"Striking" is the best way to describe this Subaru WRX. No it doesn’t parade
a tonne of fibreglass add-ons, it doesn’t rely on huge wheels nor does it grab
your attention with overwhelming graphics. Nope. This Rex does it with
eye-catching candy paint job and strategic splashes of yellow, which match the
yellow leather interior. What’s even more impressive is this look is achieved
with standard Subaru rims!
Fadie Nahas, the owner of this sweet looking Rex, explains there’s nothing
more he hates than over-the-top-looking cars. They’re too ‘try hard’ for his
tastes! His approach to cosmetic excellence involved stripping back the factory
dark blue paint and opting for a top-lookin’ candy green. Fadie is tight-lipped
about the paint details but says it’s an off-the-shelf colour with only slight
tweaking. Good luck trying to replicate it...
All of the MY99 GC8-series Impreza panels remain standard, including the
high-rise rear spoiler. Aside from that brilliant paint job, the car is modified
with only a pink STi grille emblem, a STi front lip, clear side indicators and
an enlarged front ‘bar opening. The Croydon Racing Development sticker – and
even the New South Wales number plates! – provide attractive splashes of yellow.
Sixteen-inch rims come standard on the MY99 but Fadie was one of the first
Rex owners to switch to the 17s fitted to the ‘bug eye’ MY01. Compared to
splurging out on new aftermarket wheels, this approach has several advantages –
you can rest assured the rims are strong, they suit Subaru styling and look
closely and you’ll see the Subaru centre caps. Oh, and you can also pick ‘em up
second-hand relatively cheaply.
Those Subaru 17s fill the guards nicely thanks to a ride height that’s been
chopped about 2-inches. This is achieved using adjustable coil-over struts.
Stock size slotted and drilled discs can be seen shining behind the rims.
The windows of this WRX have been left un-tinted so the eye-catching light
tan leather interior can speak for itself. Sure, the standard WRX interior is
pretty purposeful – but it can certainly do with an added luxury feel. Fadie has
kept the standard front seats but had the rear seat extensively reshaped to
match the fronts. The seats, door trims and other bits’n’pieces have been
covered in quality tan leather. Colour-coordinated carpet has also been
installed.
The interior is further decked out with a Kenwood DVD/TV head unit, front and
rear Focal splits, Kenwood subs and amps. There’s also a boost gauge, turbo
timer and shift light to add to the appeal.
About now you might be wondering what this Rex packs under the bonnet.
Let’s start off with the basic ingredients. The exhaust system is a 3½-incher (not much restriction there!) and the intake to the turbo is an APS pod
filter kit. This includes a smoothly contoured silicone pipe that runs beneath
the intake manifold.
Now let’s look at the hairy-chested stuff...
Internally, this EJ-series flat-four has been taken out to 2.1-litres by
Croydon Racing Developments using, well, secret components. The crank,
rods and pistons have all been changed. An oil catch can (mounted against the
firewall) prevents blow-by gunk entering the intake tract.
Fadie says it was important to stick to a turbocharger that wasn’t an obvious
upgrade. Beneath the factory turbine heat shield resides an APS SR50 ‘500hp’
roller-bearing turbocharger. A 45mm external wastegate bypasses the turbine and
the whole shebang is connected to a ZeroSport exhaust manifold that’s been
modified to suit. The SR50 turbo blows through an APS front-mount air-to-air
intercooler (complete with associated pipework). A Blitz atmospheric blow-off
valve is installed; the removal of the airflow meter ensures there are no
metering problems when the BOV opens during a gear change.
Allowing the removal of the airflow meter is a MicroTech programmable ECU,
which has its own in-built MAP sensor. The MicroTech unit controls a set of
high-flowed injectors teamed with an adjustable pressure regulator and high-flow
pump. The ignition system has also been beefed up with M&W coils and a
M&W Pro-4 CDI unit. Boost pressure is controlled by a Blitz duel solenoid
system.
Inevitably, Fadie destroyed a couple of standard WRX gearboxes. He then moved
to an aftermarket dog box but, no, this couldn’t cop it either. The solution has
been to switch to a modified Liberty 4-speed auto transmission with a high rpm
stall converter and 4.4:1 diff gears. At the time of photograph there were some
issues with gear selection, but this has since been solved. Custom axles are
also fitted to ensure this is a completely bullet-proof driveline. Well, as
bullet-proof as anything else...
The engine has recently been treated to a chemical supercharger system.
That’s right – nitrous-oxide! A 50hp shot improves low-end spool-up and provides
extra power – and greater charge-air cooling – at higher revs. Around 350kW at
the wheels (on a Dyno Dynamics all-wheel-drive chassis dyno) is capably within
reach at a boost pressure just over 25 psi.
Sure, there are other WRXs with greater top-end power but this one drives
sweetly thanks to its "baby" turbocharger and the on-demand nitrous boost. It’s
a combo that has pulled a 10.76 down the quarter mile on its first attempt.
Fadie is confident of going quicker – but the plan is to go much, much
quicker!
Fadie currently wants to sell his Rex and build an all-out drag car. He does,
after all, have a Porsche Boxster for the mundane duties...
Anyone interested in this green GC8 should have AUD$45,000 – 50,000 in
reserve. You can contact Fadie through
michael@autospeed.com
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