- The Subaru WRX was introduced to the North American market during the 2002 model year.subaru wrx sti image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
During the 2002 model year, Subaru of America introduced the tire-scorching WRX trim to the Impreza lineup. Inspired by Subaru's World Rally Championship-winning off-road racing cars, the 2003 WRX is an all-wheel-drive, turbocharged, high-performance sport sedan. Essentially unaltered from the 2002 model year, the 2003 WRX is available in a special-edition Sonic Yellow paint. - The heart and soul of the 2003 Subaru WRX is a turbocharged 2.0-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder (H4) engine. The engine helps the WRX heat up the pavement with 227 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque. Maximum horsepower is achieved at 6,000 rpm and peak torque is accomplished at 4,000 rpm. Internally, the engine features a dual overhead camshaft, 16 valves, a 2.95-inch stroke, a 3.62-inch bore and a 8.0:1 compression ratio.
- During testing of the 2003 Subaru WRX, Motor Trend magazine reported that the compact sedan could hustle from 0 to 60 mph in 5.62 seconds. Braking from 60 mph back to 0 can be accomplished in 123 feet. The quarter-mile flies by in 14.2 seconds at 94.43 mph, and the WRX was able to navigate the Motor Trend slalom doing 61.4 mph.
- Prodrive, an aftermarket tuning company, offers additional equipment that improves the performance of the WRX. According to MotorTrend, properly equipped Prodrive WRXs can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.08 seconds. Braking from 60 to 0 mph is accomplished in a short 117 feet. The quarter-mile can be surpassed from a dead stop in 13.76 seconds at 96.85 mph and the slalom can be handled at 67.3 mph.
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