The Subaru EJ series engine is a potent little four-pot. Anybody who has ever toyed with a worked up WRX or STI knows this. The engines can make great power but they do not make great noise. Even the Subaru-only shop I hung around in Washington State could admit this. Even well-prepared, a hot EJ sounds like a V8 with some spark plug wires removed. Or maybe a sports car that’s just a wee bit flatulent, if you like. But boring they are not.
The typical Subaru mill redlines between 7,000-8,000 RPM, depending on where in the world you sourced your Subaru from and what spec it was when it left the factory. 9,000 RPM on a factory Subaru block isn’t going to happen with massive work to the turbochargers, fuel system, ECU and tuning, and plenty of time balancing the rotating assembly. So imagine what it takes to get one of these little boxer fours to rev to around 11,000 RPM. Now imagine what it sounds like. If you suspect that it’s like a GSX-R on steroids, you aren’t far off…
Usually, “the exhaust sounds like a Subaru” is intended to be an insult – this one sounds great, though! I also like that there’s absolutely zero hint from the outside about what’s under the hood except possibly the wheels, which are cheesy enough that you wouldn’t think there was anything good going on there.
My God! How much to send my daily driver to those guys for a killer build? Why must my checkbook be so thin.
I was hoping to hear one some day. I am still spinning a 2.62 inch stroke ea82.. limited to 6500 by the MSD.