from Japan, my first Subaru , such a pleasure to drive. Amazing machines.
My STI Hatch is aging like fine wine! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Nothing better than a WRX STi for blasting around the roads of New Zealand. Majority of Japans used WRXs ended up in New Zealand as grey imports, you couldn't go down a street without seeing at least 1 turbo subaru, either a Legacy, Forester or Impreza.
I've got an 09 turbo Legacy. I love it! Hoping to get a GC8 in the next 1-2 years.
Got a 97 wrx ra weighs 1186kg running 18 psi reloomed with a my20b loom engine ect. 3.5 ratio gbox. 18" rims and 40 profile tyres should do 310kph at redline and 07 si drive limited too, both are fun but nothing beats the RA
@@vjbond3945 shame these cars were never standard ended up scrapped
Yip. just did a trip in one from North to South. The car (STI V7) was in its element.
Very interesting video and commentary! I have a 2019 STI at 450 HP and it's so much fun to drive. The only thing I need to change is to change the motor mounts back to group N mounts. The stiffer mounts currently installed are to unforgiving and make driving annoying. That will be a revision in the near future.
I'm never not impressed by the consistency, quality and regularity of your videos. You're doing an incredible job
And lets appreciate the fact it is 4k. I am over some very popular channels that still produce content in 1080p. It is 2023 not 2013.
Thanks guys. The content has been almost exclusively UHD since day one :)
Forgive my cheekiness here, but wouldn’t “always” be a simpler and easier to read substitute word for the phrase “never not” ?
As car guys we need to take care of our bodies and self with the same vigor and passion we do our vehicles. Cheers and Regards sire.
This was 100% my childhood dream car
I love this car, in terms of my personal raking she comes only second to the Integrale.
Forget the Porsches I've had, the two WRX's I have owned were the most fun and most reliable. Went down hill with hatchback.
I have a spec c hatchback, rest assured it's just as good as the GD chassis spec c's
A friend of mine had a Suburu STi WRX version with the whale tail brand new in blue. Really liked that car.
Funny you mention the flies, 1 day this summer I found bucketloads of flies on my Impreza, was really confused. Hasn’t happened since either. Thought I’d be the only one
UK gets stuff like this for decades and the US gets the WRX STi Type Grandma.
Ive been lucky to own 3 subaru,s impreza. Absolutely fantastic cars 😊
Longest name for a car. And I like how you drove the opposite of a storm chaser. Look for the better skies, and pick the road leading to it. Brilliant!
Hi.. JDM scooby 1999 forester SF5 type A owner here...
Running 100% blobeye engine and everything hardware swapped..
The best spec ever..
Brilliant video as a blobeye sti owner there heaven and hell maintenance is a huge part of ownership. but on the perfect day and perfect road 🤩
Subaru cars really hook you in. I love my legacy.
This is one of the best used cars you can buy. Severely underrated car. And yes that includes the "regular" versions. Sleek 90s design with large frameless windows, 4WD and wonderful engines.
There was a 1.6 turbocharged version sold exclusively in Greece. I wish Subaru had taken the concept more seriously because it would have helped Subaru to establish it's place in the European market. I'm sure a LOT of Europeans would LOVE to buy a 1.6 turbo Impreza with 180hp. Not as beastly and costly as an STi but not as slow as a naturally aspirated one.
I have a USDM 2002 WRX. I blew the motor at 170,XXX miles back in 2012. Been sitting in the garage all these years. In 2019 I bought a 2009 Forester X to daily while I got my WRX back on the road. I would say out of all the mods I did to my WRX the STi 6speed made the biggest difference. Closer gear ratios and much much stronger.
Got to be Scotland for that amount of flies at this time of year 😁
Thankyou for all the JDM goodness as of recent. Always appreciate it ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
Love my 07 Hawkeye 😎
Not tried this variant, but between the 'standard' WRX STI and the Evo 1X, I much preferred the Evo.
Because the Evo is better, apart from the rust.
Having driven the best subaru out there and the best evo out there. The evo is a much better driver car and I felt much more engaged to it. Also much nicer looking
the audio in the beginning is amazing.
The “Type RA “stands for “record attempt”. I had a 1996 wrx type RA v limited to honor colin mc crae’s 1995 wrc championship win. The record attempts didn’t just start with the spec C.
Would love to see you review an Evo 1-2-3. I own three and this era Evo or STi is so much better a car than the comparable euro option at the time
They so are, 1-6 in both varieties were such epic road cars
This guy is the Tv presenter that never was. I like the way he delivers, he is well-informed and comes across so
Thanks very much!
Got a 2003 WRX (factory styled as STI big scoop etc), holding on to it and keeping it up together.
Thank you. I have a 2006 Subaru Impreza 2.0i, and yes, it's slow, but I still find a lot to like a lot.
Subaru Impreza at any generation at any spec is my next car...
If you have flys all around thats a bad sign weatherwise...you ll ask me how much worse than already can the weather get up there...🤷
2002 20k turbo wagon, its so smooth...
In classic form the RA was not so much a cut price STi as a stripped out version for folk that wanted to race them - that is why they were generally sold in white. Mitsubishi did something similar with the Evo and that car even came with steel wheels. The RA's stock had some distinct advantages over the standard RA in the form of improved diffs, DCCD, and a closer ratio gearbox. You could also get the Ltd versions (I have a V5 STi RA Ltd) that came with all the good bits from the RA, but also came in Sonic Blue Mica (best colour for a classic), and also aircon, leccy windows etc for a bit more refinement.
Bust out the vapes boys.
🤣
I really wanted one in 2005 until we went on a long drive with a friend and had backpain and his wallet was empty thanks to 14mpg, but what a sound and a great weekend blast car!
Great car. Flies are a plague this summer, from a keen walker😂
I live up in the Highlands and it amused me to see that this Subaru seems to attract the same amount of flies as my Evo’s do!
I was beginning to think that there was something in my cleaning products that was attracting them!
Def le model year I'd have...Great Vid!
Love my all original '05 with 53k miles on the odometer
Very cool car and informative review! Does seems to draw those flies. As I was writing this watching the video you talked about them 😮
It's already a classic, has been since the day they released it. It will only increase in value though. Great review, thanks.
Thumbs up, great video 😊 I've been wondering when someone would feature this car. I have the exact same model in NZ - peak Subaru (imo)! Btw, the gauges were a factory option, and the factory front lip is poly, not cf (so the one on the car in the video is correct). The "S" cars had the cf lip, perhaps the RaR as well. Cheers
Great cars i have the Impreza S202 in my opinion the best Impreza ever.
Defo a future classic, the RA and RA-R eveb more so. Surprised they are about half the price you'd expect considering other JDM icons.
This car def age well for it and it sound like a fun car to drive
My 2004 STI is a low miles stock gem. Time to go for a ride...
Very nice, looks like my wrx but there worlds apart.
RA was built as a lightweight Group N starter car for rally builds hence it didnt have the "luxuries"
never heard og this variant before....love it.....
This RA is not race altered, I am told this RA stands for record attempt (at the Ring). Who knew? 😂
Great video and amazing car. More videos like this please. I have a uk spec sti and i love it.
My favourite generation of all time
The best subaru in my eyes and the only one I'd consider over an EVO 👌 type RA'R hawkeye is stunning and the king of scoobys in my opinion but its a rare find and expensive
i live in the Northern Territory Australia James..I was incredibly impressed by the amount of flies in your Video. Any Buffalo up that way mate?
typical UK weather - july hailstorm
Love this car…and so do the flies 😂
All hail the algorithm, and japanese sports car content
Awesome film James thank you. But I’m pretty sure I can smell the head gasket going from here 😂😂
Jay have you ever driven done a video on The Honda Integra type R DC2 or DC5? Would love to see one
Yes - both!
12:48 "Pillowball" is used by many Japanese and other Asian car companies/tuning companies to refer to what others call a "spherical bushing."
Would that be "Ball joint" or is that different again?
@@JayEmmOnCars James, I'm probably the wrong guy to explain the difference--I just like looking at expensive parts for Japanese cars. Ball joints and pillow balls/spherical bushings are not the same, though they are both technically spherical _bearings_. People call them pillow balls/spherical bushings when they are replacing typical (cylindrical) rubber (or sometimes polyurethane) suspension bushings. People say "ball joint" to refer the spherical bearings that are already there from the factory to connect the steering knuckles and control arms. Visually, pillow balls/spherical bushings look a lot like regular rubber bushings because they need to go into the same hole. Ball joints have a longish threaded rod sticking out so they can get bolted to where they need to be.
As a an ex-owner of an R32 GTR and an Subaru STI and now an Evo 9...I can say that the Evo is a better car in many things...drove a lot of older japanese Cars but nothing compares to an evo...handling, corner speeds, reliability, responsiveness...
I noticed the time on the dash showing 5:15pm. Unless that's incorrect, that'd be dead in the middle of peak rush hour here. Not a good time to go out driving. I usually stay in unless I HAVE to go somewhere. I'm surprised at the nearly total lack of traffic during the review! Wish for that around my area!!!
also the spec C had way better heads, they flowed better, bigger cams, heavy springs etc
Had a version 1 wrx sti loved it light weight
i have a great turbo sf5 with a ej207 sti ra jdm short motor .
You, good sir, have made me want tp own one now. May have to p/x my evo X hmmmmmm 😤🤔
Future? It is a classic already...
Brilliant video 👍
After 3 Impreza's (classic 2000, 2003 Blob, 2006 Hawk), but 10 years with our 2004 Legacy GT-B JDM is still epic and practical. OK, our Tesla M3P will destroy these on pure performance, all the scooby's are so engaging and analogue.
s202 would be the Impreza for me, incredibly rare in the UK though
Never understood the s series. They were like a more expensive spec c that was also slower.
s202 certainly wasnt...@@dudeskie2000
@jamesstanley7263 only ever drove an s204 so I couldn't vouch for that however by doing some research I've seen alot of people love them and prefer them.
@@dudeskie2000 s203 onwards weren't based on Spec C like the S202 was. They generally make a bit more power up top thanks to the vf42 but you're right the 203 and 204 aren't quite as quick as the equivelent Spec C models.
Tremendous 👌
love the 2.0L it is better than the 2.5L...
Perfect name
Midgies,
Welcome to Scotland!
i had 2 Impreza's 1.6 GL(max 1500kg trailer) from 1999 and a 2.0GX (max 1600kg trailer) and now a Forester (SH) 2.0 (150hp model 2009 max trailer 2000kg). I began with a Opel Ascona 2.0 benz/lpg 1981 2 weeks, after that a Escort mkIII 1.1 Laser after 5 year a Orion 1.4 1991 after 1 year my first japanees car Toyota Carina II 1992 after 7 years i went to a Volvo V40 2.0 1998 after 2 years and 4500 euros furter my first subaru see 1st rule.
13:46 Awesome car great vid so far. But is the oil pressure gauge working or are we at acc off ?
I have those same wheels on my 08 forester and I hate cleaning them. Mine are 17s; can’t tell whether yours are the 17s or 18s.
i think impreza P1 is pretty much WRX STi, just without the actual STI badge.
P1 is a dumbed down STi Type R, eoth the good stuff removed. No DCCD, small R160 rear diff, small rear brakes just to have ABS brakes like a normal UK car...
@@prodrive7105 so just like early US spec evo. They dont even have acd for first model year. And still dont have ayc like JDM version until evo x