Subaru decided to steal some of the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX's thunder this week by announcing the fitment of free power upgrades for all Impreza WRXs and STis sold during the months of May, June and July.

We've tested the Impreza WRX STi Type-UK fitted with the Prodrive Performance Pack, and its 301bhp and 299lb.ft of torque is well worth having, producing an eyeball-stretching 0-60mph time of just 4.6 seconds, 0-100mph in 12.2 seconds and if you are intent on throwing away your licence it will supposedly exceed 155mph.

The more modest WRX gets its own Prodrive Performance Pack, raising peak power to a respectable 261bhp, backed up by peak torque of 257lb.ft. It isn't far behind the ballistic Type-UK in acceleration terms, with 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds and 0-100mph in 14.1 seconds, showing that the STi version really gets in its stride further up the speed range. The beauty of the regular WRX is of course its relative subtlety, and it can be specified as a four-door saloon or the quirky 5-door.

Costing £26,400 on-the-road, the WRX STi Type-UK undercuts the new Mitsubishi Evo IX FQ-300 by £1,600, though if you were paying for the full PPP, then the Subaru would be a little more expensive. The Impreza WRX saloon is £20,300, with an extra £500 for the 5-door version.

Shane O' Donoghue - 5 May 2005