The first thing that struck me when i slid into the car was the neat little momo steering and the deep recaro bucket seats - they could have been off the winner of the world rally championship evo. The deep recaro bucket seats are still there, complete with cutouts to accommodate a four-point racing harness, only they're covered in supple black leather. At 3000rpm its eyes are opening and it requires 4000rpm before it's showing some real interest. Forged alloy road wheels reduce the unsprung weight, while the centre of gravity has been lowered by the use of aluminium for the roof panel and weight reductions to the upper half of the body.

All subarus have vague, sloppy steering at turn-in. 1 Second 0-100km/h time, which is down on the evo vi tme, but it certainly feels a faster than this. The key to the mr fq-400's performance lies not just in its engine, but also in its sophisticated chassis. Although the gear selectors are rather notchy, shifts are pretty quick.

Recaro bucket seats use slim-line bolsters and a lustrous blue knit fabric with a distinctive dimple-finish. On choppy roads, the evo is a real dog, but after you've laid it out on some smooth bitumen you'll be willing to overlook such compromises.

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