SoSuMi

Yeah, the sedan is much improved with spoiler reduction surgery. I've always had a thing for the STI. It's a car with an atitude.

MadMadS4

Here, I found the details and it wasn't stock:

http://www.ausringers.com/2010/06/10...ng-record.html

MAJOR ADDED FEATURES TO THE TEST VEHICLE:

R205 model items (R205 is a special edition for Japan market).
Bigger turbocharger
Six-pot brake callipers
Flexible tower bar
Front lip spoiler

spec C model items (spec C is a special edition for Japan market).
Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tyres
Aluminum hood

Safety equipment
Full-bucket seat
Roll cage
Five-point safety belts

Advanced items
Under cover
Aluminium fenders

MadMadS4

Side note: the GTR topped the ZR1 recently, by 2 seconds!

Sorry - I'm keeping track of the Nurburgring laps - the GTR vs ZR1 vs GT2 pretty closely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCrburgring_lap_times

When are we gonna have a B8 S4 on there?

zillmc

Yah wish we'd see some B8 S4s on the nurburgring. The new Viper just waxed all three, new GTR, ZR1, and GT2. The GT2 RS and Viper ACR are the trend setters atm.

h82bslow

What was impressive back in the day (well really not that long ago) when the B7 RS4 was the fastest four-door around Green Hell. Then Porsche and the rest of the world when apes**** crazy for lap times and comparing their cars to others, and thus began some of the greatest Internet discussion and debacles the world has ever seen. From Audi, BMW, and Mercedes forums to American boards, and especially any sort of Japanese related board, everyone had something to say or their own theory to state.

The point of all this is...take this lap and PR campaign/stunt as exactly what it is. A publicity stunt. Subaru needs to sell cars, just like every other auto manufacturer out there. This 'lap time' set by this specific Subie is impressive indeed, but they needed to do it with a FACTORY stock vehicle. Just like many people like to say, comparing apples to oranges ain't fair, and especially when it comes from a manufacturer showing a heavily modified car in lieu of what their production sedan could do.

Porsche is the ultimate example of not being able to sit pretty with their results. From their stupid, own personal time trials and lap records set in a Nissan GTR, in an attempt to confirm it wasn't as fast as Nissan said, they drove it around the Nurburgring in 7:52. Mind you, 7:52. Now, if anyone else here has driven a GTR in real life, then driven other vehicles around that lap time for that track (I've never driven Green Hell myself, but it is my lifelong dream), even a non-racecar driver could tell you that the R35 GTR is a more than capable piece of machinery. Look back at those lap times and look at how Porsche progressed. From their original release of the 997 Turbo, to the 997.1 Turbo, to the 997.2 Turbo, not to mention their stock 997 GT3, 997 GT3RS, GT3.2, GT3 RS.2, 997 GT2, 997 GT2 RS...you get the picture.

I am glad the ZR1 and ACR are holding it down with their incredible lap times on that truly arduous track. But it is just one track with enormously long laps and infamously ever-changing conditions (weather, traffic, etc.) so all that must be taken into effect as well. The ACR does its lap, taking nothing away from it, with enormous amounts of downforce added by its spoiler and front lip diffuser system. The ZR1 does its lap with less aerodynamic goodies, but certainly has more than my C6 Z06 did in 2006, i.e. before the full-width rear tail spoiler. At 185 mph in that Z06, you'd get airborne.

Sorry for the long post, but I felt the need to express my own ideas and opinions about such an (in)famous track and the controversy that constantly surrounded those lap times for so long.

sf_loft

The STI is fast and c&d clocked it at 4.7 to 60. It's a very capable car and there are other cars out there that can compete with or beat the s4 at a lower price point. If I was in my early 20's and wanted the most bang for the buck, an STI would have been the choice. It's a nice car, but I don't think that I can handle the boy racer looks. That rear wing is just hideous.