The Cusco diffs were excellent as well. In general, vehicles with differentials set-up aggressively, especially in AWD formats, have a feeling of resistance to them. There is almost a binding that is more evident when the car is going slower, or when there is a high angle of steering dialed in. Break though that feeling of the car somewhat at odds with itself by simply pushing harder, and a whole new world of performance is available. Certainly, Erin's Goodspeed built and prepped car fit that category, and the harder I drove, the better the car felt. The silver wagon put power down exceptionally well and in a controlled manner, but the diffs changed the entire dynamic of the car, making it a power-on oversteer machine when driven with too much steering dialed in at point of throttle application. Not something that one would typically feel in an AWD car, and a handling element typically reserved for higher-horsepower RWD machines. It was something that made Erin's Subie great fun to drive, and kept me on my toes.
To me, the greatest single element of Erin's '04 Subaru WRX wagon was the steering feel and the incredible improvement over stock. The characteristic slightly vague feel that plagues the WRX and STI was completely gone and was replaced by a level of steering precision that bordered, dare I say, an EVO. Erin's car allowed me to really practice economy of motion with the steering and allowed me to place the car exactly where I intended. The crispness of turn in was so good that it allowed me to also induce corner entry oversteer by simply increasing the rate with which I added steering input. The car really approached, and in many respects, met the feel of a properly set-up race car.
While it is arguable that Erin knew he was going to mod up his Subie the day he bought it, I'm not sure he expected to do this much and for it to come out quite so well. Success is addicting though, and Erin has further plans for the car with Goodspeed's help. The next order of business for them is to add a more linear power producing turbo, and the members of this collaborative effort feel that a twin scroll unit, specifically a 30r unit might fit their needs. They also want to shed further weight and begin to really work on the aerodynamic side of the equation as well by increasing downforce, especially at the rear.
Of course, time will tell of their success in making this already potent package better still. I am hoping that they can continue on their current track of doing it right, and hopefully we will get to sit at the controls of this unique wagon again. Until then, if you are at a NASA time trial or Super Lap Battle time attack in the area anytime soon, be sure to check Erin's car out. I can pretty much promise it won't disappoint.