No one expected another special-edition WRX to happen. We thought the S204 was the last. It was so dialed-in, so impressive, there seemed no more room for improvement on this platform. However, the engineers at Subaru Tecnica International managed to push the envelope yet again to create the baddest factory-tuned Impreza WRX STI-the RA-R.
Of course, we didn't know that right away. The general feeling among us Japanese journalists was that the new R was nothing more than another WRX with a few more STI racing parts. We were wrong. The thing is impressive in every way, from its power delivery to the way it corners. Most impressive is how it brakes. The front brakes are monoblock six-pot calipers equipped with STI logos (first time that the genre isn't equipped with Brembos) and ABS. Tuned for maximum performance, they repeatedly deliver eyeball-squelching brake force directly through the tires, without a hint of fade even after a full day hot-lapping Fuji Speedway's short road course.
For the complete story on this Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec-C Type RA-R, pick up the July 2007 issue of Sport Compact Car, on newsstands now!