How Big Is Too Big?

 

Gran Turismo is arguably one of the best driving simulators that has been out since the PlayStation 1 days in 1997. What makes the game so fun is that you are rewarded game currency for every race you win, and that money can be used for mods and upgrades that will make your car faster, look better, and handle better. Many of us either got the Nissan Skyline R34, or we got the Subaru WRX. But when it came to mods, many of us also raced the same track 50 times so we could by the most expensive mod first instead of doing things in gradual steps. Meaning we’d get the most expensive turbo kit without proper tires, brakes, and who needs a tune?

In real life, yes, many of us had been guilty of doing some of those Gran Turismo mods to your Subarus as well. Now the idea in your head is exciting for sure. Telling friends at car gatherings that you’ve got a large turbo on the way, or that you just spec’d out your latest set of wheels. But hold on a second, these ideas never pan out that well. Especially if you’re driving a Subaru where the average owner and enthusiast can only make so much power. And in real life, you don’t get mulligans like on Gran Turismo. Your engine will blow up, you can ruin your body work, and you can ruin the overall driving experience if you try to mod your Subaru way outside of its boundaries. And just because you know of someone who did it, doesn’t mean that you can as well. There are too many variables to consider especially when comparing the overall health and wellbeing of your Subaru when compared to others, as well as your personal wrenching abilities.

With that being said, let’s talk about what could go wrong when you try to do too much.

 

TOO LARGE AND TOO MUCH OF A TURBOCHARGER

This is where things can go south faster than any other irrational decision you can make on behalf of trying to go fast. Unless you have a deep checking account then by all means, go ahead and live your best life. But it takes a small village to run a larger turbocharger on a Subaru. Most importantly, even if you have forged internals that boxer engine won’t really run for too long on an open-deck setup. Otherwise, 375-400 HP to the wheels is about where Subaru engine’s limits get tested. That being said, don’t try and impress the scene kids at your local meets with the biggest HP turbo under the hood thinking that you can get away with low boost and terrible drivability. If you want to do a sensible turbo upgrade, do it with something rated to 400 HP that way you don’t lose OEM-like spooling characteristics, but have the flow needed to optimize other mods such as a turbo-back exhaust, intake, injectors, and a tune. A turbo designed to handle 600+ HP is a bad idea especially if you have a stock engine and a stock intercooler. Now if you’re motor is built to the moon, then by all means, go ahead. Otherwise, you won’t be boosting safely without all the needed supporting mods such as bigger fuel injectors, fuel pump, tune, intake, exhaust, built motor, etc.

Here is an example of a sensible turbo upgrade:

GrimmSpeed CHASE JB400 Turbocharger Kit 2004-2021 STI / 2002-2007 WRX

 

 

 

 

WHEELS

For most enthusiasts who just got a new-to-them Subaru, wheels will typically be one of the first modifications alongside a cat-back exhaust or an Accessport. You go to your local car meets and you’ve got sensory overload with all the sick wheels and want that really aggressive look where the tires are stretched to all hell, and the edge of the wheels are hella flush and lined up right with the fender line.

Here's the thing, it’s entertaining to look at when you’re at a car show. Those particular cars are just that, show cars. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that aesthetic if that’s your angle. All of us are different, and we all have different flavors and preferences. Is it road-worthy? Absolutely not. An offset that is overly aggressive will kill the driving experience really fast, not only that there are several modifications needed to make an aggressive wheel work.

Bottom line, the WRX and STI out of all the all-wheel-drive platforms across the spectrum, exuberate what it means to be rally-inspired. It is the identity of the vehicle as WRX means World Rally Cross. A tight chassis paired with a responsive turbocharged boxer 4-cylinder engine designed to dance through tarmac or asphalt curves is where it shines. Trying to run an 18x11 wheel with a +5mm offset on stretched 205/30/18 rubber bands with 60+ psi of air pressure will make the car crawl all over the road at 30 mph. All for the gram right?

Yet getting an overly wide wheel with a wide tire will require modifications to the fenders. Sure, an 18x10.5 with a +15mm offset on 285/30/18s can work if you have fender flares, and that size can work on VA chassis cars.

But let’s say that you do have a newly purchased 2021 STI and you want the most aggressive wheel setup without the need to modify fenders, then an 18x9.5 with a +38 to 45mm offset on a 265-275 35/18 tire will do the trick.

 

Advan RZII 18x9.5 +45 5x114.3 2015-2021 STI / 2015-2024 WRX

 

 

TRYING TO ADD GO-FAST MODS WITHOUT AN ACCESSPORT FIRST

Now there are certain mods that you can do without a tune. As mentioned with wheels, a cat-back exhaust system is the other typical mod that will be performed on a Subaru whether if it’s fresh off the showroom floor, or if you got a pre-owned unit that is still relatively stock. The biggest mistake you can do is start adding mods that increase the horsepower without a proper tune. This is why many cold air intakes require a tune. And especially downpipes and J-pipes will require a tune. A cold air intake allows the turbocharger to breathe in a larger volume of air that your mass air flow sensor will not recognize outside your ECU’s factory-issued parameters. A downpipe will allow the turbo to flow more exhaust gases without turbulence so naturally the boost will increase. When the boost increases outside of your ECU’s parameters, you will hit fuel cut up top because you are running out of injector duty cycle. With these mods and without a tune, your car will misfire and buckle up top. Continue driving like this and you will detonate your pistons to a new motor.

If you have a stock Subaru, and you know for sure you will be getting larger injectors, intercooler, and all the mods to make 350+, do yourself a favor and get a COBB Accessport before anything else. Because you can get off-the-shelf MAPS for several stages of tuning levels, all that can be downloaded from COBB’s website. All of which can work with current or future mods.

 

COBB Tuning Accessport V3 2022-2024 WRX

 

 

TOO MUCH AERO

The reason why track enthusiasts keep their noses a little higher in the air is because they earned that right. The absolute best way to truly know your car is by taking it to a track day, and you will quickly feel the weight of the car, you will know the limits of your brakes and suspension, and most importantly, you will improve as a driver. Yet it takes a set of cajónes to push your car to the limit enough to warrant a larger rear spoiler to push the chassis closer to the ground at higher speeds. In fact, with racing, downforce is one of the key elements that help stick race cars to the pavement. So, when you see a stock WRX with a giant wing that expands nearly 70” wide on stock wheels and on Ling Long tires, you’re not really fooling anyone.

Now to be fair, many of us just like that race car aesthetic, and it undeniably looks cool, but you can overdo it. A giant APR GTC300 Rear Wing is certainly attention-grabbing, but doing this mod first as a first mod to the chassis might not be the best idea if you are on stock suspension and wheels.

If you have wheels that are set up on coilovers, you’re off to a great start. But let’s give you some ideas to execute a proper looking exterior.

 

FRONT LIP

OLM S208 Style Front Lip 2015-2021 STI

A simple mod that provides a lower profile to your front bumper. This front lip provides an aggressive look, and in its matte black finish and urethane construction, it can survive many of the highway’s pebbles without getting sandblasted. One of the simpler exterior mods in terms of installation without the need of a body shop, a front lip is a staple of the majority of Subarus in the race car or show car spectrum.

 

SIDE SKIRTS

OLM CS V2 Style Carbon Fiber Side Skirts 2015-2021 STI

These particular side skirts pictured above are painted Ignition Silver, they are just an example. But side skirts add an overall wider profile to your exterior, and with wider wheels and a front lip, you are evolving the exterior dynamic of your Subaru with a more attractive race-inspired look.

 

TRUNK SPOILER

OLM V Style Carbon Fiber Trunk Spoiler 2015-2021 WRX/STI

Trunk spoilers just keep the theme clean and ties the rest of your exterior mods in nicely instead of turning your Subaru into a ‘pick me’ car with an overly large wing. Simple to install, and many are just like this example with a clean glossy carbon fiber finish that complements the overall contours of your exterior.

 

THE WRONG CLUTCH

The wrong clutch will completely ruin your driving experience especially if your Subaru is a daily driver. There are 2 major factors you must consider if you are in the market for another clutch. 1, you need to consider the power levels you have, and 2, how much torque you’re making, and if you are adding any mods that will add more power or torque in the near future. And then, you need to research and choose a clutch that is the most drivable. Because there are several clutch kits available from the aftermarket that drive on/off. That term refers to the fact that you can’t slip the clutch therefore, you can’t feel the feedback. An on/off clutch kit is like a 4-puck race disc that as soon as you barely release the pedal it grabs, and you’re stalling the car all the time or you’re doing an all-wheel-drive burnout. Just wait until you must go uphill. You’ll have the e-brake up, cars behind you will be honking, you’ll be sweating with embarrassment, and you’ll not want to drive your Subaru any further.

So, let’s see what kinds of options are available for you to retain a comfortable OEM-like driving experience with the torque rating to handle more power:

 

MILD BOLT-ONS

Exedy Stage 1 Organic Clutch Kit 2004-2021 STI

 

WE’RE MAKING POWER HERE

South Bend Stage 2 Daily Clutch Kit 2015-2021 STI

 

WE’VE GOT A BUILT BLOCK AND A BIG TURBO

South Bend Stage 3 Daily Clutch Kit

 

In closing, these mods have been chosen because there are so many options. It could be very easy to choose the wrong size turbo, the wrong clutch, or terribly fitting wheels if you don’t know what you’re in for. Does it look cool parked at a Saturday night meet? Sure. Will it be drivable for daily purposes? Depends on your tolerance levels and your wallet. The point being is that you can keep things cool, but sensible is the key. Enjoying the car in comfort is key. Making your Subaru last longer on the road is key. Unless you have a purpose-built race car, you can still make great power with a custom look that can be used on a daily basis.