You read it here first; pink is now the official color for men the world over. Why? Not because we all love the pink stuff, no, but rather because of one kick-ass company. Subaru Tecnica International (STi) has been using the color pink for its products for years. In the forgotten pre-WRX days, when Americans had only the naturally aspirated (but still cool) Impreza, Japan had the parts and cars that a successful rally program could inspire. Suspension links, springs, injectors, decals, and logos-everything a JDM Subaru freak wants comes in the manliest shade of red possible. Perhaps STi wanted to generate some buzz, maybe they wanted the parts to be noticeable, maybe they really liked strawberries, or maybe they should have given Freud a call; whatever the reason, pink has become the mark of champions.
When Carlo De La Rosa first moved to California with his 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX, he was very new to the art of tuning. With a little help from the local Subaru community, De La Rosa got in touch with his mechanical side, tossing knock-offs for true JDM pieces. "All I care about is the way my car looks, feels and drives. I do not like to sacrifice quality for a cheaper price," said De La Rosa. A newfound ability to differentiate quality from shine began to grow, and soon De La Rosa wasn't just learning about the car scene, he was helping develop it. With a new job at the Rotora brake kit house, De La Rosa began to gain experience with many different kinds of brands and types of parts. As he built his car, De La Rosa began to learn the power behind the pink.
Taking full advantage of a factory boosted engine that easily shows power gains, De La Rosa went with the standard turbocharged tricks. Freeing up the exhaust flow and cleaning up the exit path is a HKS up- and downpipe combo which shoots into a HKS Hi-Power exhaust system. On the cool side, air is drawn in through a GReddy Airinx intake system before being squeezed by an upgraded IHI VF34 turbocharger. The very same turbocharger used on the JDM STi RA Spec C, the VF34 is a very popular WRX upgrade.
Following the turbo, the compressed air is then cooled as it passes through the GReddy front-mount intercooler with Nitrous Express N-tercooler kit, that is, unless the gases exit through the GReddy Type-S blow-off valve. Fueling upgrades consist of a set of Subaru STi pink fuel injectors and a Walbro fuel pump. Although all the supporting modifications are there, without proper engine management and tuning, De La Rosa has elected to keep his right foot light (or at least attempt to). Hiding underneath a LNR carbon-fiber dress-up kit and a stainless steel radiator shroud, this WRX engine is not only strong, but also good looking.
Just the day before these pictures were taken, De La Rosa's WRX had its inner fender ripped off. Built as a car that can be shown as well as taken to the track, De La Rosa has tempted the fate of his exquisite body pieces far too often at the local racetracks. Wrapped around the Subaru's body is a full C-West makeover. Up front is a C-West V2 front bumper, V2 front fog-light covers, V2 grille, V1 side skirts, and a V1 rear apron. Both the vented carbon-fiber front hood and trunk lid are by Seibon and are held down by Sparco latches. The rear wing is also a carbon-fiber piece, specifically, a Rotora GT rear wing. The final touch for almost any Cali show car is vinyl, and lots of it, here provided by TG Race Designs.