It is easy to see why the media uses words like 'STimulating' on their headlines to describe Subaru's range-topping performance model, the WRX STi. Apart from the obvious word-play on its last three initials, generations of this street legal rally car have given thousands of enthusiasts their first taste of performance motoring through video games and on the road.

With demand for better performance from the enthusiasts and cleaner emissions from the authorities, the mercurial all-wheel-drive sedan gets a more powerful turbocharged engine as well as a host of styling revisions that visually align it with the rest of the Impreza range for 2006.

The WRX STi (Subaru Technica International, the Japanese carmaker's sporting arm much like BMW's M division, in case you were wondering) is essentially a more extreme version of the WRX model we drove in issue 42 that gives a more authentic experience of what it's like to drive one of Subaru's World Rally Championship challengers.

DRIVING IT

The authenticity of the driving experience begins with a 280bhp turbocharged 2.5-litre boxer engine that has grown in displacement from the previous 2.0-litre model as a result of more stringent emission standards and enthusiasts' demand for more performance.

Then there is also the button that activates a water spray to cool the intercooler which in the real world, offers about as much benefit as a separate starter button in some sports cars.

Committed rally fans will also appreciate the Driver's Control Centre Differential (DCCD) mechanism that's operated via a dial next to the hand brake. This mechanism allows the driver to vary the distribution of torque between the front and rear wheels from 35:65 to 41:59.

The majority of us though, will be happy enough to leave it in 'Auto' mode where an electronic brain varies this ratio automatically so that the driver can get on with the task at hand.

The 15bhp increase in power from last year's model and its effect can be quite literally, be felt immediately.

To slot the six-speed gearbox into first gear, the gear lever only needs to travel an inch forward or so. With a healthy dose of throttle input, the STi reaches the redline within seconds of your take-off. So it's just as well that reaching the 7,000rpm limits comes with a electronic beep that prompts the driver to change up as at this point, the scenery changes too fast for him to take his eye off the road to look at the centrally-placed rev counter.

The next three gears serve up similar a sensation of chaos with a fat wave of 392Nm of torque making its presence felt from an all-too-easily reached 4,000rpm. It is only when you arrive at sixth-gear that order is restored and the proceedings get a lot less frantic.

While the near-instant surge from a standstill addresses the main criticism of previous STi models, the latest car's short gearing and a diminishing torque curve between 5,000 and 7,000rpm conspire to impart the feeling that it runs out of breath higher up the rev band.

INSIDE IT

Even when it's not moving, the STi is full of details that add to the sense of occasion. For starters, a pair of extra supportive front seats embroidered with pink STi logos greet the front occupants whenever they're about to step into the car. The rest of the cabin is also clad in a two-tone fabric motif that features Subaru's signature blue accent.

Elsewhere, precious little has changed with the dashboard's layout which also means that the STi retains its Optitron-like instrument display that perform a cool sweep sequence whenever the car is started.

DOLLARS AND SENSE

One of the most endearing things about the WRX and indeed the STi variant is their relative affordability. Indeed more so in recent months. The 2006 WRX STi continues this mien with an asking price of $114,000 with COE. Quite simply put, there is nothing at this price that offers the sort of performance rendered by the STi.

Verdict

Invariably, there will always be comparisons between the STi and its closest rival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, now in its ninth incarnation. But as we've mentioned earlier, it would be moot to draw any judgement as the Evo commands a $13,000 premium for any advantage it might offer.

The STi though, delivers a knock-out blow as a bang-for-buck proposition.

NEED TO KNOW

Model Subaru WRX STi 2.5
Engine 2,457cc 16v flat four
Max Power 280bhp at 5,600rpm
Max Torque 392Nm at 4,000rpm
Gearbox 6-speed manual
Top Speed 255 km/h
0-100 km/h 5.4 seconds
Price $114,000 with COE
Warranty 3 years / 60,000km
Contact Motor Image at 6473-0333, 6417-0333

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