Subaru WRX STI tagged posts

For car consumers, some are focusing on interior spaces/convenience/daily drive practicability; some may prefer the fun-to-drive factor; and some may gauge their preferences on other aspects. This article is for those who want to get the quickest acceleration performance with lower budget.

10 years ago it is impossible to buy a new car which can accelerate to 60mph from a standstill within 5 seconds, and costs you less than $40k. However because of big advancements in engine technologies, it is now possible for auto makers to produce high-output cars with much less costs.

The List

1. 2015 Ford Mustang GT Fastback (5.0L V8, 435hp and 400 lb-ft, $32,300)

2...

Two days ago, Ford announced the all-new 2016 Focus RS, which has more than 315hp from the 2.3L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, mated to an AWD system.

This effectively puts the Focus RS into the competition with other hot hatches in the market, such as the Subaru WRX STI and also the Volkswagen Golf R. The current 2015 WRX STI is in the sedan form, but we can safely bet the hatchback version is coming very soon, therefore we include it into our discussion here.

Generally speaking, Subaru WRX STI is the most hardcore vehicle for rally purpose, while it has lower refinement; the VW Golf R has the best refinement, but its AWD system is the weakest among the three candidate...

“Hot hatch” is the high-performance variant of a hatchback car model, which can be either a 3 or 5-door. One key feature of the hot hatch is its higher-output engine. Due to typical size and weight of a hot hatch, its engine output rarely goes above 400hp. At this moment, a hatchback with more than 300hp can be considered a “serious” hot hatch.

Below are a list for hot hatches that with at least 300hp (same model with different drivetrain options are listed separately).

Audi

RS3 Sportback, 5dr, 340PS 2.5L turbo I5, 7DCT, AWD
S3, 3dr, 300PS 2.0L turbo I4, 6MT, AWD
S3, 3dr, 300PS 2.0L turbo I4, 6DCT, AWD
S3 Sportback, 5dr, 300PS 2.0L turbo I4, 6MT, AWD
S3 Sportback, 5dr, ...

This road test comes from MotorTrend’s 2014 June Issue.

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