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History of the 2.5 RS, the WRX, and Subaru in general?

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4.5K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  wilkinru  
J
#1 ·
Hi, I'm a noob on the thread.
I've been obsessed with the WRX and STI for ever, but just recently discovered the 2.5 RS. I had seen a few of them here and there but just thought they were a normal 2.5 liter Impreza.
I want to know some about the history of it. When did the 2.5 RS start in the US? Why are there no new ones? Was it replaced by the WRX after victories in the rally? Why was the 2.0 Turbo not used in the RS? In fact why do barely any Subarus in the US have it?. What are the differences between the old 2000's WRX and the old 2000's RS? Which car model years used the GC8 chassis and when did the switch to the GD8 chassis?
I looked around on the forum and on the web but couldn't find anything. that answers my question.

Thanks guys, if there is a thread already about this that i missed please point me to it.

There links were good, i found them in another thread but they seldom ever mention the 2.5 RS

History of the Subaru Impreza - WRX STI Prodrive PPP WRC Colin McRae, Richard Burns, McRae Series, Terzo, Catalunya, 22B, P1, UK300, WR1, RB5 - ScoUK.net
NorthUrsalia.com: Impreza Model History
 
#2 · (Edited)
When did the 2.5 RS start in the US?
Model year 1998

Why are there no new ones?
There are, they are just not labeled as the RS anymore

Was it replaced by the WRX after victories in the rally?
Nope,the WRX was and is a different trim level that was always sold and came to the US once Subaru saw that the we actually wanted it. I don't think it had very much to do with rally victories.

Why was the 2.0 Turbo not used in the RS?
Because that would have made it a WRX/STi and thus not a 2.5 RS.

In fact why do barely any Subarus in the US have it?
As far as i know, because Americans seems to have this mental block about displacement and torque. The majority would much rather a beefier low end, then a hair on fire fire top end. The 2.5 motors don't rev as high as the 2.0s, but seems to always have a higher, more stable torque curve.

I also think it was (and still may be) a subtle way of keeping America the hell away from WRC where the rules used to require no more than 2.0L motor.

What are the differences between the old 2000's WRX and the old 2000's RS?
A LOT, you should be able to find this info everywhere. But for the part that matters... GC WRX/STis have about double the horsepower of RS' among many other things.

Which car model years used the GC8 chassis and when did the switch to the GD8 chassis?
In the US the GC chassis was used from models years 1993-2001. Switched the to GD chassis in model year 2002 and was used until model year 2007. GR's from 2008-now.

Hope that clears stuff up, here are a few more websites to tickle your brain:

The Subaru Impreza Bible by Frank Gpfert - All special editions - P1 22B WR1 Prodrive S201 S202 S203 S204 R205 S206 S207 Electra One Cosworth CS400

Which Car is a WRX STi

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