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Are WRXs fast in a straight line? (thinking of buying a used WRX)

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Old 05-30-2006, 07:13 PM
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Are WRX's Fast? *detail in thread*

That is a very vague question so ill get into detail.

OK, I have a few questions about WRX's (02 and 03 model).

Do these cars make good straight line racers? I know that is not what they are made for, but can they be good at going fast in a straight line? I will be tuning my car for handeling also, but I don't want a car that is amazing on road courses and decent in auto x and then sucks in the 1/4 mile. What are the WRX's weaknesses, I know they are good at racing from a dig because the AWD gives a good launch, but are they weak in lets say... a rolling race?

The reason I ask is because I have a good deal on an 02 wrx, but I just want to make sure I will be happy with my decision if I decide to buy it.

thanks for any help.
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Old 05-30-2006, 07:20 PM
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Originally Posted by sLeak
That is a very vague question so ill get into detail.

OK, I have a few questions about WRX's (02 and 03 model).

Do these cars make good straight line racers? I know that is not what they are made for, but can they be good at going fast in a straight line? I will be tuning my car for handeling also, but I don't want a car that is amazing on road courses and decent in auto x and then sucks in the 1/4 mile. What are the WRX's weaknesses, I know they are good at racing from a dig because the AWD gives a good launch, but are they weak in lets say... a rolling race?

The reason I ask is because I have a good deal on an 02 wrx, but I just want to make sure I will be happy with my decision if I decide to buy it.

thanks for any help.
The fastest Subaru runs in the high 8s, I believe, so no, they don't make good straight line racers. Don't get me wrong, 8s are damned fast, but there are a ton of cars out there that can run 8s for a fraction of the price that it would cost to get a Subaru into that range......

Anyway, it depends on how fast you wanna go. If you wanna go any faster than high 11s, look elsewhere. That's just my opinion.....
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Old 05-30-2006, 07:45 PM
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im looking to be in the low 12's to mid 11's .. so i guess ill be fine

i just dont want to be disapointed
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Old 05-30-2006, 08:11 PM
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If you have the power to get into the mid 11s and low 12s, that means you'll have a rather large turbo. Large turbos tend to have more lag than smaller ones. This will be great for the straight line performance (namely the top-end), but will be a nightmare on an AutoX course. You'll have no power, then ALL the power. That can be a b*tch if you hit boost mid-corner.

Just my honest opinion: Make it a sweet handler as WRXs shine in the twisties and upgrade to a decent sized turbo with good spool characteristics to help against lag. Uppipes/turboback exhausts help too as well as good engine management. I'd say high/mid 12s would be about right for a more realistic all-round performer.
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Old 05-30-2006, 08:20 PM
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honestly u should get an srt-4 instead. They are teh fastAr
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Old 05-30-2006, 08:27 PM
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srt-4's are ****

and im not just saying that I was driving one for quite a while

i hate them


what turbo's do u recomend? The only upgrade i have considered is the vf34.

and yea i definately dont want a **** load of lag
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Old 05-30-2006, 08:55 PM
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If you are really looking for straight line performance, I would definately go for something else. It is a lot more expensive to get a Subaru to go really fast than a lot of other cars. Still great cars though.
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Old 05-30-2006, 09:54 PM
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Originally Posted by sLeak
im looking to be in the low 12's to mid 11's .. so i guess ill be fine

i just dont want to be disapointed
I doubt you'd be disappointed with an 11 or 12 second car. I'm yet to meet someone that is.....
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Old 05-30-2006, 10:08 PM
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How much money do you want to spend?

Why do you think the SRT-4 is bunk?
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Old 05-30-2006, 10:12 PM
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the AWD system creates a lotof drivetrain power loss. THis is because it has to turn 4 wheels instead of 2. While WRX's CAN go fast in a straight line, they are not meant for super fast acceleration. SRT-4's arent that bad in a striaght line and they have potential....just dont expect any turning....
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Old 05-30-2006, 11:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Sinister Subaru
I doubt you'd be disappointed with an 11 or 12 second car. I'm yet to meet someone that is.....

Sorry, I ment to say I don't want to be dissapointed with how much the car reacts to mods. Like, I don't want to buy part after part and barely feel any diffrence. Thats how I should have stated my original question, does the WRX react good to engine mods? I kno there is a decent power increas after getting a uppipe/downpipe/tbe but what about after that? Are there any more big bang for the buck mods?

If I had a low 13 second car I would be far from dissapointed, let alone a 11 - 12 second car


And I don't like srt's because they are they have pretty bad handeling, are FWD, and i have had bad experiences with american cars. If I don't get a WRX, I'm going to be getting a 240sx and swapping in a sr20det

On the WRX approximately how much does an individual have to spend to get into high 12's ? what about low 12's?

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Old 05-30-2006, 11:31 PM
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I spent about $2k and should be running in the mid-13's

I have an up-pipe, down-pipe, CBE, IC y-pipe, and got my car protuned and have a 100 octane rally-x map that should put out ~300bhp/~315ft-lb's. You're going ot need to throw in more money for an upgraded turbo, fuel pump, bigger fuel injectors, and you might want a FMIC
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Old 05-31-2006, 03:09 PM
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Originally Posted by sLeak
That is a very vague question so ill get into detail.

OK, I have a few questions about WRX's (02 and 03 model).

Do these cars make good straight line racers? I know that is not what they are made for, but can they be good at going fast in a straight line? I will be tuning my car for handeling also, but I don't want a car that is amazing on road courses and decent in auto x and then sucks in the 1/4 mile. What are the WRX's weaknesses, I know they are good at racing from a dig because the AWD gives a good launch, but are they weak in lets say... a rolling race?

The reason I ask is because I have a good deal on an 02 wrx, but I just want to make sure I will be happy with my decision if I decide to buy it.

thanks for any help.
How much are you buying it for and how much money do you have for parts??
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Old 05-31-2006, 03:14 PM
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Take into account that you'll be need ing a new tranny very soon if you plan on modding/launching your car, which it sounds like you will.
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Old 05-31-2006, 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by VIBEELEVEN
Take into account that you'll be need ing a new tranny very soon if you plan on modding/launching your car, which it sounds like you will.
Yeah, he'll definitely need a tranny if he launches really hard. Not to say that the WRX transmissions are "made of glass," because they're not bad transmissions, but they aren't made for really hard launches either. A lot of people have no clue how much stress an AWD launch puts on a transmission.....
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