World One Performance Blog

Starting with the 2008 model year, Subaru changed to a new 5-door hatchback chassis for its flagship Impreza STI line.  Along with the new chassis design included a completely revamped suspension that promised to not only deliver better handling, but also a step above in ride quality over the previous model Imprezas.  The step up in ride quality cannot be questioned, however feedback from many new STI owners was that the car did not feel as responsive or crisp as the previous version STI.  With this in mind, EPIC Engineering sought to solve these issues, while still maintaining the crucial aspect of ride quality.

EPIC Engineering spent almost 10 months researching and developing a spring kit to suit the needs of the vast majority of 08+ STI owners.  This spring kit is geared primarily for daily drivers who want to get more out of their suspension, but not have to make sacrifices in daily drivability.  Multiple drivers with varying levels of driving experience helped test these springs to allow for a wide variety of viewpoints and opinions.  Lowering the car approximately one (1) inch all around with slightly less in the rear, the EPIC Engineering spring kit gives an aggressive raked stance to the car, yet still very much allows the car to clear speed bumps and steep curves with little to no problem.  The ride height is optimal for handling, which is improved through progressive spring rates and replacement bump stops.  These progressive spring rates allow for a nice and comfortable ride for the highway or daily commuting, but also provide proper stiffness and responsiveness when taking corners hard.  Body roll is all but eliminated, as is the understeer and softness of the stock setup.

For the customer who is looking for exact spring rates to match up with a custom race strut setup, these springs are not going to be the best choice.  However, for every customer who wants to push their car hard at the track, the number of customers who don’t go to the track vastly outnumber them, and that customer will find the EPIC Engineering springs perfect for their daily driven needs.  The EPIC Engineering springs inspire confidence in handling and do not make the compromises in ride quality that many other suspension setups do.  The difference is in the details.

You can purchase these springs from our website by following this link.

Couple more photos:

It’s always good to see a solid wheel company release new designs, despite how well their current designs are doing.  Volk’s G-series of 1-piece forged wheels is a welcome addition to the Volk Racing catalog, especially since the light-weight and ultra-strong 1-piece wheels were only limited to 4 different styles for over a year now, with only color variations being the only difference.  The Volk Racing G2 was the first of the G-series to be announced, and being a TE37-lover myself, this new 6-spoke, 1-piece forged wheel has me drooling.  Available colors are Formula Silver:

and Flat Black:

Currently, these wheels are only available in 19-inch and 20-inch sizes, but here are a few fitments of interest:

For 08-09 STI:  19×8.5 +35, 19×8.5 +43 5×114.3, 19×9.5 +45 5×114.3

For Evo X:  19×8.5 +35, 19×9.5 +35, 19×9.5 +23 (very aggressive)

For 350Z/G35 Coupe:  19×9.5 +23, 19×10.5 +22

For 370Z:  19×9.5 +42, 19×10.5 +22

For G37 Coupe:  19×9.5 +35, 19×9.5 +45, 19×10.5 +35

For E46 M3:  19×8.5 +35, 19×9.5 +22, 19×10.5 +25

For E90 3-series:  19×8.5 +35, 19×9.5 +35

For E92 M3:  19×9.5 +22, 19×10.5 +25

There are a few wheels in stock on our side of the Pacific, but we can always special order a set if needed.  Here’s a few sample photos on cars:

Phil from Element Tuning just recently posted up some results from a car that he tuned. The car featured an Element Tuning GT65 bolt-on turbo, Element Tuning Hydra EMS, Element Tuning Hydramist, and supporting mods. This combination helped the car reach 494 whp and 445 wtq! More information on this can be found here on NASIOC.

The GT65 bolt-on is actually the turbo we’re planning to put in our own 08 STI. Since it is a direct bolt-on turbo, there’s no need for extra piping or an external wastegate setup. You get the power of a rotated GT35R (as proven by Phil in the link above) without all the hassle of custom this and custom that. This turbo makes proven power, and can be yours for $2099 including shipping.

After a few production hiccups, we finally received the new rear prototype EPIC Engineering springs and bumpstops, and installed them onto our 08 STI. I’ve been driving the car all this week for my commute and despite the rear being just a little bit lower than previously, there hasn’t been many noticeable handling differences. Here’s how it sits now:

The ride is still extremely smooth and comfortable, in fact even more comfortable than previously when going over expansion joints on the freeway. Dan made a few adjustments to account for the little bit of oscillation he was experiencing with it when he test drove the car for a few weeks. He also put the car through its paces, testing different driving scenarios (such as free on/offramps, fast emergency lane changes, and uneven/pothole-ridden roads) to ensure the springs were doing exactly as he specified. I think with these latest changes, full production on these springs will likely be starting soon, but that’s Dan’s final call of course. Either way, I’m still beaming happy with them and I can’t wait to start selling them to fellow 08+ STI owners!