The successor to the S201 was released in June 2002 and based on the second generation WRX STI. While the second generation Impreza is known to have three different faces, the bugeye (first two years of model lifespan), the blobeye (third and fourth year of lifespan) and hawkeye (latter two years of lifespan), the S202 was based on the bugeye.
Recognizing a S202 is easy in case it painted in the grade limited Astral Yellow, a unique yellow color. Though besides this color, the white, blue or black color as on the regular WRX STI could also be had. In this case you can spot the S202 by the pink STI decals on the foglight covers, the roof vent (manually operated from the interior) or the carbon rear spoiler.
The blue interior theme of the S201 was not present in the S202. Instead, a dark theme was applied such that the driver could fully focus on driving. The bucket seats had gray cloth fabric, the trim garnishes were black and in the place of the audio system there was just a black cover. One of the many weight saving measures. A lot of sound deadening removed, thinner glass, aluminium hood and lightweight alternator were other things that contributed to the 100 kilogram weight saving compared to a regular WRX STI.
The titanium exhaust was used and also contributed to the vehicle weight saving. This new thin-walled exhaust weighted 5.4 kilogram less than the regular WRX STi exhaust. In addition to that, it also had a lot less backpressure which contributed to an increase in power. Together with the revised intake system and new ECU, the power was 320 horsepower whereas the regular WRX STI had 280 horsepower.
Under the car there were special, pink colored, trailing and lateral links developed by STI. Brakes with a alumite treatment were new and these also had braided steel brake lines, and these changes to the brakes resulted in a total weight saving of 7 kilogram. The 17″ forged aluminium wheels also had a positive impact to the low unsprung weight. Sticky Pirelli P-Zero Rosso rubber came as standard with the car.
As this model was limited to 400 units only, buyers rushed to the dealerships to get their hands on one. As such all of the available S202 Impreza’s were sold out within 2 weeks after its launch. With a price of 3.6 Million yen it was some 30% more expensive than a regular WRX STI. Similar to the S201, the S202 was the last model coming to market before the Impreza would undergo a change. They blobeye was introduced soon after and based on the blobeye the S203 was created.
Click on the picture below to see the S202 and other Impreza versions per year and detailed specifications such as weight, new price and equipment for each version in the Goo-net.com catalog.
Bonus pictures:
