Some well known tuners have finally gotten their hands on MY06 WRXs and the results look good. They're averaging 20-25whp more than '05 WRXs on the same dyno (dynoed higher than a Legacy GT and Forester XT did on the same dyno). It also seems the cars are running rather rich and with just some tuning and exhaust work 250whp seems possible which would be about 25whp more thna a stock STi So much for the 230hp rating which was up just 3hp from the previous cars...

Looks like we could be seeing mid 13s from the '06 WRX, combine that with the other nice upgrades and it would seem the WRX is again the clear winner in the 25k performance car segment. If only they would put some decent rubber on the damn things

 

What did they change on the '06 engines? If they rated it 3hp more they must have changed something.
On the dyno runs, do you know if they were back to back on the same day or was it different months and different temps/humidity?

 

They changet the engine from the 2.0 to a 2.5. Its supposed to be using around 14.5 psi of boost. It also has variable valve timing and a new aluminum intake manifold. 20-25hp? This setup should really bring the torquw up and not the horsepwer but i dont know crap.

 

Woah..this is definitely something I like to hear. I like the restyled WRX, makes this rather tempting for a great car..

 

Nice! I never thought it would be bumped that much, but that's crazy. So, the WRX isn't much slower now, stock, as compared to an STi, do I have that right? That's pretty shwanky if you ask me :D

 

I like WRXs--but they just don't have any style or class--one would be my 2nd car though

 

No class? Power and AWD goodness are classy to me. I prefer RWD for a nice spirited drive, but the WRX is a car you can have fun in year round, that's classy to me :D

 

LOL, yeah this is how I feel.

As a performance sadan...they are great, but their looks just don't impress me. I actually really like the Legacy GT much better in terms of looks. If the Legacy GT had the power of the WRX and I could buy it for $25,000...I might have gotten one.

If I ever move up north...a AWD car might be the way to go.

EDIT: Well, it does...but I guess it weighs more so it's slower...

 

Yeah--the WRX isn't a "mature" car-neither is the EVO, its parallel to pulling up to the business meeting with your sprewell's spinning on your Escalade with tattoos coming up your neck and face. Those cars would be my fun-street business cars-but I'd have to have something a little bit more conservative/mature on the side like a 350Z/G35/RX8/330/M3 etc. Sweet cars--but I'd only get one as a secondary car. If it was 'The Day After Tomorrow' and Houston snowed over--then I'd be singing a different tune.

 

I think the WRX looks have smoothed out to a much more refine/classy tone. I like. If only they made a coupe...

And pulling up in a WRX is not = to pulling up in a Escalade with 20's and tattoos up your neck.

 

Did I win a wrx? Where is my wrx ike!!!!

 

I like the car but the new grille looks like and edsel. YUCK!!

 

i don't think that you can make that a general statement. one of the cardiologists that i work with has an '05 sti that he uses as a daily driver. he's got lots of performance mods and loves his ride, it's just a matter of preference. some of his colleagues drive m5's and the v8 s4's, does that mean he's less mature than they are?

personally, i like the look of the '02 wrx. this new face is fugly IMO. put this powerplant in the '02 skin and i'd buy one.

 

The WRX (and STI) have to go fast cause they are so Ugly. If speed/cost was the only factor in buying a car (for me) I might have bought one. I also look at the LOOK of the car, plus the interior (that is where you spend most of your time) and the WRX interior says 'Econo car'.

impressive HP, in an unimpressive body/interior.

 

Hey Ike. That seems to be quite a bit exxagerated, but I won't say this is off just yet. If what you are saying is true, that means the 06 WRX is about 260-270hp at the crank out of the showroom, which means it's understated like the SRT-4, and likely just as fast. I have also never seen an STi dyno at only 225whp like you suggest. I'm sure it has, but I've always seen about 235whp on average, and sometimes it is higher then that. Now I wanna go test drive one and compare it to my 04 STI. If this is accurate, that means the 06 WRX is very close to the 06 STI. I knew it would be faster then the previous model, but I figured they would lower the stock boost considerably. Apparently not. Of course as of now, this means nothing, but it does make for interesting conversation. Show me the numbers and the proof, as I want you to be right, but I just think you are exxagerating quite a bit. Prove me wrong.

 

"And pulling up in a WRX is not = to pulling up in a Escalade with 20's and tattoos up your neck"
I didn't say it was--I said its parallel to that
"does that mean he's less mature than they are?"-- of course it doesn't--but it means the WRX exudes a less mature style than those cars you mention. The WRX--particularly the STI has a boy racer appeal to it--not a CEO of the corp look. That in no means defines the person--but the design of the car is as written.

 

Nice that they improved the WRX, and moved on the game, but considering I would still not buy one and prefer the 8 with its purity of form over a WRX I am not quite covinced the WRX is THE sports car to buy in the $25k range as you say since that is what I paid and, being the market has not changed much since I bought mine, would buy again for $25k. Just a thought. :p

 

are the 06 STi's even better as well, or the same? whats the stock boost? whats the AWHP on them?

signed
very curious and interested

 

The STI is better, but it's just in the handling department.

 

im gonna have to pull an ike and ask to see the dyno sheet or a time slip lol

 

The first one is from Cobb tuning and is a comparison of a Forester XT and an '06, look at the torque to the wheels on the WRX The second graph is a comparison of an '05 and '06 done the same day from Gruppe-S performance, this dyno tends to read very low and is the dyno that STIs usually get around 215-220whp, Cobb usually gets 235-240whp...

This is a quote from the tuner at Gruppe-S

"It appears that because this car is running pig rich 9.9:1 afrs we should be able to make 25whp just in tuning and while also improving the overall curve. Something else of note is that the MY06 has uses a closed loop switch over that started in MY04 (due to restrictions that manufacturers have to adhere to with the exception of one vehicle in their lineup; Subaru picked the STI to be exempt so the WRX, Legacy, Baja and FXT all have to adhere to the closed loop parameters). With tuning, we can remove this switch point or speed it up (I would recommend a little of both) as I can safely say all MY04+ cars knock from time to time with the onset of boost and lack of fuel due to still running in closed loop."

So given that thinking, an exhaust and tune/reflash should yield in the area of 40-50whp which puts it right in line with an STI on a dyno while weighing less. Time will tell if this proves to be true, but at the very least it isn't far off.

 

That's very exciting stuff!

 

if your a fan of Ugly

 

I know that these are completly different cars, but how would it run up against a CTS-V or a GTO? Just curious.

When are you going to get one Ike? You neeeeed one....it is your calling!

 

Both those cars would kill it, even the sti wouldn't stand a chance in a straight line.