Age is like a fine whiskey, and so is Alan F’s journey with his beloved Subaru Impreza WRX STi – WR1.   A boyhood dream turned reality in 2018 when Alan finally snagged the keys to his turbocharged heartthrob. The insurance premiums, once reaching for the stars, now found themselves in an earthlier orbit, thanks to the passage of time. No longer a labelled boy racer, Alan was living the dream.

Cut to a couple of years later, and the WR1 was facing the inevitable march of time, ticking away with 126k miles on the clock. A Scottish garage entered the scene, intending to perform some automotive wizardry. Alas, plans went awry, and a recovery truck became the next chariot for the WR1. 

Enter Craig D, our beloved customer and Scottish ambassador of Enginetuner. As fate would have it, Craig was hired by Alan to collect the WR1 from the garage before any further issues could take place. Upon delivering the Impreza back to Alan, Craig advised Alan that he himself has been to most places with his performance Subarus and Enginetuner was the only place he could wholeheartedly recommend.

Now, picture Alan, phone in hand, punching in Enginetuner’s digits after Craig’s hearty recommendation. General Manager Ben engaged Alan in a conversation that led to a date being marked in the diary—a date to reverse the aging process on this limited-edition Subaru Icon.  Forget Botox; the WR1 was in for a rejuvenating cocktail of a 2.1 stroker conversion, engineering finesse, and a dash of performance upgrades, making the Impreza the Benjamin Button of WR1’s thanks to Chief Engineer Andy and top technician Tom.

Andy, with the precision of a surgeon, uncovered the automotive equivalent of a Hollywood botched job—a 10mm bolt masquerading as a 6mm in the left-hand head, a number of broken bolts playing hide-and-seek, and a touch of cracked heads for dramatic effect. Thankfully we were able to supply a set of brand new JDM big port cylinder heads to get us on our way. With the block stripped, overhauled, and stroker conversion complete, the WR1 was primed ready for its new lease of life.

Our talented Tom drew his attention to the chassis to rectify sub-par repairs that took pace earlier in the WR1’s life. The rear diff was removed, checked, and re-set up with new gaskets and seals. While the diff was out, we replaced all of the rear brake lines from wonky insecure copper to genuine Subaru with new anchor clips. We took this opportunity to install an RCM fuel pump with one of our Enginetuner in-tank baffle kits, ahead of Alan driving the vehicle hard around the twisty Scottish highlands.

With our brief of ‘A responsive fast road car between 400 – 500 BHP, we opted to convert the WR1 to a fully twin scroll setup. Our Enginetuner twin scroll GT3076 matched with an RCM fuel system means we can deliver exactly that. A Process West front mount intercooler spec’d also means we’re not concerned with high intake temperatures. To keep everything under control a Link G4X PnP ECU paired with an Enginetuner Driver Display Unit were installed along with a rotary map switch allowing the screen to control launch control and anti-lag.

What’s power without being able to stop? Next up, a set of 365mm Alcon’s transformed the WR1’s stopping power, ensuring that the adrenaline rush has a pause button. After 1000 miles of running the car in we were able to carry out our final checks and adjustments before tuning the Mona Lisa that we have created.

On the dyno, Martyn, the mapping maestro, crafted bespoke maps via the newly installed Link G4X. The result? Exactly what we set out to achieve, 450 BHP on 99 ron pump fuel. Alan, over the moon with this asked the age-old question, what else can I do for some more? We discussed using methanol in conjunction with 99ron fuel and Alan gave us the nod. With the Flex fuel kit installed, we headed back into the dyno cell where Martyn was able to achieve a staggering 505bhp!

Alan’s WR1 had not just defied age; it had become a phoenix rising from the ashes, ready to scorch the tarmac with newfound vigour.

So, what’s the moral of the story? With age comes wisdom, and with Enginetuner’s wisdom, your car can defy the sands of time, turning every drive into a blockbuster-worthy adventure. Cheers to Alan F and his immortal WR1!