"Purpose-built car" is a term we coin regularly around here. Usually refering to track-prepped rides, it's easy to forget how far-reaching the term can be. Take for example, a dedicated show car. While we feel the Revolution RX-7 featured in this issue is the type of car we'd rather get behind the wheel of, there's a lot to be said for the craftsmanship and vision that goes into a good show car transformation.
But what about a car that is built only for the purpose of looking good on film; a "screen-prepped" car, like this one? Shottily applied body kit and paint? Check. Race car sounds, thanks to a test pipe and straight-through exhaust, but no race car performance to match? Check. Colored electrical tape pin striping? Check. Fake roof scoop? Check. This baby has it all, but only because it didn't need any of it to get the job done. "This car's whole reason for being," states chief car wrangler Dennis McCarthy, of DMC Auto, "is to get used and abused on film. Beat-up through the desert, jumped off-road... it's a very utilitarian car, both on and off screen." From what we can tell, the car's supposed mods are never discussed in the film. Its hood is never lifted. And that's a good thing. Its engine bay is blue, and do you see that front-mount intercooler? You guessed it--fake.
The STI was sourced only for filming, along with seven others that were built identical to it, and crashed in the "tunnel scene" that awaits you in the theaters. Unlike the R34s that had to be bought and imported, the STIs h ad no buyer; they were contributed directly by Subaru, and are pre-production models that can never be registered and legalized for street use anywhere--otherwise known as "crusher cars", for the ultimate fate they will suffer after their usefulness subsides.
New to F&F4 is a rally influence--something Subarus are undoubtedly proficient in, straight from the factory. After a change of pace near the film's Third Act, this one becomes Brian O'Connor's car as he is forced into the sand dunes south of the boarder. "The STIs held up to all the abuse we put them through," elaborated Dennis, "It's funny--the one environment that so many cars had to be modified to handle didn't shake the STIs one bit."
'08 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
"The Halo Car"
Name: Subaru Of America, Inc.
Age: 55
Hometown: OTA, Gunma, Japan
Occupation: Building Cars
Hobbies: Saving The Planet, One Green Assembly Plant At A Time
Build Time: Six Weeks
Feedback: via subaru.com
Quote: Part race car, Part race car. The '09 WRX STI is to rally what carnivore is to meat.
Output: N/A
Engine: Perrin intake system; Cobb tuning ignition system, cat-back exhaust; Remus Racing header, downpipe; Mobile One engine oil; pseudo front-mount intercooler
Drivetrain: Stock
Suspension: Stock
Wheels/Tires: Enkei NT03+M wheels, 18x8.5; Continental ContiSportContact2 tires, 285-40/18
Brakes: Stock
Exterior: Veilside front and rear bumpers, sideskirts, vented hood; pseudo roof scoop; custom black and silver paint, red vinyl pin striping
Interior: Velside seats, steering wheel; Takata harnesses; custom roll cage by Matt Sweeney; Cobb AccessPORT (not installed)