Automotive World

Well, as any driver with some experience on the circuit will tell you, it’s as much about the car as it is about the person sitting behind the wheel. That said, the Abarth 500 shouldn't come close to an STI in the right hands but it's plausible under certain circumstances.

Billed by Subaru as the "crown of STI tuned cars", the new Impreza WRX STI S206 follows on from previous “S” versions, such as the S203, S204 and S205.

So what's special about the new STI model? Well, for starters, the S206 employs exclusive Bilstein dampers, STi coil springs, a flexible front tower bar and draw stiffener, which promise to further improve the car’s precise and quick cornering response.

The S206 rides on a new set of 19-inch BBS aluminum wheels, which have been designed exclusively for this model, and are shod in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.

But alas; as soon as the flag goes down your STI stalls and the engine shuts off. Your friend chuckles but no worries, just turn the key and fire up the turbocharged flat four and let's take it from the start.

Okay, we're ready now and yes, 18 seconds later you've reached the final cone and you can unleash the awesome power of Subaru's boxer engine only to…crash into a wall! On the bright side, you may have just set a new track record for the fastest crash ever…

The BRZ is the outcome of the team-up between Toyota and Subaru, and it's a sister model to the Toyota FT-86 and the Scion FR-S rear-wheel drive coupes, and as such, all three models share the same platform and mechanical hardware including the Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter flat-four engine upgraded with Toyota’s D-4S direct injection technology.

The STI-badged Subaru study is a thinly disguised concept version of the upcoming production BRZ coupe that will be unwrapped alongside its sister model, the Toyota FT-86, at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show in the beginning of December.