SPT 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi

I recently had the opportunity to compare a bone-stock ’08 STI against one with a variety of SPT parts at our usual Streets of Willow test track. The SPT car had its aluminum front shock tower brace as well as a lower chassis brace which links the subframe to the engine crossmember. The only other suspension modification was a set of STI Performance “Pink” springs, which are about 25 percent stiffer in the front and 19 percent stiffer in the rear than the standard STI springs. They also lower the car by about 10mm. The shifter had been replaced with an STI short-throw version along with a firmer shifter bushing and leather STI shift knob. The upgrade I was most impressed by, though, was the SPT stainless steel exhaust system which ups the diameter to 3 inches all the way back to the four 2.5-inch outlets.

The first thing I noticed when firing up the engine was that it sounded like a Subaru. It wasn’t all that loud, but the distinctive rumble was definitely there. Out on the track, the car reacted quicker in the transitions and felt a little more composed under heavy lateral loads. None of the upgrades really made a night-and-day difference in how the car drove—it was more that the sum of the parts brought the cart up to where it should’ve been from the start.

With the right parts, the new STI is capable of being tuned as hard or as soft as you want it to be. For a car that gets driven daily, the SPT exhaust is a must-have. It’ll let you enjoy hearing that boxer under the hood without attracting any unwanted attention. Similarly, the springs are a mild upgrade that are completely livable on the street, and who wouldn’t want pink springs on their STI? As for eating raw shrimp in Japan, just save half a bowl of miso soup and pray that sucker sinks.

Specifications & Details
’08 Subaru STI With SPT Upgrades

Engine Upgrades:
SPT after-cat exhaust

Transmission Upgrades:
STI short-throw shifter, STI hard bushing

Suspension Upgrades:
SPT front STB, lower chassis brace, STI “Pink” springs

Exterior Upgrades:
STI front-lip spoiler