Power In Numbers - 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX

So Witkin made room for a synchronized straight-cut first and second box with a helical cut third to fourth gear and a stock fifth gear. The process of receiving the goods from PPG headquarters in Australia and installing it into the WRX took approximately three months. It took Witkin just a week to hit the second biggest snag of the buildup. After the installation of the finest transmission made from the Subaru, Witkin managed to break his speedo gears. Replacing it was as easy as buying the same parts from PPG, but Witkin found it as an opportunity to upgrade up for a brand-new dogbox gearset.

After he went with the dogbox gears, Witkin felt it was also time to upgrade up for a new level of tuning. He purchased a JDM Forester 2.5L motor, which is the practically the same engine used in the USDM WRX STi, and scored a prototype T04R turbo kit from Turbo XS, bumping the powerplant numbers from an estimated 280hp to a dyno-proven 403hp.

The interior is a different story altogether. Peer inside and you'll be immediately captivated. The row of Defi Link gauges sitting near the heavily crafted Fourstar Motorsports carbon-fiber center console will pull you closer, while the reupholstered headliner and Autopower bolt-on roll cage will pull you back in respect. The WRC Rally inspired cockpit is a sight to behold, and the Bride seats are just waiting for someone to sit on them. The list of audio equipment goes back and forth from Pioneer to Boston Acoustic, but it's apparent Witkin wanted to stay focused on the style and power of his car. "After more tuning, I plan to track the car and I expect high 10-second slips," revealed Witkin. And the transmission and hoard of Turbo XS gear under the hood should, without a doubt, do the trick.

That's not to say his WRX doesn't attend car shows. With the help of his buddies at Team Emotion, Witkin has placed in many shows in the East Coast and even received some much needed sponsorships. With the team's guidance, Witkin made visual changes to the car, providing more contrast and color matching to certain things. The founder of Team Emotion advised him to get the gold Advan RGIIs to make the car more presentable at the shows. But the changes won't stop there. Within the next year, Witkin plans to change the exterior color, snatch a set of Endless brakes, and transform the WRX to a Time Attack-style racecar.

Unlike most tuners who don't balance their cars with style, power and grace, this WRX is definitely for the people. Anyone looking at it should take something away from it, whether it's the overall creativity, the well-balanced combination of performance and design, or the fact that it'll forever outdo any car in its class. It's a WRX for the masses.