Given the Impreza is such a great car in standard form, you might be wondering why anyone would possibly consider modifying them. Granted, you will be in heaven for the first weeks or months of Impreza ownership, but you'll eventually start to get the measure of the car (or to think you are, anyway!) and you'll miss the thrill you felt when you first got the car. Don't feel guilty - it's human nature to want more! - and there are several areas where significant improvements can be made if you enjoy your driving. Take for example the most shockingly unattractive alloy wheels fitted as standard to the pre '98 models, the inadequate lighting, the unsupportive seats (pre '97), the somewhat spongy and fade-prone brakes, and the suspension which is a bit woolly on the limit.
These shortcomings, combined with the fact that the engine responds particularly well to minor changes to the exhaust and air filters, means there is now a fast growing industry responding to the needs of Impreza owners throughout the world.
One of the best modifications available for the Impreza is the quick-shift gear change mechanism. Available from Prodrive (via your local Subaru dealer) or GGR, the completely new linkage mechanism transforms both the operation and feel of gear changes. A cheap modification that makes the gear change quicker, more precise and adds a general sporty feel to driving the car. Probably the most common accessory on pre '98 cars (the standard linkage was improved on '98 cars and is not a quickshift, but is better).
Note: On pre-'97 cars the gearbox was a single-synchro design, and so with a quickshift it's possible to "beat the gearbox"
Other modifications include:
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