North America's First Sti-powered Wrx Wagon

dihan · April 9, 2006

Owned by none other than 2NR tech editor Gary Castillo, the 2002 WRX wagon has been the subject of several tech articles and Power Page sessions in the past twelve or so months, and now that it's finished we think it's pretty damn good--good enough for the front of the book.

It's usually something of an anomaly when one of our magazine staffers goes out and purchases a brand-new car. A lot of guys are intent on modifying their cars, naturally, and usually the used car market is a much more practical venue for finding a project car than the dealership showrooms. When Castillo got his WRX, though, the car was still a new item and none had really filtered down into the used car market. To make matters worse, he developed quite a taste for the platform while spending significant seat time in XS Engineering's coupe, the first modified WRX we got our hands on--hell, probably the first tricked out WRX in Southern California.

Then last spring Castillo took his annual trip to Japan for the Tokyo Auto Salon and got to see all the new modified WRXs and new products coming out for the car, and that's what pushed him over the edge. Within a week of returning to the United States, Gary Castillo was at the Subaru dealership taking delivery of a new WRX. Despite what some may think, he actually did not get hooked up because he works for a car magazine. Magazine staffers must go get loans and sign their lives away to the bank, just like everyone else.

A lot of you are probably thinking, "Why the wagon?" The answer is simple, according to Castillo: Why not? The wagon is only 80 lbs heavier than the coupe, has a lot more space in which to cram shit--say, car parts--and actually costs about a thousand dollars less.

To date, this particular car has had more aftermarket parts taken off it than most cars ever keep, and never has it been more impressive than now. Probably the dopest thing about it is it's now propelled by a complete STi drivetrain: J-spec motor, six-speed tranny and limited-slip rear diff. The engine and drivetrain components were sourced through Four Star Motorsports. We'll see the basics here, but for more information on this ass-kicker of a swap check out Castillo's work on page 52.

Even though the engine is the more powerful STi iteration, rated at 270 hp from the factory but in reality producing closer to 300, you can bet your ass Castillo did some extensive tweaking to bring it up to 2NR spec. He adapted a Design Craft turbo kit to the application, replacing the turbo with a gigantic RX-6 IHI unit. He also pulled the top-mount STI intercooler and put a massive Blitz front-mount in its place. The intercooler setup is actually the same present on the car before its STi makeover; only one pipe needed to be modified to allow the kit to fit with the new engine. Excess pressure is vented on the hot side by a standard HKS wastegate and on the cool side by a Blitz blow-off valve.

Other engine bay enhancements include new stainless up and downpipes, A'PEXi GT exhaust, APS fuel lines, rails and regulator adapter, a Holley fuel pump and a Hyper ground wire kit. Engine management is overseen by a UTEC auxiliary computer that works with the STi ECU, while boost is controlled by a combination of a Blitz SBC iD boost controller and Blitz Power Meter, which allows Castillo to run 10psi in first gear and kick it up to 16psi in the other five. The end result is 370 hp at the wheels, measured on A'PEX Integration's four-wheel dyno on 91-octane pump gas without nitrous.

Beneath the car, Castillo's got a full A'PEXi N1 suspension with adjustable camber plates, a TCS rear anti-roll bar and TCS rear end links. Up front, a TCS strut tower brace lends further chassis rigidity and assists the excellent WRX steering precision. All four corners also boast factory STi brakes, supplied by Brembo, and braided stainless steel Russell lines. You'd think a tech editor with a complete STi power package would be content to talk about the car's performance, but every time you talk to Castillo all he talks about is the body kit. It's a complete Liberal kit from Japan--probably the very one that caught his eye at the Auto Salon.

"The dopest piece from the kit is the front grille insert cause it makes the front end look more aero dynamic," Castillo says. "Plus, the rear bumper is designed to fit a larger muffler." Damn, see what I mean?

Color matching the kit components to the rest of the car was handled by SCDS in San Marcos, Calif. Castillo also bought and installed genuine STi headlight assemblies from Pann Auto, as well as factory Subaru light covers to hide the intercooler piping poking through the foglight cutouts. The wheels are 18-in Konigs wrapped in the latest generation of Nitto rubber, Neo Gen, in a 215/40R-18 format.

Within the cockpit, a pair of Sparco seats replace the factory ones, a Fighter racing bucket in the driver's slot and a reclineable Torino2 in the passenger's. The door panels and back seat were reupholstered in similar Sparco material by Stitchcraft Interiors to impart a truly cohesive look to the interior. Five-point Sparco belts keep front seat occupants strapped in place, and driver input is now facilitated by a Sparco 345 tiller and Globe-X shift knob.

Rest assured all the mechanical work on this WRX was performed by Gary Castillo himself, but design credits for his ICE go to Serenity Sounds in Fountain Valley, Calif. SS installed an MA Audio head unit that incorporates a 7-in LCD so Castillo can watch his favorite movie, Driven, and a single massive six-channel Memphis Belle amp to power the system. Playback is enabled by 5.25-in Polk Audio/Momo speaders up front, 5 .25-in GXR coaxials in the rear, Tsunami power, speaker and RCA cables and dual 12-in Polk/Momo subwoofers sunk into a custom fiberglass "false floor" enclosure in the trunk area.