The Castrol-sponsored Scoobie gives new meaning to the word “edge”, regarding the stylistic makeover the car received over the past 12 months. Virtually every single panel and mechanical component – barring super-trick items like the Subaru’s famed all-wheel-drive system, has been given the go-faster or look-meaner treatment. In fact, at first glance you aren’t sure that this is a Scoobie, so radical is the bodykit that adorns this car.
 

Made by Chargespeed of Japan, the kit was imported into South Africa especially for the makeover by Creative Rides, and consists of 25 individual panels. It was painstakingly tacked to the base STi shell by Sportech, the custom specialists out Marlborough way, before being given a very special coat of pearl paint and attendant street fighter decals.

In the build up to competition finale, Castrol Edge staffers who drove the car said that people were falling over themselves to photograph the car, and the general reaction to it was a huge thumbs-p, even though most of them had no idea what it was! Plugging in the bad-ass looks is some serious hardware that turns the Scoobie into a serious player, as if a stock STi isn’t a big enough crowbar in the first place.

It rides on adjustable Eibach coil-over spring-damper units to get the ride-height just the way new owner Theresa would want it, and presumably she’ll have lots of advice here, as her husband Cesario was a rally driver for 14 years. Nineteen-inch wheels courtesy  of Racing Heart Concepts in Joburg fill out the massive new wheel-arches, and the footprint is from the good people at Bridegstone who specified ultra low-profile rubber. While these changes were made, the brakes were upgraded using Ferodo  DS25000 race discs and special pads.

That extra stopping power won’t go to waste. The engine has received a mild but significatnt power boost from NXGen in Randburg, comprising an EcuTek  chip ugrade and a beeg-baaad Bosal ‘zorst to deepen the traditional Subaru flat-four warble The power hike is said to be in the region of 20 kW for a combined 225 KW how’s-your-father.

All this should be good enough for a mad all-wheel-drive scrabble from standstill to 100 in around five seconds, and a Sunday punch of around 250 km/h, given a clear road and the speed limits of another country (heh-heh). But we suspect Theresa will be kicking back a lot in her new toy too, as she dials in the superb sound system supplied and fitted by P&P Car Sound Specialists, all the way down in Jeffreys Bay.

The Rockford Fosgate hardware is capable of producing enough bass to rattle the chinaware on Miss Maple’s mantelpiece at 400 metres, although the Castrol Edge people are keen to pint out that it was sound quality, rather than ear-popping volume they were after. And if our Scooby-doobie owner wants to merely park off in her driveway and admire her new beastie, she can find plenty to keep her entertained in other ways too. There’s a Panasonic touch screen DVD set-up, a gaming console fromXBox  and when she decides to head out for pastures new, there’s a SAT- NAV system with  GPS sensors mounted on the interior mirror to make sure she arrives cool and unflustered at her destination. Err let’s see, what else. Oh yea. The upholstery has been  accented with Blue Alcantara by CustomEiss to go with the generally elelctrifying theme of the car.

Castrol Edge competition coordinator Graeme Ayerst said the competition was an enormous success, giving thousands of enthusiasts the chance to win the car for a mere hundred rand. And meanwhile, the new Castrol Edge competition sees a Chevrolet Lumina SS up for grabs.

Should you wish to review information on the makeover of the Subaru, please click below.

Subaru Makeover Information

(Below: Winston Khumalo from Castrol Edge handing over the keys.)