So what if the 2015 WRX STI is powered by the same 305-hp 2.5-liter EJ-series engine as the outgoing car? In the hands of four-time WRC champ Tommi Mäkinen, the WRX moves so sublimely it renders all keyboard criticisms irrelevant.
Trading tail-out histrionics for precise, movements of the type that shave seconds off lap times, Mäkinen carves up California’s Buttonwillow Raceway with such grace that one might be forced to question the authenticity of the über-metal umlaut in his name. In the few instances where a wheel or two actually leave the pavement, vehicle control is never compromised—as Mäkinen says during the video, “I can feel the wheels in my fingers.”
There’s something to be said for sticking with a known entity in matters of love, liquor, and horsepower. As Masuo Takatsu, the program manager for both the WRX and STI told us earlier this year, “this engine [the EJ] has proved itself in competition. It’s an engine we confidently bring to the track, [whereas] the new FA-series in the WRX has not been proven in motorsports. Plus, we knew the aftermarket could supply more power to those STI owners who demanded it.”
- Old vs. New: 2015 Subaru WRX vs. 2010 Audi S4—Which Should You Buy?
- First Drive: 2015 Subaru WRX STI
- Research: Subaru WRX/WRX STI Reviews, Photos, Pricing, and More
No matter which side of the horizontally opposed EJ/FA debate you stand on, there’s no doubt that watching a skilled individual do what they do best is pretty damn fun. Enjoy.
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