As I put in the tracking # for our first set of prototype lowering springs for the 08 STI, I started thinking about what matters most to you guys(GR's)?
Does that single, typical slow motion "look back" as you walk away from your car matter the most OR..does the way it handles as you brake fight a BMW or Porsche onto your favorite exit ramp with ABS engaged and stability turned off.
I know there isnt a time( dirty or clean) that I didnt do the "look back" as I walked into the store, or just away from my car. Its what guys do. Chics get pissed too !! They cant understand WHY we have to look at it all day long etc. THey also dont see the reason and or purpose in taking a corner fast, or lifting the inside wheel on corner exit of a nice uphill 270 degree corner !!
Point is the GR is a great looking car YET.....doesnt like to be lowered and while the lowered stance has been the visual benchmark of excellence amoungst car guys around the world, vendors like TIC have educated the Subaru communityon travel and geometry etc. So now we all know that lowered doesnt = faster with this car. We now know that this car is travel challenged etc. So how do we handle this issue? I am getting to that.
I get calls from people who say....." yeah dude..I lowered my car 1inch and it pushes and then has snap oversteer.." Or that it rides rough. As I visualize the car at static ride height lowered 25mm its basically on the bump stops. I dont understand HOW or why some of the spring companies have produced springs that lower 30MM !!
Yeah I guess it does push. Keep in mind the GR STI sits "nice" stock, and with 2 people and a full tank of gas looks even better. So how much lower does it really need to be? If you are 18 and you drive with your left hand at 12 o clock on the steering wheel, leaning with the seat back and your right hand on the shifter,....then 9 times out of 10, you want your car DUMPED.( forgive me if you drive that way and are a national autocross champion). Point is we have had an overhwhelming # of request and interest in the functional springs and we value your feedback very much.
ANyway this isnt a technical thread at all..yet a feedback thread. We think we have found the middle ground of functional and maybe "some" looks. Monday we should get our proto's and with a little bit of luck, we will find a local donor to install these on and do impressions and pics etc.
I will reveal the spring rates, lowering amount, the fact that it comes with front and rear bump stops( shortened and firmer), price point, color and real time production completion.
Question is:
What matters more? Looks or function?
Our objective was simply this:
You talked your wife/mom/ GF/Fiancee'/partner/bank loan rep......into you getting an 08 or 09 STI. Times are tough, coilovers are out of the budget..but you still want to hit the back roads, canyons, HPDE, and or autocross circuit. You are low on cash. You want a spring that will work well with the STOCK shocks. Yet you dont want to scrape going into your Uncles driveway..or your local shops alignment rack etc. You want a spring that will with some nice GR toppings( sways, group-N mounts, ALK, rear camber kit, pitch stop) will transform your car. You want a spring that WONT alarm your prick haven dealership that you "modified" your suspension. You want a spring that your wife/mom/ GF/Fiancee'/partner wont notice either. You want a spring that will look barely lowered YET..out performs a cheap coilover !
We hope this to be the 18 month stepping stone to a good set of dampers.
We hope to provide that.
Feedback please.
Myles Williams
Does that single, typical slow motion "look back" as you walk away from your car matter the most OR..does the way it handles as you brake fight a BMW or Porsche onto your favorite exit ramp with ABS engaged and stability turned off.
I know there isnt a time( dirty or clean) that I didnt do the "look back" as I walked into the store, or just away from my car. Its what guys do. Chics get pissed too !! They cant understand WHY we have to look at it all day long etc. THey also dont see the reason and or purpose in taking a corner fast, or lifting the inside wheel on corner exit of a nice uphill 270 degree corner !!
Point is the GR is a great looking car YET.....doesnt like to be lowered and while the lowered stance has been the visual benchmark of excellence amoungst car guys around the world, vendors like TIC have educated the Subaru communityon travel and geometry etc. So now we all know that lowered doesnt = faster with this car. We now know that this car is travel challenged etc. So how do we handle this issue? I am getting to that.
I get calls from people who say....." yeah dude..I lowered my car 1inch and it pushes and then has snap oversteer.." Or that it rides rough. As I visualize the car at static ride height lowered 25mm its basically on the bump stops. I dont understand HOW or why some of the spring companies have produced springs that lower 30MM !!
Yeah I guess it does push. Keep in mind the GR STI sits "nice" stock, and with 2 people and a full tank of gas looks even better. So how much lower does it really need to be? If you are 18 and you drive with your left hand at 12 o clock on the steering wheel, leaning with the seat back and your right hand on the shifter,....then 9 times out of 10, you want your car DUMPED.( forgive me if you drive that way and are a national autocross champion). Point is we have had an overhwhelming # of request and interest in the functional springs and we value your feedback very much.
ANyway this isnt a technical thread at all..yet a feedback thread. We think we have found the middle ground of functional and maybe "some" looks. Monday we should get our proto's and with a little bit of luck, we will find a local donor to install these on and do impressions and pics etc.
I will reveal the spring rates, lowering amount, the fact that it comes with front and rear bump stops( shortened and firmer), price point, color and real time production completion.
Question is:
What matters more? Looks or function?
Our objective was simply this:
You talked your wife/mom/ GF/Fiancee'/partner/bank loan rep......into you getting an 08 or 09 STI. Times are tough, coilovers are out of the budget..but you still want to hit the back roads, canyons, HPDE, and or autocross circuit. You are low on cash. You want a spring that will work well with the STOCK shocks. Yet you dont want to scrape going into your Uncles driveway..or your local shops alignment rack etc. You want a spring that will with some nice GR toppings( sways, group-N mounts, ALK, rear camber kit, pitch stop) will transform your car. You want a spring that WONT alarm your prick haven dealership that you "modified" your suspension. You want a spring that your wife/mom/ GF/Fiancee'/partner wont notice either. You want a spring that will look barely lowered YET..out performs a cheap coilover !
We hope this to be the 18 month stepping stone to a good set of dampers.
We hope to provide that.
Feedback please.
Myles Williams