Keeping the tacho needle hovering in that heady region is easy because all European-spec STis get the same all-new six-speed manual box as the Japanese-market STi. It's a true sporting close-ratio box, with the top ratio chosen to achieve the car's near-as-dammit 150mph top speed right on the engine's 6,000rpm power peak.
Designed to cope with the high torque outputs of the 280bhp engine, the gearbox is designed with wider than normal gear wheels yet retains a superbly slick change quality. The new six-speeder is a welcome update, and not just for the extra ratio; the gearbox has always been the Impreza's weakest link.
Short ratios are good for acceleration, although it means that the STi just won't quite hit 60mph in second, in spite of the high-revving ability of the engine. Still, first is good enough to hit 38mph at the redline, a shift to second dropping revs to just under 5,000, well in its power band, so acceleration flows strongly until the redline at 58mph. A shift to third ensures still-eager acceleration from 5,500rpm to 78mph at the redline, where a shift to fourth drops revs to a near-peak 5,700rpm and sees the STi to over 100mph. Fifth is a slightly broader gear, a shift from the redline taking revs to 5,400 with a 142mph redline speed attainable, while sixth, pitched for maximum speed, picks up from there with 5,800 already showing. Incidentally, a bizzer and dash-mounted lamp warn when you're at redline to guard against over-reving the engine. Good news for hard-driving owners is that the point at which the buzzer rasps can be reset from the driving seat.
Gear ratio Mph/1,000rpm
1st 3.636 5.1
2nd 2.375 7.8
3rd 1.761 10.5
4th 1.346 31.7
5th 0.971 19.0
6th 0.756 24.5
Reverse 3.54
Final Drive Ratio 3.9
