STi typeRA will come out again in December with ligther chasis, even more powerful engine. Of course I am talking about Japanese market, so won't affect our lives much....
Currently type-RA is not offered over there.

it seems like car companies dont usualy like to bring there top models, for instance, the sti was out when the wrx came here, so hopefully this might affect likelyness that the sti will come here:) i hope.
any opinions????

I'm thinking maybe they dont import their best cars becuase of stricter emissions rules in the US and the lack of high octane gas in the US (I think Japan has 95 or 98 octane gas as the highest grade)

um.. in the old GC8 .. the type RA was a couple right?... there is no coupe GDA... so .. shouldn't it be a type R?

opposite, type-r was the coupe and type-ra was the sedan in GC8

The RA's not top of the line, it's a stripped down version that's easy to convert for racing. Not a common practice in the US market, except maybe for the Type-R.

how can it have a more powerful engine, they're already at the limit. or do you mean more torque?

i always thought they had the same engine...but they just stripped it down a lot, made it way lighter, hence that much faster...

It's stripped down with the same engine (STi)and its a wagon (the new version). I have a video tape of it and it is Bad ass.

its a wagon (the new version).
??? I don't understand...
type-RA is only in sedan.
The engine is the same as STi in current generation. but next one might be different.
Type-RA used to have more power than plain WRX in early GC8.

To clarify, these were the models in GC8.
WRX
WRX type-RA
WRX type-R
WRX STi
WRX STi-typeRA
WRX-SA
WRX wagon
WRX wagon STi
22B STi
and bunch of limited editions..

Currently the turbo Impreza line up is.. (GD/GG)

WRX NB
WRX STi
WRX STi prodrive style
Impreza 20K
Impreza STi wagon
and STi typeRA will come back in December.

Did I say wagon? Oops...that's the STi wagon but it is still bad ass.

It will come out next month
it is light weight version
Subframe removed, thinner glasses, thinner sheet metal.
No airbag, no AC, no stereo.
Stronger powerunit and transmission.
expected to be around 1350kg

no way.... no airbags? can it be sold in USDM?

Type-RA never had airbags. So were Lancer Evolution RS and Civic typeR motorsports version.
12/6 is the day it is likely to come out, and might be called STi TypeRA Spec-C.

no way.... no airbags? can it be sold in USDM?

Nope, no way. All new US cars must have an airbag.

For emissions, you can always add catalytic converters, but the trick with importing a car isn't emissions, it's the crash tests. I am thinking that the subframe removal, thinner glasses, and thinner sheet metal means there is no way the car can pass any of the DOT safety tests.

But then, who'd want to use the RA for their commute :D

go go go, there never was a WRX type-R, only WRX STi-type-R :)

If the TypeRA does get an update in Dec, expect the rest of the WRX line to get an update too.

i have photographic evidence that there already was a type RA released in the new body style. this photo circulated the boards just after the release in japan comparing a v6 type RA to a v7. its obviously an STi, but note the roof vents, only the RAs got those. the v6 also has them. for those who think i'm lying about when i got the photo, not the front bumper, its a 2001 not the 2002 which sticks out more by the grill. see my next post for a piccy of a MY01 STi taken at a dealership in japan by one of the speacialstage.com guys.

here's the MY01 STi in japan. note the lack of roof vents, the same front bumper as the white STi in the previous post, and the same style lisence plate as the v6, indicating that both these pictures are from japan.

help us to even get the STI here and go to imprezawrxSTI.com (http://www.imprezawrxsti.com) subaru is watching over it.:D

clement>
you are right, there was no WRX type-R. I was misunderstanding.

10th warrier>
Yes, there was a STi typeRA in new bodystyle at the moment of the new-age Impreza release. But Subaru discontinued it shortly after. Right now there is no TypeRA offered. Go to SOJ Subaru website, you'll find only WRX NB, WRX STi and Prodrive style.
The reason Subaru discontinued RA was because Lancer came out with EVO7 cheaper, lighter, and faster. TypeRA wasn't competitive in domestic race and rally. The new typeRA is the new weapon for Subaru to compete with EVO7RS.

go go go-thanks for clearing that up.

go go go-thanks for clearing that up. now if only i could find/afford an STi v6 type RA in gunmetal *drool*

do you mean this?! :)

well, this is only a V5, but close enough :D
http://members.telocity.com/~JGard18/v5ra.jpg

yup, that's the one. as far as i know, the only diffs between v5 and v6 are the rims (MY00-01 RS rims here, except gold of course) and the wing has a higher angle of attack.

btw JGard18, you owe me a new pair of boxers for posting that :p they're all sticky now

Type-RA never had airbags.

IIRC, GC8 RA's did in fact have airbags. As for differences between the V5 and V6, it's more than just the wing and the wheels. There were some minor engine differences, I think related to cool, but very, very minor.

i was also under the impression that the Type RA never had airbags, either...

maybe it was just the 22B, without airbags??

Not sure about the 22B, although it did have a Nardi wheel which was pretty skinny, so maybe the driver didn't get an airbag. I've also noticed that plenty of JDM STi's (even new ones) don't have PASSENGER bags, but they always have driver. It is possible the RA's didn't have passenger bags, but I am 100% positive they had driver bags. I've seen one in the flesh; well, what was left of one anywa.

Maximum is right, I was wrong. I did look for information and found that late model GC8 type-RA did have airbag in driver side and the passenger side was optional.
The new-age Impreza typeRA (GDB) had both airbags standard.
22B has NARDI steering wheel with STi logo on the center, and it doesn't have airbag on either side

it'll come out tomorrow
the name is
"STi typeRA spec-C"
90kg of lightening.

"WRX NB-R"
will come out too.
This one has 17inch rims and 4pot on non-STi WRX.

why spec c? maybe just to rhyme with spec v :)

http://www.fhi.co.jp/news/01_10_12/img/1206_02.jpg

more info.
No subframe
No airbags(both driver and passenger)
new camshaft
new turbo (vf34?), now it is ball bearing
new ECU
new intake manifold
Potenza RE070 tires
intercooler water tank 3 times bigger
baffle plate in the fuel pump
intercooler water tank in the trunk
13:1 quick ratio stearing
BBS forged 17 inch rims with brembo (tarmac version)
or 16inch steel wheels with DCCD (variable center diff)

90Kg lighter
Now, it's 10kg lighter than EVO7RS

wow, that thing's sweet. Yet another kick-ass Subie we'll probably never see :(

Looks like it has no fog lights too...

i believe that it does have fog lights, just (CF?) covers as well. that is badass. *sigh* i wish i could have gotten roof vents instead of the sun roof.

Hmm... very interesting. Can the STi typeRA spec-C finally be the Impreza that beats the EVO RS? Maybe :)

And yeah what's with spec-C, are they going to make spec-B, spec-A, spec-A+ etc too? :D

No fog lights in there, just a hole.
I think spec-C means Competition version.
I'm trying to find a pic with steal wheel on it. It's gonna be funny looking.

go go go: do you have any more info on this new camshaft?

wow, not even foglight covers!? now i have taken a closer look at the jpg and indeed they are just holes. i know the GC8 RAs had the covers at least and i had assumed foglights, but i don't know, did they?

here's the SOJ official website
http://210.254.95.20/showroom/imp_sti_ra/
http://210.254.95.20/showroom/imp_sti_ra/img/car_s.jpg
WRX STi type-RA spec-C with steal wheels!!
and here's the BBS rims. 2kg/rim lighter than stock STi rim
http://210.254.95.20/showroom/imp_sti_ra/img/taiya.jpg

granted, i only can read katakana, but the first word on that page is competition (i think :D ), so i'm guessing that's what the spec-c part stands for. it is kinda lame that it only comes in "pure white" i miss gunmetal :(

I'm in love. It sucks that we'll never see it in the US.

I love the new steering wheel.

http://210.254.95.20/showroom/imp_sti_ra/img/ph011.jpg

I remember momo releasing a wheel similar to that a few years ago...the name of it escapes my memory.

go go go: when referring to the metal, it's "Steel", not "steal" ;)

as for that steering wheel, it's the same as many of the STi's steering wheels of years past.

thanks for the spell check.
I think I used steal instead of steel in my whole English wrinting experience to today :eek:

I am planning on putting a GC STi ver. 6 RA tranny into my new style US spec WRX. Does anyone have pics of the DCCD switch from the GC RA? Does anyone know if the blank switch cutouts are the same on the new and old impreza? This is a stupid minor point but I would like to be able to fit the switch into the factory location. Thanks.
-Mike