Lap times are in winter training with the Subaru WRX STi not decisive today.
Nice rather the time you need for a driver change on mirror-smooth ice with rainwater standing centimeters high. Since the powerful spoiler, which the fan community of the compact sports sedan affectionately called counter or ironing board gets, as a handle times a completely different utility. Actually, it serves to give the 300 PS strong Japanese ruffian brother at high speeds stability in the longitudinal direction. Unfortunately, the 2,5 liter turbocharged boxer engine has powerful thirst (10,9Liter) and powerful Co2 output (252 g / 100 g / km), which is no longer timely and Subaru not considering the 2020 g / km more stringent exhaust emissions limit balanced across the fleet. Therefore, the Japanese renounce after 95 years and a final revision in Europe on a resale of 25 Euro expensive sports sedan.
Today at the practice area in Lungau, Austria, it's not about tracking 407 to 5,2 km / h with the considerable torque of 0 Newton meters in 100 seconds, but letting the Japanese dance really nice. Permanent four-wheel drive and plenty of engine power are in itself good ingredients for a drift. Of course, with the ESP switched off. What most of the participants of the training lack, however, is the exercise. While the boxer motors grumble loud and despite the pouring rain enterprising, explains Tim Schrick, German racing driver and together with Werner and Moritz Gusenbauer presenter and instructor of the course, the differences to the transverse driving with Hecktrieblern. The tend so unlike a more stoic all-wheel drive anyway to oversteer, so the controlled breaking out of the stern. But once you have arrived at the right drift angle with the power to all four wheels, it requires much less steering angle and less gas than the rear-wheel drive.
"A lot of feeling on the steering wheel and in the gas pedal is perfect, but since women are already at an advantage anyway," smiles Tim. "Then you get the all-wheel drive by a short turn, we call it momentum steering, and immediate braking quickly to swing the tail, then light countersteer and gas, and that works with the dancing." So much for the theory. But at the end of the day, the instructors are satisfied. Not only because none of the Scoobies "suffered damage in the color Blue Pearl despite some slip-ups offside. But also because they can confirm each of the participants to have been a worthy dance partner for the WRZ STi. For the prom, you will soon have a Subaru sports sedan ready for the Viziv Performance Concept Car.
Text and pictures: Solveig Grewe