Bands and artists usually have one seminal song or performance that defines them to a generation. Coldplay had "Clocks", The Killers had "Mr. Brightside" and to the younger generations, Johnny Depp will forever to be known as Captain Jack Sparrow. These artists define themselves to legions of fans with one body of work that highlighted other achievements.
Similarly, Crawford Performance of Oceanside, Calif., can be best defined by the success of their '06 Subaru time attack STi-a car built from over 25 of years racing and tuning experience and a dominant track record that speaks for itself. This vehicle is undoubtedly one of the most successful time attack cars in the country; with 18 First Place finishes and five new or broken track records in a 14-month span. Hell, it was the fastest car in our inaugural EVO versus Sti shootout, wasn't it?
Crawford built the car with the track in mind, but also wanted to keep the car reliable for street driving. To increase engine displacement to 2.65 liters, Crawford opted to keep the 99.5mm bore and increase the stroke from 79 to 84mm, which helps improve torque, response and usable power. Crawford began developing Subaru performance parts in the late '90s, and is considered one of the leading STi tuners in the U.S. This vast experience would help them design an engine with lots of usable track horsepower-to that end, the engine retains its stock camshafts, but uses forged connecting rods, forged pistons, an 84mm billet steel crankshaft and an oil pan all designed to Crawford spec. Of course, this new, high horsepower rotating assembly is balanced for increased reliability and to help rev faster into the boost.
The cylinder heads have been ported and polished by Crawford for improved airflow. in the interest of improving the engine's rev-ability it was important to reduce the mass and improve the reactions of the valvetrain with titanium valves, retainers and dual springs. Helping maximize these airflow improvements is a Crawford cold air intake designed for maximum airflow at redline. The company takes great pride in its Super Flow 3-inch exhaust system for being unobtrusive and quiet, but loud and powerful when you need it.
Crawford scrapped the stock turbo and replaced it with a Garrett GT35R (0.82 A/R housing) Max boost comes in at approximately 4,700 rpm and is regulated by a TiAL 44mm wastegate. The setup uses a Crawford front mount intercooler, as well as custom hoses and piping. A Koyo aluminum radiator and Samco hoses help cool this larger, angrier motor with the help of Crawford spec diversion panels and oil coolers.
The fuel system has been enhanced with larger 720cc injectors and a walbro 255 lph fuel pump, which helps deliver a mixture that is lit by NGK plugs. The ECU tuning is done by william Knose, who works with Crawford Performance partner I-Speed USA. The engine's results speak for themselves. On the dyno, the STi puts out 500 whp at 7,000 rpm and 500 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm-all real, track-usable power.
A testament to the race-ready nature of the vehicle, the STi's driveline retains most of the stock components. Crawford did, however, replace the axles with more robust units, courtesy of Driveshaft Shop, he also and upgraded the clutch to an Exedy triple cerametallic unit with a lightweight flywheel.
For suspension, the Subaru now uses Tein Super Racing coilovers and Crawford spec hubs and rear lateral links for improved traction. The STi sits on 18x10 Enkei GTC-01 wheels and BFGoodrich R1 285x30x18 tires all around. Front brakes were upgraded to a Brembo Gran Turismo setup.