He"s well aware that...
He"s well aware that if he doesn"t stop getting nicked for speeding, he could soon face a driving ban which would rob him of his much loved Italian sports car. It"s put to him by a marvellously mischievous Jeremy Clarkson on TV that because he"s got such a shameful driving record, he simply can"t afford to receive any more endorsements and he might therefore like to consider blaming his wife for his driving-related crimes by conveniently "shovelling" some points on to her currently clean licence.
This latest special...
This latest special edition is based on the Impreza S204 revealed last year, but the RA-R is much more driver-focused
Owners of this incredible new Subaru probably won"t tire of the searing pace - but they might get bored with telling people what it"s called!
Meet the Impreza WRX STi Spec C Type RA-R - a limited-edition roadgoing model designed by Subaru"s rallying division to be the ultimate Impreza for keen drivers. And in true Japanese sports car tradition, it has an epic name, too - one that"s among the longest in the world.
Here"s what it all means: WRX stands for World Rally Cross, and appears on all performance Imprezas. STi is made up by the initials of the company"s motor÷sport division, Subaru Tecnica Inter÷national, while Spec C denotes the specification level of the newcomer and RA-R stands for Record Attempt-Radical!
And if the bootlid badge is difficult to grasp, so is the acceleration. The firm"s engineers have tweaked the rally-derived 2.0-litre flat-four engine"s turbo÷charger and fitted a new exhaust system. The result is 320bhp and 432Nm of torque - enough punch for a 0-60mph sprint time of 4.5 seconds and a 155mph top speed.
This latest special edition is based on the Impreza S204 revealed last year, but the RA-R is much more driver-focused. It gets special new springs, extra-thick anti-roll bars and Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers and huge 18-inch discs up front.
The biggest hints that the RA-R is different from any other Impreza STi lie in its white wheels, pink highlighted grille and the lack of a rear spoiler. There"s also an underbody diffuser, which significantly improves high-speed stability.
Only 300 examples of the RA-R will be produced, with 50 of these painted Astral yellow. The model is likely to be priced at around ÷£50,000.