Originally Posted by resident smurf

I really doubt that there is much added weight in the STI Limited. I don't think that they added any more than 100 lbs. to the car, which is less than the difference between having a passenger and driving by yourself.

The sunroof probably weighs 40 lbs., the seat heaters a couple pounds, and the leather not that much more than the suede that the car currently uses... unless the STI Limited comes with a lot more sound insulation... which is possible... but I really doubt that they'll add more than 20 pounds of it. Remember that they are trying to keep costs low as with any other production car... so it's probably just going to get the same amount of sound insulation as the regular WRX if it gets any at all...

While the Limited might not be faster, I really doubt that its performance figures are going to be worse than 2-3% down from the regular STI in terms of 1/4 times/mph and handling measurements (grip, time through courses, etc.) . The weight in the roof will affect performance since it is at the highest point in the car's construction, but it's not going to make the car that much slower. If anything, the STI Limited will pull better up top because it doesn't have the aerodynamic drag from the huge double wing setup that the other STI must drag around at 65+.

The buyer of an STI Limited is also not going to be as concerned with extracting that last half second out of the car at a track than the typical STI buyer. While Limited buyers will likely have an appreciation for performance (they are buying an STI), they won't be trying to win any autocross or time trial championships with their cars.