Specification

The car, part by part

What the Version 3 is made of, what STI changed to make it, and — at the end of the page — the things that go wrong with them. All of it, in one place, without the sales voice.

Spec sheet

The short version

The figures below are the ones worth quoting. Where a value varies between markets, trims, or individual cars, it is described rather than stated — an archive is only useful if it is right.

Engine

Code: EJ20K
Layout: Turbocharged flat-four
Displacement: 1,994 cc
Valvetrain: Twin cam per bank, four valves per cylinder
Output: 280 PS at 6,500 rpm
Induction: Top-mounted intercooler, bonnet scoop fed

Drivetrain

Drive: Permanent four-wheel drive
Gearbox: Five-speed manual, close-ratio
Centre differential: Viscous coupling on the standard car
Rear differential: Limited-slip

Chassis & body

Chassis code: GC8 (four-door), GF8 (estate)
Suspension: Struts front and rear, STI-specific settings
Wheels: Sixteen-inch alloys, gold as standard
Signature colour: World Rally Blue Mica
Market: Japan only when new
Model years: 1996–97

Rear three-quarter view of a blue GC8 Impreza with gold wheels

Gold wheels and a blue shell is the combination everyone remembers, but it was never the only way one left the factory. Colour tells you nothing about the specification.

The engine

Why the EJ20K matters

The flat-four is the reason the whole car works. Its cylinders lie down rather than stand up, which puts the mass low and lets the gearbox sit on the car’s centreline — so the four-wheel-drive system that follows it is symmetrical almost by accident of layout.

The K is the version that reached the ceiling. It is not simply an earlier engine turned up: the parts that carry the load were revised first, and the turbocharger was chosen to suit them. That is why it feels urgent low down instead of merely loud at the top, and it is also why a well-kept one still feels quick against far newer cars on a narrow road.

It is not a delicate engine, but it is a specific one. It wants the right oil, changed often, and an owner who treats a cooling-system fault as urgent rather than annoying.

Engine bay of an Impreza showing the top-mounted intercooler and boxer engine

In the detail

Three things to look at closely

The parts that tell you the most about a car are rarely the ones in the photographs. These three are worth the extra minute.

The badge

Correct decals and badges are a reasonable first signal — not proof, but a car that has kept them has usually kept other things too.

The wheels

Original gold alloys are increasingly rare and expensive to replace. Check for kerb damage, corrosion under the lacquer, and matching faces.

The intercooler

Sitting on top of the engine, it collects everything the scoop lets in. Its condition says a lot about how the car has been stored and driven.

Straight answers

Known weak points

No archive that only lists the good parts is worth reading. These are the faults these cars are known for. None of them means avoid the model — they mean inspect properly, and budget honestly.

Does it rust?

Yes, and this is the one to take seriously. Rear arches, sill ends, the area around the strut tops and the seams beneath the boot floor are the usual places. Surface bubbling is rarely the whole story. Get the car in the air and look from underneath before you look at anything else.

What goes wrong with the engine?

Head gaskets and piston ringlands are the two failures people talk about. Both are far more likely on a car that has been tuned hard, run hot, or run on the wrong fuel. A standard, well-maintained example that has always had its cooling system looked after is a much calmer proposition than the internet suggests.

How much of a worry is the turbocharger?

It is a wear item on a car of this age. Smoke on a cold start, a whine that changes with load, or oil in the intake pipework are the signs worth chasing. Turbos are replaceable; what matters is finding out before you buy, not after.

Are the gearbox and clutch a problem?

Second-gear synchros wear, and a heavy or biting-high clutch on a car with no recent paperwork usually means a job is due. Neither is unusual for the mileage these cars now carry — just make sure the price reflects it.

What about the electrics and interior?

Age problems rather than design problems: tired connectors, sagging headlining, cracked plastics, and worn bolsters on the driver’s seat. Original interior trim is harder to replace than most people expect, so an untouched cabin is worth paying for.

Should a modified car be avoided?

Not automatically — plenty were modified thoughtfully by people who knew the car. But modification history is the hardest thing to verify, and standard examples are the ones getting rarer. If the work is not documented, treat the engine as an unknown.

Something here not right?

Corrections are welcome and taken seriously — particularly on the spec sheet. If you have better information, please send it.

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