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Subaru Parts

Forester Performance Parts

by Andrew Kozlov

The Subaru Forester is one of the company's best-selling wagons. It's a boxer engine car, similar to the Impreza, the Impreza WRX, and the Legacy. There are many ways to soup up your Forester--perhaps the boldest is to upgrade to an STI engine. What makes an STI engine so perfect for the Forester, and how does it change the driving experience?

Let's consider the specs of the Forester WRX. You get 265 horsepower, a 2.5 liter engine that's turbocharged, and a six speed manual transition. You can round out these upgrades with a low-pressure exhaust system and an enormous intercooler. All these perks enable you to drive short, crisp turns without maxing out the torque capabilities of the engine.

Upgrading Your Forester with Performance Parts

That being said, if you want to upgrade your Forester with STI Turbo, you should upgrade your suspension concomitantly. After all, the standard Subaru suspension may not be able to handle all that acceleration and torque. Check into stronger roll bars, and bars for your struts and springs--especially along the corners. The reason to do this is to lower the ride so as to reduce torsional forces on the vehicle. The Forester maintains a higher center of gravity than the WRX, so you want to compensate by lowering the center of gravity as much as possible.

You can also upgrade your Subaru Forester's steering. With quieter, more responsive steering, you can handle quick turns at fast speeds. Just be careful not to oversteer--pedal softly on the accelerator, particularly when you're going through twisting territory.

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