The all-new Subaru WRX STI is dubbed as a core vehicle for the Japanese carmaker as it will shape out the future of Subaru. Just recently, the sports sedan found itself in a standing mile drag race against the luxurious Porsche Cayman.
You can check out the race clip here and it is best to do it now to avoid the spoilers below.
When looking at the competitors, the WRX STI is the cheaper of the two. It retails at $38,190 and is powered by a 2.5L turbocharged F4 engine that operates on the AWD system. The power mill is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and it comes with 305hp and 290 lbs-ft of torque. The car weighs 3367lb and has a top speed of
Then there is the Porsche Cayman that cost almost twice as much as the WRX STI. Retailing at $70,160, the Cayman is powered by a 2.7L F-6 engine that is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. This translates to 275hp and 213 lbs-ft of torque. The Cayman weighs 3059lb and has a top speed of 165hp.
On papers, the Cayman is the weaker of the two but the race tells a different story. At launch, the WRX STI created a big gap by sprinting far ahead of the Cayman. This is owed to the AWD system, which ensures a quick launch. The WRX STI clocked 13.8 seconds on the quarter mile mark with a speed of 101.9mph. The Cayman stands behind at 14.2 seconds with a speed of 101.2mph.
Then the unexpected happens. The Cayman eventually started to close in the gap rapidly while the WRX STI looks as if it is approaching its limit. The end result saw both vehicles completing the race in 35.8 seconds. However, the Cayman recorded a higher speed of 140.4mph while the WRX STI finished at 135.2mph.
The Cayman might not have more power but the fact that it is lightweight and aerodynamic makes it easier to accelerate at high speeds. There is simply too much drag with the WRX STI. Then again, the latter deserves some applause for giving the Cayman a run for its money.
