I was somewhat surprised when the invite to drive a new 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX hit my inbox a few weeks ago, just somewhat. You see the all new 2008 model hadn’t exactly overwhelmed anyone on launch. Nor on any subsequent drives.  So a revamp was pretty much in the cards from the moment the first journos had their first ride. As I’ve already said here, its not like it is a bad car — far from it actually. The ’08 WRX goes down the road quite quickly, thank you, sticks well, rides nice, and is certainly a better place to sit than the previous generation. But when Subaru sanitized it for a supposedly wider audience, the edge and character that made its forebears so special in the eyes of the faithful was lost. Apparently the wider audience hasn’t come and the faithful have been sitting on their wallets, or opening them elsewhere. Well, not to spoil the ending, if you’re a card carrying Scooby fan, head on down to your local Subaru shop in the next few weeks and take a test drive.

The big number is 265 — as in horsepower, up 40 hp on the ’08 (and more lux orientated new-for-2009 Impreza GT) and down 40 hp on the big brother STI. The other number that is up, more importantly, is the torque– now 244 lb-ft — and all that twisting force hits earlier due to the new bigger, quicker spooling turbo. Joining that new turbo is a bigger intercooler, slightly fatter exhaust and high flow cat along with ECU tuning and transmission toughening to aid the motor strengthening. The suspension is dropped a little, stiffened a bit, and a few pieces in the steering are fine tuned. On the outside a set of fatter, smarter, anthracite finished wheels along with bigger 225/45R17 tires, have been slapped on. The bodywork gets a not so extreme makeover with the optional aero kit from ’08 now standard, and big brother STI’s honeycomb grill work.

Looks were a big issue when the ’08 hit the web. Bland and generic would cover it best. With just a few subtle changes the ’09 suddenly becomes purposeful, aggressive and (vaguely) handsome, especially in the new Lightning Red. Normally I’m not a fan of red cars but, aside from the obvious attention that the hue gets from the authorities, it would probably be my choice. Sorry, no WR Blue for me. The lowered suspension and wider wheels hunker the ‘Rex closer to the pavement. Inside, canvas style charcoal fabric seat covers, a few well placed faux metal inserts, and all important WRX badging give off an appropriately sporty feel. It’s still no (class leading) VW GTI, but the new WRX doesn’t let itself down in the price segment by any means, and the overall upmarket move of the ‘08 interior remains intact and appreciated for daily driving

The motor mods bring on more boost and so more power earlier, and it hangs on longer. Right out of the gate it’s clear that the engineers have earned their paychecks. From about 3000 rpm there’s decent punch then a big fat sweet spot rolls in for backroad playtime from 4000 rpm to 6000 rpm, punctuated by everyone’s favorite trademark boxer growl. The car is fast, 265 hp is about what a new $80k Porsche 911 put down ten years ago! And, big surprise, unlike the older boxer turbos, this one doesn’t run out of breathe or drop off dramatically on top. Very useable and again, fast. I’d bet that this Subaru will give the top of line 2009 Mitsubishi EVO a run for its money down a twisty road with its clearly fatter midrange power. On a few occasions running the fantastic roads of Vancouver Island I found I could get away with one less downshift than expected letting the fat torque just tug me out of turns. The flat four’s flexibility is actually perfectly matched to the five speed tranny requiring less rowing of the shifter, which is a little long of throw and rubbery in action. Still, there’s no need for a six speed here, unless you’re worried about highway mileage.

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