Hello everyone! I am a frequent person on VWvortex Car lounge and Club4AG but I needed another automotive board to expand my horizons.

Well anyway, I wanted to introduce myself. I went from a MKIII Jetta 2.slow. Was my first car and saved my life when the time came. I now have an AE86 which I find something new to replace every week from a blown engine to a new LSD diff. A project car whose main goal is to keep running reliably.

Now my school is over, academy is next and then after that a NEW car. In this order not necassaraly in the order of what I can afford.

1. STI
2. LanEVO VIII
3. Regular WRX

I used to be a full blow VW nut untill I drove a regular WRX when they first came out. Now I have been obsessing for the last two years over small turbo AWD vehicles. The lay of the land only got better with the release of the STI and EVO.

I look at it this way, I want the STI. But if I can afford it is another matter. The next in line is the LanEvo. Don't flame me for wanting that car. It maybe off of the HP, has Altezza lights and a pontiac grill but its still evo and a match for the STI.

The reality maybe a regular WRX. I am not knocking it because it is already stupid fast. (abate I come from driving sub 150hp cars so anything over 200 is fast to me). It is cheaper but after reading info on this board some things have come to mind that make me rething the regular WRX and maybe just waiting untill I can get a STI. But that may not be for some time.

1. The first issue is the HP issue of the regular WRX. I know it comes with a pretty good size turbo. It puts out about 13.5. What got me was that the stock turbo potential was not what I had expected. Given a turbo of that size, I figured 19 pounds was not out of the questions. Turns out what read is that ECU tuning is only capable of pushing 16 to 17 pounds before leaning out. Was this a design limitaion of the turbo or the engine in terms of fuel delivery to limit the upgrade path?

Having a regular WRX, the power itch is even there and I do not even have the car. Abate brakes, and suspension will be the first mods like it has been in all my other cars. But I wanted to see how far I could push the envelope in engine tuning where it would not affect reliability, not be dealer intrusive and gain good power. I know 260 hp is not slow. Its just not 300 with room to spare.

2. The second issue is the WRX transmission. This is what gets me, if the tranny has been so weak in its design why has Subaru not opted to fix it. Or rather they fixed it for the STI versions of their cars and not the regular. I know the people with the problems are pushing HP, drag racing and probably killing the tranny. The complaints about the transmissions failing on the stock cars is what worries me. If it breaks under stock load, what will happen after it is modified?

My driving style is aggressive but not transmission tearing agressive. I don't do 3-4k clutch dumps but prefer to fully engage and then smoke the next car from a rolling start. Also I rev match, heal toe and double clutch on down shifts all the time. (This is out of habbit since my AE86 has no synchros left) So I am generaly easy on the down shifts. I would hope taking such precautions would make such a tranny live.

Those are the only issues I have with the regular WRX. Other than that, a great car with plenty of potential. But I look at it this way. STI equals 300hp, 6sp, active diff, brembos etc. for only about 5k more on paper msrp. Given the current demand and the dealer hikes, it may not be an option. At close to 40k I know it is not an option.

The regular WRX is not an option that will be dismissed just because the STI or EVO is out. The only thing with it is easier to get, and cheaper. The EVO and STI's price factors are what kill me. But if given enough time, I could possibly afford it. What do you think. I love my AE86 but after a all the up keep I need a new car and need it now!

Thanks again. Sorry for the long post but I like to have people get a feel for what I am thinking.