What kind of weight savings techniques do you guys forsee on the new Ralliart? Rear seats? Aluminum roof? Lose the spare? ;p

 

Spot on. Everything is the same. The one I dont know is the injectors. RA could have smaller injectors, but cams and turbo are the only power difference and the engine and tranny are otherwise the same giving it a real advantage on the WRX for basically the same price.

300-350whp in this car will be pretty quick for 95 percent of owners. The rest are going to have to wait for another option or buy an Evo.

As for lightening, it just depends how serious you want to get. Ultimately, the evo makes a better track car and starting point, so going for all out performance the lightening measures are not going to help that much. If you are going for a drag car, the RA would make a better candidate, if it were manual (which is may well be for th 2010 model). With the 2009 RA though, anything more than the typical stff would be a bit of a waste IMO.

 

Everything that the Evos will do the Ralliart can do. CF doors/trunk, roof and hood are aluminum already IIRC, lexan windows. Gut the interior. If you really want to get serious, ditch the A/C, drill out unnecessary panels, seam weld the car, etc.

 

On a new car!? Why not buy something used for a lot less money and upgrade the performance parts while you downgrade the interior. Hell you could even stiffen up the frame while you have it ripped apart. Unless you're a sponsored rally racer or something it would be crazy to do that to a new car.

 

I second that...

 

Similar to what I was saying. Not only is it new, but its not the optimal candidate for this. Wait for a 5speed, or buy an evo if you are serious about racing.. The SST RA is just a good high value street performer with the competency for some light track duty. I would no go beyond the typical lightened evo parts, hoods, trunks, etc.

I personally feel this car is the best candidate for simple upgrades. Get it up to about 300-350whp, upgraded suspension and wheels, and some other minor stuff

 

I don't know why someone would want to push this car passed 300-350whp. That's a lot for what it came as. I understand the point of getting the most performance possible out of a car (like overclocking a computer), but your components aren't going to last as long and it will just end up costing you in the end. That's why I go for a little bit of performance over big performance upgrades. I guess i'll wait and see what people are doing. I know component companies already have these RA's... we'll have to see what they squeeze out of them.

 

So other than cams, all the other engine internals are the exact same? Forgings and castings the same as well for specific internals?

 

yes

 

Calm down, I'm just answering someone's simple question with a simple answer.

That's why, in the project thread, I said that I thought it would be best to try to make it a great handling car, rather than a big power car.

 

Okay, I'll try... You must be nuts!!

 

Well I will be one of the crazy ones that will mod the heck out of this car. I have been modding cars for couple decades now. When I get my hands on this car I will look to put down anywhere from 250 hp@wheels or maybe 300 and with some weight savings. Yeah I know it's not logical but when the hookup bug got you for many years you just can't stop. I look at it this way. I started off with Mustangs, Camaro's and cars like that and slowly moved into imports in early 2000. I would love to have the new Dodge Challenger or the new camaro coming. Gas prices is just to crazy to jump in a car like that. So in my mind I might as well have decent AWD car. I have to admit the STI seems to me a muscle car for 4 banger. I know some Motor heads fear the STI and Evo's. So thats where I am going with this car.

 

You're gonna gut the interior? That's the craziness we've been talking about. As far as "modding the heck out of this car" mods, you're only crazy if you don't have the ability to pay for repairs resulting from the mods you choose. And I definitely don't consider 250-300 whp crazy. Based on what AMS did with the MR, that sounds pretty doable. You'll definitely be able to take on stock STi's and Evo's in a straight line and maybe in the corners too. Track days will probably be a different story.

 

Straight line...defnitely. Corners and braking, probably not. The evo has a significantly different suspension. Not only does it use aluminum components, but the rear is a very different design. Combined with the extra track, bigger tires, and AYC, its a very uphill battle. You could make it pretty good, but as good as an evo will be very hard. The real winning point is evo MR engine and tranny for more than 12k less.

 

That's great! I'm getting the Ralliart for sure then.

If one was to upgrade to a bigger turbo and IC anyway, I find it a waste of money to get the Evo (which is a more expensive platform) since the RA engine is pretty much the same.

Sure the Evo 10 has a better drivetrain but if the RA uses the Evo 9 drivetrain, at least for me, that's more than enough. Throw some good coilovers and wider lighter wheels and the RA will be a great handling machine that's more than enough if you aren't a hardcore racer who does time attack events.