1998 Subaru Impreza WRX STi - J-Spec Monsters

Let's get one thing straight: Bozz Speed's Lancer EVO VI is the star of this show. It's the steed of the group, the head honcho, the Wizard of Bozz. But Bozz Speed does more than build ego-boosting, over-powered play cars. The company has a clear history of building fast track cars, which is exactly what this 1998 WRX STi is.

Which is exactly what this 1998 WRX STi is.This gnarly WRX spent most of the day hiding in the back of the parking lot at Tsukuba's small track as we ogled the EVO's awesome power. Half the day had already been absorbed by Professor Coleman's sideways stupidity in the EVO before we even asked about driving this GC8. It looked tough, but we were beginning to wonder if it was just there for show. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

As I strapped in, the Bozz crew gave me "the list." The directions were simple. First, watch the temperature gauge. This highly stressed machine needed some coddling to keep from vaporizing its powerplant (more on that in a minute). Second, treat the gearbox with care. Apparently the Bozz test drivers have been through eight transmissions in four months. Great.

From this conversation I drew one simple conclusion. Either this car is so self-destructive I shouldn't be driving it or I'm about to break someone else's expensive racecar and go home with my tail between my legs. Perfect.

Here's the deal: This car was built to compete in a very Japanese time trial competition called time attack. In fact, this car competed in the Rev Speed Magazine Super Battle held right next door on the Tsukuba main track a few months before our visit. There is one simple rule in time attack racing: Go faster than everyone else for one lap. That's it.

Because of this, time attack cars make sacrifices everywhere to produce one balls-out quick lap. The durability of tires, brakes and engine don't matter. So I was warned. I would be allowed two quick laps and then three cool down laps and so on.

Luckily, the red misting frenzy produced by this Suby's monster power almost made the guilt of pounding on it disappear. Almost.

From the first roll into the throttle it became clear this is no ordinary Subaru. At least, this is no ordinary Subaru engine. Bored to 2.2-liters, it sings a 7500 rpm song unlike any flat four we've heard. With exhaust pulses reverberating down the individual runners of a modified GReddy header, through HKS' GT 2835R turbo and out a Bozz Speed titanium exhaust, it's certainly one of the sweetest sounding engine notes anywhere.

Open it up on the front straight and it winds through a huge turbocharged powerband, pushing the nearly square Impreza into fourth gear before Turn One. Unlike the frenetic EVO, the WRX doesn't encourage high-speed sideways antics. Instead, it's stuck, stable and brutally fast. Slower corners are dispatched with a little more flair as power overcomes grip in the lower gears. Still, it's obvious this car was built to impress the clock, not the crowd. Like the EVO, it eats the other cars on the track for breakfast. The front straight turns into a slalom of EVOs and WRXs. It blasts around other cars mid-turn with intimidating precision.

Winding through the rest of the track, it becomes obvious Bozz has taken advantage of the Impreza's superb steering. Combine very stiff track suspension with the Impreza's ultra-quick steering rack and inputs at the wheel are best kept to a minimum. Any movement off center translates into direct action on the road.

Having never driven a Subaru this stiff, I instinctively aim for a mid-corner apex curb and immediately regret it. The Impreza bounces into the air and begins a series of wheel-to-wheel contortions that can break the drivetrain. My foot-to-the-floor instincts regress as I envision the bill for an STi RA transmission. Nothing breaks. I don't do it again.

This is different-a Subaru with rock-hard suspension. I don't like it at first, but after a few laps, the WRX's immediate reactions begin to grow on me. It's fast. It does what it's asked without hesitation and there's nothing between thought and execution. You turn, it turns. You brake, it brakes. As it should be, driving is proactive, not reactive.

And the brakes? Oh yes, the Holy Grail of stopping power. Alcon four-piston calipers in front make for the hardest, easiest-to-modulate pedal I've ever felt in a Subaru.

Kasuhiro Koisumi is the GC8's primary driver and is responsible for its suspension tuning. This car's purposeful track stance, with 2.5-degrees of negative camber and complete lack of suspension compliance, reveals its track-only demeanor. These settings are courtesy of Cusco 02R coil-overs coupled with-believe it or not-stock anti-roll bars. Huge, sticky race tires don't hurt either. Yokohama's super grippy 245/40-17 Advan A048 and Advan RG wheels are found at each corner.

Helping the WRX's immediacy is its stripped-to-the-ground weight of 2,469 lb. That's at least 130 lb lighter than the last Japanese-spec WRX RA we drove and nearly 620 lb lighter than the current U.S. WRX. And this car has a full cage.

Under the hood is where Bozz spent most of its time. As mentioned, the engine now displaces 2.2-liters but is still open deck. The new pistons have an 8.3:1 compression ratio. An HKS F-Con V handles fuel and ignition duties while an original GReddy Rebic controls two additional 550 cc injectors. Bozz employed this fuel strategy instead of simply replacing the factory units because large galley feed injectors are hard to find. It's an unconventional, but effective, method, which Bozz reluctantly estimates to produce 450 hp.

Accelerating down the front straight, it sounds like a cross between a nitromethane-powered chainsaw and a WRC car. There's no frumpy, loping Subaru sound, even at idle.

Perhaps this is a result of the modified GReddy header which positions the turbo high in the engine bay about an inch below where the stock intercooler would be. The intercooler is now front-mounted, which means feet of polished piping snakes its way around the engine.

Bozz has taken several measures to combat the EJ20's propensity for overheating. The oil-to-water oil cooler has been removed, as has the stock radiator. In its place rests an all-aluminum Bozz Speed radiator.

Anyone who's experienced powerful Subarus knows the drivetrain woes that go with making huge power. This car's power has killed more than its share of transmissions. In fact, Bozz has taken to using stock viscous center differentials because they're cheap to replace. Cusco front and rear differentials replace the stock gears giving the chassis awesome balance. A Cusco twin-plate clutch makes the best compromise between the engine's power and the chassis' grip.

Outside, the plain WRX fenders are replaced with hand-built flares, producing a widebody look not unlike the old GC8 WRC cars or the rare 22B. A huge rear wing keeps things stable above 100 mph.

The interior is a mix of bare white paint, blue roll bar padding and HKS gauges for everything from boost to oil temperature.

A Kfnig RS1000 bucket seat, Willans harness and OMP Corsica steering wheel keep the driver interface pleasant.

The bottom line with this car is simple: It's made to go fast. For one lap. It may not be the Alpha male in the Bozz Speed stable, but it's surely no slouch.

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Bozz Speed 1998 SUBARU WRX STI