- 3,130
- HaylRayzor
Head-to-Head comparison of the AWD Super Touring Cars in Gran Turismo 5.
First the basics.
Mitsubishi FTO Super Touring Car
Kg 980 - 50/50
Hp 445 (471, 495)
Tq 339 (380, 366)
Aero
Front 20 (15-35)
Rear 45 (30-60)
PP 575 (586, 591)
Subaru Impreza Super Touring Car
Kg 1030 – 55/45
Hp 436 (490, 528)
Tq 412 (502, 446)
Aero
Front 20 (15-35)
Rear 45 (30-60)
PP 574 (595, 601)
If I had to choose between them based on specs I’d pick the FTO. If I had to choose based on looks I’d pick the Impreza. But looks doesn’t win races, so let’s see what I think after I drive them.
All testing will be done in completely stock configuration on race hard tires, with engine and chassis rebuilds on both cars. Transmission in manual mode and all aids off except ABS 1.
First we’re off to Route X for some speed and acceleration testing.
Pulling to the line is the FTO.
The relatively tall gears may hurt the acceleration numbers, but we’ll see.
With little wheelspin and a slight bog the FTO rips through the gears.
I do 3 runs to be sure. The numbers come out almost identical each time.
FTO
0-60 in 2.751 seconds
0-100 6.307 seconds
1/4 mile in 10.804 seconds
1 mile in 27.761 seconds
Switching to the Impreza, I have mixed feelings. It has a nice torque curve and shorter gears, but it’s heavier. The light turns green and we’re off.
There is alot more wheelspin in the Impreza. It takes to the 3rd run to get the best 0-60 time. But the higher torque and lower gears do edge out the FTO, if only by a little.
The FTO winds up nipping the Impreza at the mile due to it’s slight horsepower advantage, and I presume slightly lower drag.
Impreza
0-60 in 2.712 seconds
0-100 6.245 seconds
1/4 mile in 10.768 seconds
1 mile in 27.781 seconds
Now to see which is faster all-out.
The FTO claws it’s way to a top speed of 191.1mph, near the top of the revs in 6th gear, which leaves me with doubts concerning the Impreza’s shorter gears.
The Impreza falls almost 6 mph short at 185.4mph. But it wasn’t because of the rev limiter as I suspected (although it was VERY close to the limiter in 6th gear.
But I do still think the gears are to blame, since the engine is down on both torque and horsepower at the rev limit. And since both these cars come stock with adjustable transmissions I did a little side test. I swapped in a taller final gear and ran it again. The Impreza managed 188.1mph with the taller gear, so my suspicion is confirmed.
Even so the FTO still has the advantage in top speed.
Back on the trailer for the trip to the road course.
I chose Nurburgring GP/D for my testing because it’s short, has a good mix of handling and speed, and it’s a track I am very familiar with.
First up is the Impreza.
Going into the first turn I’m impressed with how little understeer there is. This is a nose-heavy all wheel drive car, so I was expecting it to shovel. There is still just a little understeer though.
The car feels good everywhere, but still doesn’t seem quite as quick as the PP rating would indicate.
My time drops each lap as I push harder. And as I push harder I find the understeer getting worse.
Impreza best lap of 5 is 1:29.595
Switching to the FTO the lighter weight and better weight balance immediately make themselves felt. The car feels lighter and more nimble. I feel that I’m carrying more speed in the corners.
The tall gears do make themselves felt also, as the revs drop on each shift, and especially in the 2 second-gear corners where the revs fall out of the power band.
Still, my first lap is almost as quick as my best in the Impreza. My second lap I beat it, and by the 5th lap I smash it. The FTO STC handles like a dream, which only makes me more annoyed by the incorrect gearing.
FTO best lap of 5 is 1:28.777
Overall I’d give the edge to the FTO. At least in stock form.
Since both these cars comes with fully adjustable everything there is no reason you would not dial in the suspension of the Impreza to help the understeer and there is no reason you would not adjust the transmission of the FTO to keep the revs in the powerband.
And once they’re dialed in, who’s to say…
First the basics.
Mitsubishi FTO Super Touring Car
Kg 980 - 50/50
Hp 445 (471, 495)
Tq 339 (380, 366)
Aero
Front 20 (15-35)
Rear 45 (30-60)
PP 575 (586, 591)
Subaru Impreza Super Touring Car
Kg 1030 – 55/45
Hp 436 (490, 528)
Tq 412 (502, 446)
Aero
Front 20 (15-35)
Rear 45 (30-60)
PP 574 (595, 601)
If I had to choose between them based on specs I’d pick the FTO. If I had to choose based on looks I’d pick the Impreza. But looks doesn’t win races, so let’s see what I think after I drive them.
All testing will be done in completely stock configuration on race hard tires, with engine and chassis rebuilds on both cars. Transmission in manual mode and all aids off except ABS 1.
First we’re off to Route X for some speed and acceleration testing.
Pulling to the line is the FTO.
The relatively tall gears may hurt the acceleration numbers, but we’ll see.
With little wheelspin and a slight bog the FTO rips through the gears.
I do 3 runs to be sure. The numbers come out almost identical each time.
FTO
0-60 in 2.751 seconds
0-100 6.307 seconds
1/4 mile in 10.804 seconds
1 mile in 27.761 seconds
Switching to the Impreza, I have mixed feelings. It has a nice torque curve and shorter gears, but it’s heavier. The light turns green and we’re off.
There is alot more wheelspin in the Impreza. It takes to the 3rd run to get the best 0-60 time. But the higher torque and lower gears do edge out the FTO, if only by a little.
The FTO winds up nipping the Impreza at the mile due to it’s slight horsepower advantage, and I presume slightly lower drag.
Impreza
0-60 in 2.712 seconds
0-100 6.245 seconds
1/4 mile in 10.768 seconds
1 mile in 27.781 seconds
Now to see which is faster all-out.
The FTO claws it’s way to a top speed of 191.1mph, near the top of the revs in 6th gear, which leaves me with doubts concerning the Impreza’s shorter gears.
The Impreza falls almost 6 mph short at 185.4mph. But it wasn’t because of the rev limiter as I suspected (although it was VERY close to the limiter in 6th gear.
But I do still think the gears are to blame, since the engine is down on both torque and horsepower at the rev limit. And since both these cars come stock with adjustable transmissions I did a little side test. I swapped in a taller final gear and ran it again. The Impreza managed 188.1mph with the taller gear, so my suspicion is confirmed.
Even so the FTO still has the advantage in top speed.
Back on the trailer for the trip to the road course.
I chose Nurburgring GP/D for my testing because it’s short, has a good mix of handling and speed, and it’s a track I am very familiar with.
First up is the Impreza.
Going into the first turn I’m impressed with how little understeer there is. This is a nose-heavy all wheel drive car, so I was expecting it to shovel. There is still just a little understeer though.
The car feels good everywhere, but still doesn’t seem quite as quick as the PP rating would indicate.
My time drops each lap as I push harder. And as I push harder I find the understeer getting worse.
Impreza best lap of 5 is 1:29.595
Switching to the FTO the lighter weight and better weight balance immediately make themselves felt. The car feels lighter and more nimble. I feel that I’m carrying more speed in the corners.
The tall gears do make themselves felt also, as the revs drop on each shift, and especially in the 2 second-gear corners where the revs fall out of the power band.
Still, my first lap is almost as quick as my best in the Impreza. My second lap I beat it, and by the 5th lap I smash it. The FTO STC handles like a dream, which only makes me more annoyed by the incorrect gearing.
FTO best lap of 5 is 1:28.777
Overall I’d give the edge to the FTO. At least in stock form.
Since both these cars comes with fully adjustable everything there is no reason you would not dial in the suspension of the Impreza to help the understeer and there is no reason you would not adjust the transmission of the FTO to keep the revs in the powerband.
And once they’re dialed in, who’s to say…
