Mighty Imprezzive

Traction control has helped to steer Subaru's Impreza into a very sought after spot. ALASTAIR SLOANE looks at the car's status.

Racing driver Greg Murphy was right at home behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 at a drive day at Pukekohe last year.

He switched the traction control button on and off to get a seat-of-the-pants feel for the rear-drive car, braking later and taking a different line into corners with the button on than he did with it off.

Just experimenting, nothing overly quick, just man and one of the most desirable machines having fun.

Traction control has taken on a whole new meaning for the Melbourne-based New Zealander.

He so much liked the four-wheel-drive WRX Subaru STi Impreza he drove in Sydney the other day that he rushed out to buy one.

Now, as he gets to grips with the car's slingshot acceleration and prodigious grip, he can fiddle with the button that proportions drive to the front and rear wheels - traction control with a difference.

Murphy will be one of only 399 STi owners in Australia. The car must be built to Australian Design Rule standards (ADR), which means special production runs. This is unlike New Zealand, which taps into production for the domestic Japanese market.

"They got 399 STi Imprezas and that's their lot," said Subaru New Zealand general manager Wally Dumper.

"We can continue to buy them ad infinitum within the domestic production-run parameters, whereas the Australians will have to have another special build done and it's unlikely that will happen for at least another year."

New Zealand's allocation of STi models is restricted to a further 40 this year, or two more 20-unit production runs. The cars costs $56,800.

But none of the STi models selling in New Zealand has had the fuel problems experienced by the ADR cars. Subaru Australia has admitted that the car is sensitive to changes in the octane levels of premium unleaded fuel.

The car's computerised engine management system adjusts the combustion timing according to fuel quality.

But Subaru has found that a combination of low-grade fuel, hot weather and high engine revs can seriously damage the high-performance turbocharged engine.

"Pinging," where the engine isn't getting enough fuel or is getting fuel with insufficient octane levels, has led to piston meltdown when the STi has been driven near the rev limit.

The ADR car has not being modified to suit Australian fuel, the quality of which varies considerably. It is understood that part of the ADR deal with Japan was to make few mechanical changes.

Subaru Australia has looked at fuel additives or detuning the STI engine computers. But this would lessen the value of the car, which offers the best bang for your buck in the world today.

On the overall Subaru sales side, Wally Dumper is basking in the knowledge that New Zealand 1998 sales were up 49 per cent over 1997.

This was the second-best improvement for Subaru outside Israel, which boosted sales by more than 60 per cent.

"I'm very conservative in the way I order the cars," Dumper said.

"I don't want to oversupply the market, I don't want excess stock hanging around. I'd rather have Subaru owners appreciating the car.

"It's a good thing because it makes sure the cars remain special. But it's a bad thing if you want more units."