Subaru Liberty GT: Tuned by STI

Motoring Channel Staff - 16/Apr/2007

Melbourne, Australia — Meet the scorching new Liberty Turbo that's for Australia only. Subaru has created one of these models before, first seen in 2005, and now fans of Subaru's boxer engine performance will be pleased to know that a new limited edition Liberty model with almost as much power as the WRX STI is now on sale - albeit in limited numbers.

Just 300 units of the Subaru Liberty GT STI have gone on sale this month in both wagon and sedan formats and in both manual and automatic transmission, and they are priced from $65,990.

Nick Senior, Subaru Australia's managing director, had this to say about the special new model: "Our tuned by STI special edition vehicles have been very well received by customers. This is reflected in both initial sales and, later on, in resale values for these premium sports vehicles.

"We’ve created a niche for locally tuned performance vehicles. This has been made possible through continued support from Fuji Heavy Industries and our local engineers who spend months testing and perfecting these vehicles for Australian conditions," mentioned Senior.

With a comprehensive list of mechanical and cosmetic enhancements, features of the new Subaru Liberty GT STI include an upgrade in power, from 184 to 194kW @ 6000rpm. This was possible via recalibrating the ECU software and adding a different exhaust system, and peak torque is up by a significant11Nm, now offering 350Nm kicking in earlier @ 2800rpm.

Subaru explains that buyers who choose the manual version will benefit from a 6-speed STI short shift gear lever, while automatic models get a revised transmission control unit (TCU) producing a faster, sportier response, and all models are equipped with Subaru's Intelligent Drive system that allows drivers to switch between sports and economy engine modes via a small dial near the gear shifter.

Rolling stock includes attractively styled 18-inch STI Enkei lightweight alloy wheels that are fitted with with Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tyres, which the company says will increase road feel and provide ultimate grip, particularly in wet conditions. As well as the uprated wheels and tyres, Bilstein sports tuned dampers matched to STI lowered springs result in a firmer, sportier ride with improved handling, which will appeal to driving enthusiasts, while pillow-ball bush suspension components (again provided by STI) are claimed to make improvements to steering response, ride and handling.

Taking care of slowing the Liberty STI down are Brembo performance brakes, which as most car enthusiasts know are some of the best brakes in the automotive world, and can help to reduce brake fade and maximise stopping power even during.

As well as the engine and chassis revisions, the limited edition Subaru Liberty has been given a sportier, more assertive look. It has a number of exterior upgrades that include an STI front lip spoiler with which to scrape on the driveway, and there's also unique model badging and a pair of STI twin tip sports mufflers that help enhance exhaust flow, provide better turbo response and a sportier sound. Though wagon versions won't get one, thesedan features an STI rear boot spoiler.

The interior of the special edition cars are tailored to provide a sports-luxury feel, comprising supportive leather seats (with 8-way power adjustable driver's seat with dual memory settings), a tilt-slide sunroof, and apremium interior 14-speaker McIntosh sound system, with 6-stack in dash CD player with MP3 and WMA compatibility.

Liberty GT tuned by STI is available in two colours: Obsidian Black - with a limited number featuring charcoal wheels - and Brilliant Silver with brushed silver wheels.

Only 300 of these individually numbered Libertys are being produced and will be on sale in April. 

Related articles:
- Subaru Impreza WRX sedan (2008)
- Subaru Tribeca (2008)
- Subaru Impreza WRX (Road Test)
- Subaru Forester XT (Road Test)
- Subaru WRX - Tuned by STI (2007)
- Subaru Develops Diesel Boxer Engine (2007)
- Subaru Liberty Blitzen (2006)