It's one thing to get freebies but to earn the wage of a waitress just because your car is so damn hot is taking the game to another level. Kind of like Tron shooting up the Technicolor tube after he shoots his way through to it.
This car is not a trailer bitch. Ferdie takes this car to the track on a regular basis. The suspension has been corner-balanced to ensure superb handling characteristics. Which brings us to the meat and potatoes of the car.
While Ferdie started out with just the aforementioned strut tower bar, the chassis has since eceived considerable attention. The spec list for the suspension reads like a private party at Cusco. A V-brace, rear strut bar, and sway bars front and back hail from this company. Others invited to this little suspension soiree include the very dear Do-Luck. They supplied an aluminum subframe and floor support bar. (Barely) soaking up the bumps is a set of A'PEXi N1 coil-overs. JDM STi trailing arms and lateral links ensure proper geometry at this significantly lowered ride height. Attached to the springs is a set of 18x10 DPE RO7 rims with 265/35-18 Yokohama Parada Spec-2 tires.
The tires put down a healthy dose of power, measured officially at 450hp. As mentioned, the road to this figure was long and varied with many changes along the way. At the end of the turbo trail, Ferdie ended up with a GT35R hybrid. The turbo is positioned tilted to the side so it requires a special manifold from 5Zigen to push air into the 2.2-liter block. The tilted position of the turbo allows for a more direct intake path while also avoiding the heat soak inherent in standard intakes with two or more bends.
This bigger block that replaced the stock 2.0 liter is even stronger thanks to rock-solid internals like JE forged pistons and Zero/Sports rods. Sebastien Draeger of South Coast Performance (where Ferdie just happens to be a product manager) did some of the motor work such as installing the Walbro fuel pump, the fuel rail, and the APS front-mount intercooler along with a full exhaust system from the same company. The car idled poorly after the 800cc injectors were installed but a redo of the fuel map using a Cobb Access ECU smoothed things out right quick. The spec list for the motor goes on for days and is only dwarfed by the fact that Ferdie is presently tuning a 2.8-liter twin-turbo motor approaching 900hp.
While both of these motors are impressive, they don't hold a candle aesthetically to the body. The widebody kit is from Chargespeed. This Japanese kit is very hard to acquire, right now there are only three in the world. One's in Florida, one's in L.A., and the third is in Japan. While this rare kit adds a very aggressive element to the car, it isn't a gross overstatement nor does it muddy up the Scooby's clean lines. A Do-Luck carbon-fiber wing provides downforce at high speeds while the carbon-fiber hood and trunk from Seibon add both fashion and function by reducing weight and providing a lovely woven texture to admire as the venomous combination of speed and prowess storms by in the afternoon sunlight.
While the motor and body kit are more than impressive, Ferdie's favorite modification resides in the cabin. While the rollcage from M1 Development along with numerous gauges adds to the race feel, the Stack steering is the real deal. The wheel comes with a sensor that can be placed on the track to measure 0-60 times or lap times. Not only is the wheel expensive at $4,000, it is very hard to obtain. One has to know the right person in the right place. Looks like our man Ferdie is pretty well connected.
By now you're salivating and dreaming about wrapping your grubby paws around what could be the coolest steering wheel in the world and driving this all-wheel terror. Well you can ... just pick up the video game.
Engine
2.2L block
JE forged pistons
Zero/Sports rods
APS front-mount intercooler
GT35R hybrid turbo
APS fuel rail
APS blow-off valve
C&R radiator
CF alternator cover
Zero/Sports oil cap
Prova radiator cap
Zero/Sports radiator shroud
Prova clutch cap
Prova brake cap
Prova carbon-fiber hood damper
GReddy catch can
Samco turbo inlet hose
Samco radiator hose
CyberSpeed voltage kit
5Zigen exhaust manifold
TurboXS dual boost controller
PE 800cc injectors
Exhaust
APS turbo-back system
APS high-flow turbo outlet
APS up pipe
Kartboy teflon hangers
Drivetrain
Zero/Sports gearset
ACT clutch
ACT flywheel
Suspension
A'PEXi N1 coil-overs
Gruppe-N engine mounts
Gruppe-N tranny mount
Cusco front and rear sway bars
Prodrive aluminum front strut bar
Cusco rear strut bars
Cusco V-brace
JDM STi lateral links
JDM STi trailing arms
Do-Luck floor support bar
Do-Luck aluminum subframe
Brakes
Rotora 6-piston front brake kit
Rotora 4-piston rear brake kit
Exterior
Chargespeed widebody kit
Do-Luck carbon-fiber wing
Seibon carbon-fiber hood
Seibon carbon-fiber trunk
Ganador CF mirrors (JDM)
JDM Subaru side visor
Interior
Zero/Sports gauge cluster
CF center gauge pod
A'PEXi gauges
Recaro 5 speed seats
Willans 5-point harness
M1 Development rollcage
JVC camera
JDM STi floor mats
JDM STi door sills
STi shifter trim
PSI 3 ECU monitor
Stack steering wheel
Splash quick-release hub with lock
Momo F1 shift knob
Momo e-brake handle
CF trim bezel
Audio
Kenwood 910 DVD unit
Kenwood DVD/MP3 changer
Polk 10" Momo subwoofer (2)
Polk/Momo MMC6500 components
Polk/Momo C500.1 amplifier
Polk/Momo C400.4 amplifier
Wheels and Tires
DPE R07 18x10
Yokohama Parada Spec-2 265/35-18
Sponsors
Zero/Sports, Seibon, Yokohama, MOB Works, M1 Development, Do-Luck, Recaro, South Coast Performance, Sun Auto USA, Nitrous Express, Torco, Meguiar's, DPE.