It’s safe to say Japspeed’s 1JZ-powered Impreza had a fairly eventful 2011. After the initial engine swap at the end of 2010 and that theft during summer, Japspeed’s Scooby proved to be a serious contender within the BDC with Steve Biagioni reaching 4th against teammate Shane Lynch at Round 4. As well as the BDC, the Japspeed Impreza has performed at almost every demo and drift display this year including the recent Top Gear Live Show, so with a few weeks before the 2012 season kicks off there was just enough time to give it a decent refresh!
One of the main areas of focus is the Impreza’s weight. While it’s not exactly porky, it’s far from lightweight despite having no interior. Removing weight is one of the best ways to improve the handling and performance of a car without spending a penny and with the awesome rollcage welded in the Scooby shell is plenty rigid enough to have a few extra pounds removed.
First target was the doors – all four of ‘em! They may not have any doorcard attached, but there’s still plenty of excess metal attached which isn’t needed (especially with no rear passengers to entertain). So out came the angle grinder and the end result was four very hollow but very lightweight doors. Along with the doors, some of the stock bracing/support was also removed shaving a total of over 20kg so far! Not too shabby and best of all it gives Baggsy some extra breathing space to enjoy his Nandos…
We’ve got plenty more lined up so stay tuned for part 2!
