The Millennium Car

Reproduced with permission 
from a feature story in Auto Accessories Buyers Guide #3.
Original Photos by Greg Brindley

The 1999 Subaru WRX STi has rewritten the ground rules of performance motoring but that doesn't mean you can't build a better one....

Andrew Manson has a history in motorsport going back to racing commodores at Bathurst a decade ago. These days he enjoys success on the growing 'tar rally' circuit, the motivation behind the mouth-watering Subaru featured here.

He was one of the lucky 400 who had the foresight to order a WRX STi the moment it was mooted for import. STi stands for 'Subaru Technica International': think of it as Subaru's HSV. A production line WRX turbo gets a serious dose of race-team horsepower (try 206kW, out of a two litre) and the brakes, wheels, suspension, seats and other accessories necessary to handle it.

Despite a $20,000 premium over the WRX (and two fewer doors), STi's are changing hands in the second-hand market for up to $80,000 because there ain't gonna be no more.

Yet Andrew was initially less than impressed.

"I had a four-door WRX previous to this and reckon it handled better than the two-door" he said. He had good reports about MRT's suspension products and so virtually replaced the expensive Sti gear with Australian components, including custom matched springs (30mm lower), strut insets, adjustable platform struts, camber kit, polyurethane bushes and heavy-duty 22mm sway bars front and rear.

"It also incorporates an anti-lift kit", he added. "The front tends to lift under acceleration and there is a special kit to fix this. It's very good stuff. The new car handles much better than the old car now." In fact, Manson says the suspension changes have had the biggest impact on the car's performance of all the mods, even the MRT engine hop-up which has added around 15kW to the already feisty top end. An override is fitted to the engine management computer to allow it to pump extra fuel when needed and to negate the 180km/h speed limiter. Breathing was improved with an MRT Group A ram rod lifter filter kit and MRT headers and three-inch mandrel-bent stainless-steel exhaust.

MRT is the Sydney business of rally champ Brett Middleton, who also poked around with the boost and ignition tuning. "They do a lot of official stuff on Sti race cars", Andrew said. " The guys are pretty knowledgeable. You can feel the difference in the motor straight away. It sounds good too, more sporty."

As the Australian distributor for the American Racing Wheels and State distributor for Falken motorsport tyres, Andrew chose a set of American Racing 18 v seven-inch twisted Tuner alloys and 225/40/18 Falken GRB2 race-compound (wet weather) tyres. "They stick like glue", he said. "The wheels cost around $500 each for that size, which is not bad for a two-piece wheel".

American Racing Wheels are the biggest aftermarket manufacturer of wheels in the US, hiring over 2000 employees to produce more than five million wheels a year, yet they are not well-known outside their market because, until recently, they only made wheels for American cars. Manson Racing Corporation (03 9720 3008) picked up the American distribution two years ago when ARW started making wheels for the European and Japanese models, which dominate the quality end of the local market. They're very popular. "We are second-biggest distributor outside the US", Andrew said. "It'll get even better in the years to come. The polished and chrome-alloy styles are very popular".

Tinta-Car Formula 1 window tint keeps prying eyes at bay, but their best product you can't see. "They do the headlights - and all the front panels that get stone-chipped - in clear. It's on the car for these photos, but you can't pick it."
Manson has left the interior stock for much the same reason owners rarely modify HSV interiors - it's already got the good gear, including a fantastic pair of sports seats with leather inserts.

Look out for the blisteringly quick Subaru at a big-event tar rally near you. "It loves sweeping country roads," he said, which is why he's entered it in the Strathfield Indy Car Rally from Sydney to the Gold Coast next October. Andrew placed third in last year's event and is a two-times winner of the Lactos rally so chances are you'll find him up the front somewhere.

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