Andy Kuo’s 2007 WRX: ‘Function = Form'

For someone who has been in the car scene for a while, it is beyond refreshing to see a person’s love for their car and a real and genuine love for the scene. Andy Kuo has owned and been building his 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX for over 11 years.

Andy’s mentality is function equals form, and his goal was to build a car that exemplified that symphonic harmony. Every part of the car serves to address a specific functional, or practical, purpose to meet his ideology.

Over the last decade, Andy has created a raw, time-attack and track-oriented daily driver that corners like hell, pulls hard, breaks necks and sounds utterly badass with the GrimmSpeed 44mm External Wastegate screaming under boost below the car. It certainly has the power, performance, and style we love.

Under the hood, Andy has kept things simple, yet efficient. His Stage 2 EJ255 is YimiSport Protuned putting down 302 whp and 324 tq at a conservative 17 PSI. A ported and polished VF39 is fed cold air from a ported and polished STi Top Mount Intercooler and scoop splitter. The Walbro 255cc fuel pump makes sure the car doesn’t get too thirsty. The exhaust is made up of a PDE Catless Bellmouth downpipe, and a Grimspeed 44mm External Wastegate Uppipe with dump tube. These are mated to an STi Genome Axelback to accentuate that Boxer rumble.

The Rally and JDM influence are evident behind the wheel with the myriad rare Prodrive pieces bolted on. From the Recaro Speed bucket seat, a rare JDM version 8 Prodrive STi gauge cluster is seen, complimented by an equally rare JDM STi 5-Speed shift knob. Wrapping around the interior is a full Cusco 6-point roll cage, and a Takata Racing harness secures the driver during heavy cornering.

Invisible but equally important, are all the suspension and chassis upgrades that help stiffen up the car. A beefy Cusco 25mm rear sway bar reduces understeer and sharpens turn-in response while Cusco bushings eliminate all the factory slop of the softer rubber bushings. The Cusco front power brace and rear subframe brace stiffen things up even more to make the car handle like it’s on rails.

The car sits on a set of BC Racing BR coilovers with gold 18×8.5 +48 Advan RS wheels. To fit the 235/40/80 Nitto NT05 rubber, front and rear fenders were trimmed and rolled, along with the addition of Cusco rear camber plates and Eibach rear camber bolts. The ICHIBA 25mm front and 3mm rear spacers push the wheels out to fill out the fenders, even more, giving the WRX an aggressive stance.

Other exterior highlights include a Chargespeed front lip, Chargespeed Bottomline side skirt extensions and the awesomely aero Chargespeed carbon fiber mirrors. At the back of the car is an SYMS spoiler adding downforce, Voltex carbon fiber rear diffuser, and a subtle Ureshi Industries window spoiler.

All around the car are subtle nuances that only a true Suby enthusiast would notice, such as the STi shifter trim, STi floormats, STi door decals and Type RA-R Pignose trim on the nose of the car.

“The car, as it currently sits, has been built strictly for my own personal gratification; not for any exposure, hype, fads or conformity that all too often undermines the community,” Andy said.

His ultimate goal is to reach a point where he can step back and be genuinely content with how the car sits in all respects. According to Andy, he’s nearing that point, and in the time he’s owned the vehicle he’s modified it in ways he could never have foreseen and is already far beyond satisfied with how it sits; not an easy thing to do.

Build Overview

Power/Engine:

YimiSport Protuned – 302whp/324tq @ a conservative 17 PSI
Ported and Polished VF39
Ported and Polished STI TMIC
STI TMIC Scoop Splitter
Walbro 255 Fuel Pump
Prodrive Cold Air Intake
USDM STI Genome Axleback
PDE Catless Bellmouth downpipe
Cobb Accessport V2
Grimmspeed EBCS
Grimmspeed 44mm External Wastegate Uppipe w/ dumptube
Tial 44mm V-band Wastegate
Agency Power Pitch Stop
Carbign Craft Carbon Fiber Alternator Cover
Motul 8100 X-cess 5W-40 Oil
Koyo Radiator
SouthBend Stage 2 Endurance Clutch
ACT Lightweight Street ‘StreetLite’ Flywheel
Goodridge Stainless Steel Clutch Line
ARC custom titanium burnt Alternator Shroud
Cusco Battery Tie-Down
Cusco Radiator Cooling Plate
Zero/Sports Engine oil cap
Zero/Sports Radiator cap
Zero/Sports Magnetic Drain cap
ARC Custom Titanium Burnt Alternator Shroud

Wheels/Tires:

18×9.5 +40 5×100 Concave Diamond Black TE37
18×8.5 +48 5×100 Advan RS Powdercoated Gold
Advan Low-type Centercaps
Project Kics R40 Neo-Chrome Open Ended Lug Nuts
255/35/18 Michelin Pilot Super Sports
245/35/18 Hankook Ventus Evo V12
235/40/18 Nitto NT05
ARP Extended Studs (front)

Chassis/Suspension/Drivetrain:

BC Racing BR Coilovers
Cusco 6-Point Full Roll Cage
2x Cusco Carbon Fiber Roll Cage Add-On Bars
Cusco Rear Camber Plates
Cusco Front Power Brace
Cusco Front Strut Bar
Cusco 25mm Rear Swaybar
Cusco Rear bushings
Cusco Rear Subframe Brace
Cusco Rear Diffuser Bracket
Helix Rear Swaybar Endlinks
Oswald Performance Rear ‘Triangle Brace’ custom tig welded with additional attachment points painted red
Eibach Rear Camber bolts
Whiteline Roll Center Adjustment kit
Whiteline Steering Rack Bushings
Whiteline Transmission Crossmember Bushing
Perrin Anti Lift kit/Perrin Positive Steering Response System
Group-N STI Transmission Mount
Kartboy Rear Subframe Lockdown Bolts
Kartboy Shortshifter
Kartboy Shifter Bushings
Koyo Wheel Bearings

Removed/Trimmed fender liners
Relocated/Tucked wiring harness
Rolled & Pulled front fenders
Rolled, Pulled & Cut rear fenders

Brakes:

04 STI Front Brembo calipers powdercoated 3 stage candy apple red with flake
DBA 4000 Series T-Slot Slotted Rotors
Project Mu NS front pads
Stoptech Streets Front pads
Project Mu B-Spec rear pads
Stoptech Stainless Steel lines
Centric Premium Blanks Rotors
Motul RBF 600 Fluid
Cusco Brake Master Cylinder Brace

Exterior:

Voltex Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser
Voltex Style Front bumper with Canards w/ Carbon wrapped endplates
Voltex Sideskirts
STI JDM Door Garnishes
Chargespeed Bottomline Sideskirt Extensions
Chargespeed Front Lip
Chargespeed Carbon Fiber Mirrors
Seibon CWII Carbon Fiber vented hood
Debadged 2007 STI Trunk
2007 STI Lower Wing Portion
SYMS Upper Wing Portion w/ adjustable Carbon Blade
Custom C/F SYMS wing blade Gurney Flap
2005 Rear Taillights
Ureshi Roof spoiler
Beatrush rear chassis mounted Tow-Hook painted red
Carbign Craft Carbon Fiber Rear License Plate Surround
Carbign Craft Carbon Fiber Exhaust Shield
Lamin-X Yellow Foglight overlays
OEM STI Foglight Covers for OEM bumper
Type RA-R Pignose Trim on OEM bumper and on Voltex bumper
Full LED Headlights, Taillights, & Plate lights
STI door decals

Interior:

Recaro Speed Driver’s Bucket
Recaro SR-Zero Passenger’s Bucket
Custom Recaro Gradation Shift Boot
Custom Recaro Gradiation Center Console Wrap
Version 8 Prodrive STI Cluster
Cusco 6 Point Full Roll Cage
2x Cusco Carbon Fiber Roll Cage Add-On Bars
GoPro 3 Hero w/ GoPro attachment mount to Cusco Add-on Bar
SweidIt Suede wrapped blue doorcards
Sweidit Suede wrapped full center console
Pioneer AVIC-F900BT Head Unit
DEFI Gauge Pod
Prosport Boost Gauge
JDM STI 5-Speed Shift Knob
Prodrive STI 5-Speed Shift Pattern Badge
JDM Red Hazard Button
Alcantara wrapped OEM STI Steering wheel with Yellow race stripe and red stitching
STI Floormats
Full White LED Interior Dome/map lights + Trunk Lights
Gutted rear interior/seats
Beatrush Rear Bulkhead Division Plate/Rear Seat Delete
Fire Extinguisher