It's amazing how Subaru continues to hold a significant part of the young tuner market with consistently rising sales of some of the more important cars in their lineup. Despite having its roots laid heavily on the obscure wilderness market and some of its cars attached to the alternative lifestyle segment where some have begun calling the car manufacturer a crass but rather humorous label of "Lesbaru," the youth still visits Subaru dealerships in droves, where ragged looking hipsters walk among rugged lumberjacks and Teva wearing Dads searching for a Subarus that range from woodsy all-wheel-drive sedans and wagons, to refrigerator boxes on four wheels.
One of the company's smartest moves came in 2004 when they brought over the highest standard-edition trim of its popular Subaru Impreza into the U.S., the WRX STI, which had been in existence since 1992 on the short shores of Japan. The Rev. D USDM version of the '04 WRX STI made every AWD geek turn off their TVs, which were permanently set on the Speed Channel for the WRC, and begin saving up for what was perhaps the most anticipated car of the time. Its mere mention provided amnesty to the creators of the infamous and hated Subaru SVX of many years past.
When the car rolled out of the production lines, these AWD nerds along with several newbies in the game, immediately drank from the WRX STI Kool-Aid mix and the car was an instant hit, what with 293 turbocharged horses at the ready, massive brakes on tap and an all-wheel drive making the pavement say, "Ouch!" Its success was what made the industry media collectively agree on the Impreza as the flagship model on the Subaru lineup; the venerable franchise player.
So when 2005 rolled along, young Stephen Ng began craving the sweet Kool-Aid and bought himself a brand-new '05 Rev. E Subaru WRX STI. Off the factory, the EJ25 remained underhood and the GDF chassis code remained untouched, with the only changes coming by way of an additional rear fender flaring to allow for the increase of wheel size. "It was an impulse buy," explained Stephen, "I drove past the dealership, decided to test drive it, and took it home the same day." He thought about keeping it stock, but a good friend pressured him into considering a newly revealed M-Sports widebody kit. He fell for it, and a year later the WRX STI that was once left unmolested at the dealership turned into this sexy beast ready for the stripper poles.
Naturally, most impressive is the M-Sports widebody kit and a Zerosports '06/'07. Covering the turbocharged engine is a Seibon RS hood that matches perfectly with the Seibon carbon-fiber doors, roof and trunk. The entire kit is molded with the front bumper and sideskirts customized to suit Stephen's rich flavor, which is further highlighted by the custom flat red BASF paint and hand-picked graphics, placed by his good friend Brian Filoteo. The collection of well-placed body parts allowed Stephen and his car to get recognition in the Seibon booth at the recent SEMA Show.
A look underhood reveals Stephen's racing pedigree to its fullest. "I was into street racing for a while, but I'd always go to car shows," Stephen said, "and I wished I would be able to show my car one day." But as all show goers know, the judges go beyond looks and place a lot of value to what's underneath the hood. Stephen made sure his WRX wouldn't lose any points and installed a Zerosports air intake, Tanabe full turbo-back exhaust system, GT Spec headers and a Mishimoto radiator, radiator hoses and fans to complement the already stealth engine bay courtesy of the folks at Subaru. To help the turbo breathe easier, Stephen opted for the HKS SSQV blow-off valve and a GReddy intercooler with pipes and all. To feel like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, Stephen added a Walbro fuel pump, NOS kit and an Artisan TD06 Frank 50 turbo to the mix, making the WRX go from freeway scary to Six Flags roller coaster frightening.