Hot-shoe Subaru

Subaru Australia has announced a limited production run of the Liberty GT, with upgraded features and a name that reeks of competition readiness -- Liberty GT tuned by STI.

STI (Subaru Tecnica International), being the manufacturer's in-house tuning division, has been associated with upgraded versions of the Impreza and Liberty for years. This latest Liberty will be built in numbers of just 250 units and will be priced at $65,990 for the sedan or $67,990 for the wagon.

Both sedan and wagon models will be available with the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or, at no extra cost, the five-speed automatic option with sequential-shift facility.

For the limited edition model, power has been raised 10kW to 194kW at 6000rpm and peak torque is up 11Nm, to 350Nm at 2800rpm.

Sitting on suspension lowered 5mm, the Liberty GT tuned by STI is equipped with Bilstein dampers featuring unique settings, jointed bushes in the rear suspension based partly around ball-bearings, Brembo brakes, 18-inch alloy wheels, combination leather and alcantara front seats, revised STI-brand spoilers front and rear, a sports muffler, a unique grille and an STI-branded speedo dial.

In detail, the dampers provide better stroke feeling and linear control for a flatter ride.

The Brembo brake calipers, painted black, comprise four-piston front and two-piston rear units. Hydraulic pressure is fed to the calipers by a stainless-steel mesh-type hose.

Enkei provide the 12-spoke design alloy wheels, which are 2.5kg lighter than the wheels fitted to the standard Liberty GT and are finished in Luminosity Silver.

Door sills are emblazoned with the STI logo, as are the front seats (in cherry-red). On the driver's side, the seat is power-adjustable eight ways with one-touch adjustment through a position memory function.

Buyers can opt for the Liberty GT tuned by STI in one of four colours: black, silver, grey or white.

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