2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Given that the all-new Impreza WRX failed to pass the first round of this year's Car of the Year competition, it's no secret we're not entirely smitten with it. Sure the oomph is still there -- 224 horses and 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds-and the refinement and safety improvements represent huge leaps forward, but none of that prevented our editors from finding the Subie's styling too staid, its suspension too soft, and its fun factor too dialed back. Looking for a Legacy GT? Buy a WRX and keep the change.

Still, none of us was willing to write off Subaru's performance icon-at least not yet. Not until we'd gotten our hands on the flagship, the all-new third-generation STI, namesake of Subaru's motorsport subsidiary, Subaru Tecnica International, and the model Subaru promised would heat up our feelings from lukewarm to boiling. Following a 350-mile drive in a WRX sedan from Los Angeles to Carmel, site of the press launch of Subaru Tecnica's superstar, it took a mere 350-foot jaunt in the STI for us to become fully hot and bothered. In light of the WRX, whose controls seem slow, reacting almost a step behind, the STI converses with utter immediacy, be it through the firm, right-now steering, the larger ultraresponsive Brembo brakes, or the more precise short-throw six-speed shifter. While the WRX says, "Input received, allow for response, now proceed," the STI simply replies, "Go!" As a result, the STI feels like a flat-out driver's machine; the WRX, a swift touring car. Of course, one way to create a flat-out driver's machine is to enlist the help of a driver who routinely drives flat-out. For STI, that meant none other than Petter Solberg, Subaru's champion WRC driver, who was involved in the STI's development from day one, assisting engineers with chassis and suspension advancement.

After testing the STI over the undulating and serpentine surfaces of Carmel Valley Road and Laguna Seca racetrack, it was evident Solberg had left his mark. The STI's revised suspension-inverted struts up front, multilink in back-displays a more forgiving, compliant ride than its forebear's, while allowing the contact patches of the wider 245/40R18 Dunlops to remain more intimate with the pavement, making it easier to push when exploring 10/10ths. The new STI holds on for 0.91 g on the skidpad, which equals that of the last second-gen STI we tested (December 2005), yet it feels more relaxed maintaining that level of adhesion. Further, the stiffer structure of the new five-door -- the only body style available and one chosen for its rallying aptitude (short overhangs, body strength) -- imparts a solidity that not only shames the tin-box feel from before but also begs for aggressive maneuvers.

For such maneuvers, the STI's all-wheel-drive system and its bevy of aids, including the Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) with its nine settings (three auto, six manual), two limited-slip differentials (front helical, rear Torsen), and integrated Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), which boasts three levels of stability and traction control (full-on, less-restrictive VDC and disengaged engine-torque management, and full-off), help the driver push the envelope without needing the skills of one Petter. Further, the DCCD's auto modes-Auto, Auto Minus (for high-friction surfaces), and Auto Plus (low-friction) -- are similar to the Mitsubishi Evo's settings (tarmac, gravel, and snow) and were all we needed (or wanted) during our 1000-mile stint. For the rally nuts and techno geeks, the six manual settings can be sampled, with a maximum split of 50/50.