Subaru car executives pose with the Subaru Impreza WRX. Photo by Ira V. Panganiban.

Making a car fast and furious is a great thing and the latest radical version of the cult car Subaru Impreza WRX has both speed and fury.

In fact, there are few problems that mere horsepower can’t fix or at least help you ignore.

Now, let us look at the latest Subaru offering for the year. My first impression of the WRX was great, especially after Guinness precision driving record holder Russ Swift took me for a side spin on one.

Interior quality, overall refinement and noise isolation were greatly improved, and the ride was so much better, if one can improve on a good ride that can already be described as "highly impressive." The new body design (giving it back a rear trunk) gave it a more "retro" look that is quite endearing.

But there are a little quirks that were not addressed by Subaru. The engine was basically the same as last year and there was really not much weight gain. It also looked more like an Impreza GT version than a rally car for the streets which the older version captured hands down.

What Subaru did was to address this with a few updates, most notable of which was a power boost to 265 horsepower. These changes only apply to the manual-transmission WRX since the automatic version, known as the Impreza 2.5GT, continues unchanged.

Subaru’s marketing plan is to align the 2.5GT with the naturally aspirated 2.5i model and liken the WRX to the 305-hp STI. To that effect, the WRX now shares a grille with the STI, and the optional body kit becomes standard. The five-door WRX also gets the rear spoiler from the STI.

The power comes primarily from a larger turbocharger, with maximum boost up to 13.3 psi from 11.9.

A new catalytic converter and a larger exhaust (it provides 30-percent-better flow) help reduce back pressure from the increased boost. The power peak is 800 rpm higher at 6000 rpm. Torque is up to 244 pound-feet, an increase of 18 that comes at a relatively lofty 4000 revs, but there’s plenty of grunt starting at 2500 rpm.

As for the ride, it’s unlikely that the suspension upgrades to the 2009 WRX would warrant as much attention, if any, had the engine been left untouched.

However, the WRX is now stiffer and sportier. The front upper strut mounts are borrowed from the STI, and the front and rear spring rates have increased 43 percent and 42 percent, respectively. The front and rear anti-roll bars have grown a millimeter in diameter to 21mm front and 16mm rear. Tire size has increased from 205/50R-17 to 225/50R-17, and the rubber (thankfully) changes from all-season Bridgestones to high-performance Dunlop SP Sport 01s. The valves on the steering have been updated to complement the new tires.

All in all, this is one hot ride.