2002 Subaru WRX VISHNU- Performance Prodigy

Only Three Months After Its Introduction, This WRX Already Smokes Corvettes

Hondas are easy. The aftermarket is huge, the performance parts bin is stuffed to overflowing, and the tuning tricks are well known. It's even possible to purchase 500-plus hp pre-built "crate" engines for your Civic or Integra. Be it a turbocharger, supercharger or just high-horsepower naturally aspirated, the parts are plentiful, and the roadmap is clearly marked.

Yawn.OK, it's not quite that bad. After all, nobody is going to say that piloting a 9-second, front-wheel-drive dragster lacks excitement. And anybody who has driven an Integra Type R in anger can babble on endlessly about the thrills of Honda performance. But for those itching to blaze a new trail, Hondas are about as intriguing as one's own backyard.

It is with no small measure of enthusiasm that the tuner aftermarket has embraced the new 2002 Subaru WRX. The stubby little sedan may not look like the beacon of high-performance, despite the twisty-road commercials that have accompanied its introduction. Its big, round eyes are friendly; its flanks are boxy; its trunk is short. It looks intriguing, but unless the observer knows exactly what the "WRX" on the tail means, it could be dismissed as a little sedan that is trying too hard.

With 227 hp, all-wheel drive, four-wheel anti-lock disk brakes and a rallying pedigree virtually unmatched by any other automaker, you bet it's trying hard. But with those rally versions running more than 400 hp-and the previous-generation WRX pushing 300 hp-it could try harder. Turbocharged cars are magnets for performance improvements, partly because they can be had with relative ease. But with the new WRX comes new tricks, and learning them is key to squeezing as much performance from this car as possible.

Alex Shikhmutadov is well aware of the potential the WRX, and isn't afraid to offer his vehicle as a guinea pig for the platform. His silver car is just now three-months old and is still a work in progress. However, our testing reveals that significant progress has already been made, as Alex's car was unbeaten in every acceleration category, (although it did tie for first in a couple of tests).

Power improvements have shaved a full 1.4 seconds from the quarter-mile time. Its pass of 12.9 seconds at 104.6 mph was the quickest and fastest time of the day. Other acceleration numbers were equally impressive, with 30 mph dispatched in a scant 1.6 seconds (0.3-seconds faster than stock) and 60 mph flashes by in only 4.5 seconds (a full 1.3 seconds faster than stock). Engine flexibility-a WRX weak point-is also improved. Passing acceleration from 30 to 50 mph takes only 2.0 seconds, and 50 to 70 mph takes 2.6 seconds, improvements of 0.5 and 0.9 seconds, respectively.

What's even more surprising is that these numbers aren't the result of massive doses of boost gushing from a Ferris wheel-sized turbocharger. And internally, the engine is still bone stock, with not even a polished port to its name.

The turbo has been replaced, however, with an IHI VF22. This ball-bearing turbo boasts better spool up than the stock turbo, and the ball bearing construction means the transition time from no boost to full boost is cut drastically. The result is full boost by 3500 rpm, about 500 rpm lower than stock. Another serious WRX roadblock is the exhaust system, clogged with catalysts and small pipes. A SYMS 80mm exhaust system eliminates that problem. Open the hood and you'll see the engine looks relatively stock. The only visual cue that something is different is the red shroud on the HKS blow-off valve. Even the stock airbox is in place, although a K&N flat panel filter now resides there.

Look under the shroud where the battery used to be (it's been moved to the trunk) and you'll find the electronics package for the Electromotive TEC-II system. Engine management is key to this car's performance, and it has undergone major revisions. Tuned by Vishnu Performance, this sophisticated set-up uses its own precise crank trigger to meter fuel according to its own readings. It also controls boost, which is kept at a modest 16.4 psi, maximum. The reason for the conservative boost setting is the injectors remain stock, and are already operating at maximum capacity by 5000 rpm. Even with more aggressive fuel settings, they would be fully open by 5500 rpm. Bigger injectors and a bigger turbo would undoubtedly improve performance, but at the possible expense of day-to-day driveability.

The experimental nature of the TEC-II system showed itself during our dyno tests. The first pull was well below what Alex was expecting, but tweaking of the TEC-II system pulled the numbers up to a very respectable 218 hp at the wheels. Compared with the stock WRX we had on hand (which was exceptionally healthy at 147 hp), that's an improvement of 71 hp. Not bad at all, and with room for even more improvement as time goes by.

Alex has all the right suspension pieces in place. Cusco coil-overs with adjustable mounts are on each corner. An adjustable 22mm rear anti-roll bar has been installed, as has a triangular chassis brace in the rear. But the emphasis so far has been on coaxing as much power from the flat-four as possible, so the chassis still needs a little more tuning. Its 69.7 mph slalom speed was the slowest of our tuner cars, but was still almost 2 mph faster than stock. The 245/45ZR-17 Pirelli P-Zero tires wrapped around Volk Racing TE37 lightweight wheels certainly help. He has also fitted massive 13.3-inch Brembo brakes with four-piston calipers to the front. However, the stock master cyclinder simply doesn't have the capacity to push enough fluid through the system to use the brakes effectively, so only 1 foot was shaved off the stopping distance. More work is needed, and it's coming.

The driver's compartment has been upgraded with Subaru STi seats from Japan. A bank of Defi gauges-in a very cool pod in the middle of the dash-monitor boost, exhaust gas temperature and fuel pressure. The Defi gauges are bigger than the similar set-up offered by Subaru, and the hood over them is deeper for better visibility. Shifting action has been improved with Cusco shifter bushings, and looks cooler with a grippy Momo spherical shift knob. A water squirter has been fitted to the stock intercooler. Similar to systems used in WRC competition, it helps combat heat soak from the intercooler's position on top of the engine. Alex was also able to shave about 50 lbs from the car by removing various unnecessary items.

The exterior styling is enhanced with a body kit, which consists of a front air dam, side skirts and a rear diffuser-type apron. The trunk remains unadorned, however, which is fine by us. The big, bug-eyed headlights of the stock WRX have been replaced in favor of still slightly bug-eyed multi-beam STi headlights.

The fact that such rapid progress has already been made in the world of the WRX owes much to the efforts of early adopters like those we gathered together. There is room for improvement, certainly, and those improvements are already in the pipeline. But after only three months, Alexand Vishnu Performance have already turned his squat sedan into a Corvette-smoking bully. Vipers, watch out.