Well, it does. Engine management with catless uppipe and turboback are the STANDARD PROVEN POWER mods for the wrx. Expect 40 - 60whp gain depending on tune, dyno and octane.

 

Because people are hardasses behind their monitors. Most people wouldn't say half the crap they do in the face of another person....

 

Well, considering parasitic loss through the drivetrain, you're talking about an 85 hp gain. Sorry, I don't see it happening with nothing more than an ECU tune, turbo-back exhaust, and an uppipe. If that were the case more than half the people that buy the STi/STI would opt for the much cheaper WRX and save themselves thousands.

Take the STi/STI and add a Stage 2 ECU tune, turbo-back exhaust, and an uppipe and you'll be lucky to see 350-360 reliablehp at the crank. Sure, you could probably tune for more but it's going to cost you in reliability.

 

Well, if you dont believe me, do some research rather than making ASSumptions. It is well documented that with those mods you will have great gains. There are many, many people who have done this. If I had my dyno sheet scanned online I would post it up. I gained approx. 45whp from those mods on a conservative tune with ecutek.

 

45 whp is a long way from 60 whp, buddy. Looks like you're the one making ASSumptions. You did claim 60 whp, did you not?

That's all the research I need. Anybody can go with a very aggressive tune, and AGAIN, you will pay for it with reliability issues.

 

read again --
There are many high milage subies with the classic "stage 2" on the road. And 15whp a long shot?? Far from it. My tune was done on CA pump 91(crap) so those who have access to 93+ at the pump can expect more power, less chance of pinging, and more reliability.

Soooo...to sum this thread up (which has been done in many threads in the past) -- Can you make stock STi power out of the 2.0L with simple, proven mods for minimal cash? Yes...or very close to it, but you wont have the low end torque

Is it worth it to buy a wrx then convert it to an STi? No, just start with the STi and save yourself the money and headache.

 

Well if you're running on 91 Octane, of course 15 hp is possible, but AGAIN, 15 whp is about 25-28 hp at the crank. That's a pretty healthy amount. Still, using octane that's 2 points higher is still not a whole lot. I could run my car on Sunoco 94 and it doesn't mean I'll be able to tune for an additional 15 hp at the crank.

Is it worth it to buy a WRX and upgrade to power levels of an STi? Sure! Why wouldn't it be? Most people are pretty happy with accelerating on par with an STi, but where the shortcomings become apparent is everywhere else. A lot of people don't take things into consideration such as upgrading brakes when upgrading power. Those people also tend to forget that they're going to have to slow down! Not to mention, when upgrading the engine output the extra power is also going to have an effect on chassis performance as well. Figure that the more hp you have, the faster you're going to be heading towards a corner, and that car's going to not only have to stop, but have to attack the corner as well.

I would most definitely purchase if I couldn't afford either the higher payment for the STi or if I couldn't afford to insure one. The WRX is not only a great performer out of the box but also an excellent platform to build upon. A lot of people could purchase a standard WRX and be very happy with it without modifying anything.

 

A compenent tuner could easily milk 15 or more hp out of 94 octane compared to 91 and still be 'safe', but then again, any aftermarket component you change out comes with its own risks; whether it be in regards to vehicle reliability or law/smog. Im not too concered with either Subarus are excellent reliable cars when treated properly and I always have my stock exhaust to swap when the time comes.

I do agree its important to have a balanced setup with applicable upgrades for suspension and brakes when adding more power. And Im def with you on the payments and insurance. I would rather eat and be able to pay my rent than sleep in my STi eating dry ramen noodles!

 

I dunno....Ramen noodles are pretty damned good. :rotfl:

.....Or maybe it's the price of $0.20/pack that's appealing.

 

i agree