The WRX and STI marques are synonymous with outstanding success in the World Rally Championship (WRC). This rally heritage has provided excellent road cars that are available to anyone and everyone. While the off-the-shelf car is very good, with excellent road holding and power delivery via the Subaru symmetrical four wheel drive system, there is plenty of scope for improvements with relatively simple modifications and tuning.
Extensive testing on various setups has been carried out using the Tokyo Motorsports 2008 WRX and, more recently, the Tokyo Motorsports 2015 STI. As a result Tokyo Motorsports has developed a range of upgrades kits and modifications for anyone wanting more out of their EJ25 or FA20DIT powered Subaru. Hardware is upgraded and/or modified and the vehicle’s factory engine ECU is then tuned (re-programmed) using specialist software and in-house Dynapack hub Dyno to optimise the engine performance.
Tokyo Motorsports also has a number of different tuning options available including ECUTEK, Open Source Software which re-program the factory engine ECU, And MoTeC, ViPEC and LINK ECU’s which are aftermarket ECU’s that completely replace the factory engine ECU.
See below for more details about tuning options.
Modifications and tuning is also available for most other Turbocharged Subaru models including; Forester XT and Liberty GT.
ECUTEK is a powerful and versatile tuning software suite developed in the UK. It covers many different makes and models and provides a true and clean recalibration of a vehicle’s standard engine management system; providing the most effective way to tune modern vehicles. Some of the largest names in the tuning industry choose ECUTEK.
The ECUTEK RaceROM features are also available for many Subaru models. RaceROM is a suite of feature enhancements available for OEM ECUs tuned with ECUTEK tuning tools, which offers increased tuning and driving capabilities. Features include; Launch Control, Blip on Down Change, Flat Foot Shifting, Per Gear Rev Limits, Per Gear Boost Control, Speed Density and Flex Fuel
Visit the ECUTEK website for a full run down on Subaru tuning software.
Open Source Tuning Software is a generic tuning platform for re-programming a vehicle’s standard engine management system that offers good results without the added cost of licenses or hardware which often comes with branded tuning suites. Open Source is extremely popular worldwide because of its availability and versatility. Tokyo Motorsports has been using Open Source Software for over a decade and has successfully tuned hundreds of different cars with a variety of different setups.
Open Source Software is the more cost effective tuning option in most cases, however it does not have the same versatility as ECUTEK nor does it have the additional features.
Tokyo Motorsports can also use Open Source Software (and hardware) to perform a factory reset on any Subaru ECU from 2006-2014 (32bit SH7058 processors) eliminating the need to send away ECUs that have been “bricked” (failed or corrupted during flashing) or been locked down by other software.
Aftermarket ECU’s are available for most Subaru models. ECU’s such as LINK, ViPEC and MoTeC are extremely versatile pieces of hardware that completely replace the factory engine ECU. These ECU’s can be configured to include a variety of additional inputs and outputs and have a large capacity for on board data logging.
Aftermarket ECU’s can be configured to read any kind of engine sensor or to control any kind of output. They are primarily aimed at motorsport use and have many configurable Motorsport features such as Launch Control, Anti-Lag (including Rotational Idle), Gear Shift Control (including Sequential), Traction Control and Flex Fuel.
Tokyo Motorsports has been developing a range of power upgrade packages to suit WRX and STI. Basic development of the staged kits took place using the Tokyo Motorsports 2008 WRX and has now been expanded to suit other models. The Tokyo Motorsports line of kits for Subaru is being expanded all the time. Choosing a Tokyo motorsports ‘off-the-shelf’ kit takes the guesswork out of modifying your Subaru.
Results are guaranteed, every time. Below are examples of staged power kits for WRX and STI.
(And all EJ25 vehicles with TD04 turbo)
This kit adds the bare essentials of power increase. Freeing up the exhaust and air intake allows tuning to get the maximum out of the small factory turbo fitted on this model (TD04). Power is increased 30Kw and peak torque increased by 130Nm. The result is a much more peppy drive with out a big hole in the pocket.
The kit consists of:
(And all EJ25 vehicles with VF52 turbo)
This kit replaces the TD04 turbo with a VF52 turbo – if not already fitted (i.e. the later 2011 – 2014 cars) and replaces the small WRX intercooler with a high flowing unit. The extra gains are very noticeable resulting in a much more powerful car compared to standard TD04 powered car. Power is increased 80Kw and peak torque is increased by 170Nm.
The kit consists of:
(And all EJ25 vehicles with VF52 turbo)
This adds an ethanol content analyser, larger injectors and a custom remap using the flex fuel option of the ECUTEK RaceROM package. This increases the power output still further but has the added benefit of running the cooler burning fuel which is less prone to detonation. The power output increased another 30Kw and peak torque another 40Nm. This upgrade is well suited for motorsport and track day enthusiasts.
This kit consists of:
This kit adds the bare essentials of power increase. Freeing up the exhaust and air intake allowing tuning for more power and torque throughout, with almost no increase in boost pressure over stock. The power is increased 30Nm and 40-50Nm across the rev range. These cars are more powerful throughout and have a much smoother delivery of torque.
This kit consists of:
This kit builds on the stage one kit, moving to a full turbo back exhaust and adding sharper boost control. This allows the VF48 turbo to spool up earlier and go on to make impressive gains in torque and power throughout. Power is increased by 50Kw and peak torque increased by 130Nm. This kit represents excellent bang for buck with minimal bolt on parts required.
(NB: Flex Fuel can be easily added to this kit for those who want even more..!)
This kit consists of:
This kit builds on the STI Stage Two kit. Adding e85 Flex-Fuel capability increases the power and torque significantly by simply changing the fuel and reprogramming the engine ECU to suit. Additional hardware is required to accommodate the increased fuel requirement required by moving to e85.
Power is increased by 75 Kw and peak torque increased by 200Nm, compared to stock.
This kit consists of:
This kit builds on the STI Stage Two kit and takes the standard engine close to safe limits on petrol. Adding additional hardware, including a larger turbo, air flow into and out of the engine is optimised providing excellent power gains. The larger turbo is slightly slower to spool and so the rev limit is increased to allow the same torque/power spread as the stock turbo (this can be seen in the power graph). This kit is perfect for thos who want the absolute most out of their STI without going to E85 or Flex Fuel.
Power is increased by 100Kw and peak torque increased by 170Nm, compared to stock.
This kit consists of:
This kit builds on the STI Stage Three kit and takes the standard engine close to its safe operating limit. Adding e85 Flex-Fuel capability increases the power and torque significantly by simply changing the fuel and reprogramming the engine ECU to suit. Additional hardware is required to accommodate the increased fuel requirement required by moving to e85. This kit is for those who want the ultimate power increase from their STI without rebuilding the engine.
Power is increased by 140Kw and peak torque increased by 200Nm, compared to stock.
This kit consists of:
5/77 John St, Welshpool,
Western Australia 6106
Phone: (08) 9358 2729
Email: info@autoworkshop.com.au
