With only 125 of these special edition STIs produced in Aspen white and barely 1,000 miles on the odometer, I was a little cautious about what we did with this Subie. Unfortunately, it also meant I was susceptible to a cruel April fools joke by a fellow staff member involving a picture of the car, a tree, and Photoshop.
Jokes aside, the stiffer suspension on the special edition is noticeably different from a base STI, especially at higher speeds, like a highway off-ramp or on-ramp. The car is actually pretty well balanced, and Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel-drive works like magic and holds the road extremely well without an insane amount of understeer.
For the buyer who prefers performance upgrades in place of interior amenities, this is for you. Perhaps the best part: it costs about $2000 less than a base STI. Dropped from the options list is the 6-disc CD changer, 10-speaker sound system, HID headlamps, and automatic climate control. In their place, Subaru opted for a single CD player, 4-speakers, manual air conditioning, and halogen headlamps. The entire package works quite nicely. Other color choices for the special edition include World Rally Blue Mica, Dark Gray Metallic, and Obsidian Black Pearl.
Mike Ofiara, Road Test Coordinator
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