Hi Misha, Thanks again for the amazing lap. You really showed me what the car and you are capable of. This gives me a nice benchmark to keep in mind when modding the car. I had a blast and created a memory I will never forget. Next up: Big brake kit! haha
1 thing i noticed that u have whiteline "caster Com" frot absorber top mount... But it was installed incorrectly... The offset should be installed towards facing the car firewall (to the rear of the chassis) It will give better steering fedback in cormer entry as well as straight line stability... (Better caster geometry from +3.5degree stock to around +4.5degree) The way its currently installed i would say your caster number will be less than factory stock.. maybe around +2.9degree -ish...which was far from optimal
Anyone who has ever experienced a failing brake will agree it's the real Pucker Factor 10.0 moment in one's life. It's like walking on a stopped escalator. Your brain has an expectation about it (pushing this pedal is harder and it slows down the car), but when you experience the contrary (the car isn't slowing down and the pedal just drops to the floor), all your confidence and sense of security is gone. Our brain starts to look for escape routes, suddenly every other car is brake checking on us.
Yep. Its truly horrible feeling. Had a brand new VW Transporter with stuff in the back and its brake booster failed. I almost went to a back of a bus while standing on the brakes, not knowing what the hell is happening.
@@LawrenceTimme but cooked brakes still work, somewhat :D. I know because I have caught my Focus ST and Fiesta ST brakes on fire a few times. It's the sudden "fuck, nothing is happening, am I standing on the wrong pedal or something" :D
happened on my bike,i stopped on a lil decline after a long downhill ride. gave it a minute then got on it, i hit the brakes and ther is nothin - rolled on to a bussy streat fortunetly at the moment there was no car
@MotorHeartAT mine were mildly tuned (Mountune Stage 1 type sets). One of the biggest downfalls of fast Fords are the brakes. I didnt need an extinguisher, got them to settle down with driving and didnt even warp discs. Yes, those cars were driven hard, but still, they caught on way way too fast. Even my MX-5 NA does better job with handling its brakes.
I was an Evo guy. Loved the Subaru noise but always bothered by their understeer tendancy. I know people solved it over time but the rivalry was great fun back then. Good video :)
I am an Evo fan too never could afford one the wrx turbo was a cheaper alternative and worth every penny for the Exhaust note alone. I actually regret selling it to get the deposit for my house sometimes. Been stuck in a Toyota Aygo ever since.
The sound of a Subaru's engine has been and always will be my favourite sounding car, my dad has had a couple of Subaru Impreza WRX STI since I was young and they just sound amazing 😊😊
The no brakes thing makes me think of the Riddle of Steel from Conan the Barbarian: "Steel isn't strong, boy ...". The same idea applies to engines: Engines don't make a car faster, brakes do. Having that epiphany is a big step to getting faster.
@@Chris-hw4mq You don't need to upgrades brakes, when you're good you brake less to carry more speed into corners and get faster laptimes. Brakes are for americans that only know how to go fast in a straight line and have to come to a stop before each corner.
That's an Impreza GT Turbo, so cool to see it here on your channel! I own one of these in Brazil, they are quite rare around here, only 84 units and we didn't get the STI.
25 year owner here... I have never had a problem with oil & water temps at any track. Good fuel, good brakes, go! My first stock engine done 250.000 kms without any failure.. I have swaped it with a complete spec c long engine. 410 hp setup, happy all the time.
13 years owner here, car should be amazing with the Spec C engine making that amount of power! I've made modifications on the suspension and brake departments but I've kept the drivetrain in stock form (I'm a rare animal in the Subaru realm, I know, haha).
Great so see a Impreza on your channel. For the people that don’t know, i’m the current owner of the Impreza. Reacted on facebook first, without realizing the end of the video. Was surprised to be honest, because we didn’t talk about it when I was at Apex. Didn’t know that the subaru love was still that strong, but good to see that the love is still there.
The pure happiness and the smile on Misha's face was instantly infectious. That was pure, fond memories and tons of fun, clearly. I've always dreamed of getting to drive a Subaru, now, even more! 💙🧡💙🧡 So jealous. It's such intense feelings, to dream of things that simply, will never happen.
FINALLY YES! I've been waiting to see a subie on here since I saw your essential subaru track mods video from 4 years ago. I'm finally buying a 2007 WRX STI this week. Thank you for this video. This is so sick. I hope you do buy your own again. Hope to see more subies on the channel in the future (hopefully without brake failure)
They never get boring do they !! My most fun driving years have been in spec C’s and GC8 ra /type R’s .. keep your Yaris GR’s a spec c or widetrack would run rings around one .
@@k20ee96 The latest spec c corrects all the faults of the previous models, especially in terms of braking ... but the gc8 has a flavor not found elsewhere
@@THESHADOW97139 ...the gc8 had character....the later cars, not so much.....the gc8 could be modified quite well to perform way beyond the abilities of all but a few who think they know how to drive......they never handled worth a damn, but they had tremendous grip when done well. i went through dozens of sets of RA1's on my gc8 STi clone
@@grahamhaynes7658 Spec c is better than a standard STI or widetrack STI, and def above a GR yaris. GR Yaris is more comparable to a base model STI (and even then prob still a touch slower - depending on the track in question of course). Watch video - "Toyota GR Yaris v Subaru Impreza WRX STI track test and performance review" by Car Expert, and you see Chris Atkinson (actual former WRC driver) drive a base VA STI and still get a faster lap than a GR Yaris.
Was the proud owner of a 2000 GC8. Very mild tune, just a exhaust and a chip. Loved it. That engine sound at low revs is just so damn good. My dad would steal the car on saturday morning when I was still in bed :)
So amazing to see you smile like that, I have a JDM 1998 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK EJ208 twin turbo 330hp. It is basically a grown up version of the GC8 but with all the fun, sadly the OEM brakes are not great but love the chassis.
Love the CG8 and have been waiting for one to turn up on the channel, still have one in the garage but a v5 2dr sti aussie import by Subaru it still puts a smile on my face like the day I picked it up 24 years ago
GC8's all had a stock oil cooler that I found to work quite well, its a oil -> coolant heat exchanger at the base of the oil filter housing. Even with medium power upgrades it always held up ok. Watching this brought back memories and smiles, they were such a drivers car compared to most today, they were almost like driving a gokart... just fun.
As a kid, i knew i would never afford one of those 90's impreza's so video games were the best i could get before videos like this. Now I'm fully driven to one day have a go in one on the ring, no matter what it takes and have taken on a skilled job nearly 10 miles away from home to one day hopefully afford to have a cruise in one of those engineering marvels that saw the likes of Colin McRae w/ N.Grist and Richard Burns w/ Robert Reid
I still have mine I bought in February 2000. It still brings a smile to my face, much like yours when driving it. I will never willingly get rid of this car.
I have an 04 Forester XT with VF39 and a whole bunch of other STi parts. So this is the closest this to my car I have seen on here, really awesome to see!
this is extra cool after listening to your podcast with Ben. Love you Misha! edit: also holy shit 16:07 - really good reaction man, experience paying off strong there.
Best Subaru ever made! With the correct modifications this car handling like it’s in rails and rides low to the ground you don’t need excess power in the turns but it sure helps in the straights but nothing beats that car connection you feel when going flat out in a Subaru 👌🏽 I think you should buy yourself another gc8 misha before prices go even higher then what they are and me and a lot of fans I think would surely love the content on the car :) it’s one of the all time iconic rally cars after all and smashing it around the Nürburgring would be a dream come true to me ..
Great looks, great sound and super fun to drive. This cars have something special. It's a shame that the brakes weren't in good condition, it's something super important when you enter the track
They were in good condition, it's just that the stock brakes can't handle this type of stuff very well. Many of the cars he drives that are somewhat heavy but have stock brakes have this issue.
That smile you get from reliving your Boy Racer memories :-) I played with a late 90's 22b STi and it was a fun thing for sure but an Evo IV came up and I bought that and played in the dirt for a few years where im more "At Home". The Suby was an awesome thing even in stock STi form and I regretted selling it but the Evo IV was too good a deal to pass up and having driven Winton and Bathurst on club days IMO the Evo felt more sure footed on Yoko A008's (The best at the time). That engine note though ...... Gave me goosebumps and a big smile!
i got taken to school in the back of many wrx’s as a kid and even when i had mine and drive them now occasionally they are some of the most fun cars ever, i have a e92 m3 and i still have more fun driving a wrx lol.
The price in the netherlands of GC8's has pretty much stayed the same despite all the other japanese cars going through the roof in price. If other Gc8's are anything like mine they will rust away before they go over their initial new price. But despite the yearly inspection turning into rust repairs and other stuff breaking i still love the car, and that smile Misha had while driving is all too familiar.
Awesome vid. I daily drive mine (in the summer) and I love it more than anything. Currently 100% stock with less than 100k miles but whenever the stock drivetrain dies I have a swap already waiting to go in. I want to leave it stock as long as possible.
The GC8 Impreza was what I wanted as a teenager but in the US we only got the RS 2.5 as the top model. Eventually purchased a Evo8 when they arrived in the States and been a Evo guy since. Would be a dream to ship my current track prepped Evo X to Europe to have you test it Misha!
See that smile? That's what an analogue era car gives you, newer cars can make you smile sure, but nothing like that. Cherish these old cars while you still can!
Back in the days my cousin bought a brand new Scoob (1998) model and was showing it off to me and went for a spin, I said "nice car, sounds and handles great but.. those brakes..... not sure about those" He replied "those brakes a bad-ass with dual pot calipers, nothing wrong with them". I said "I will show you but don't complain about warped discs!!" Needless to say in five minutes the brakes were red hot and totally destroyed, he went for an AP Racing brake set up 🤣🤣
Never sell your first car you will always regret it. Still have my 97 GC8 when I bought it brand new when I was a young 23yo lad. GC8 models release between 92 to 2000, I believe the best ones that came from production was the 97, 98 & maybe 99 because this was the time when Subaru won 3 x WRC championships in a row. Mine was a GC8 97 special edition managed 255kph stock & it was scary as fok floaty. Small upgrade I did was front lip, rear diffuser, slotted brakes, whiteline adjustable shocks, whiteline handling kit + sway bars & anti lift kit, alloy control arms, engine mounts, transmission shock mount, Exedy Lightweight race flywheel made a huge difference rev so fast I thought I was revving a bike, ACT heavy duty race clutch, PPG gearbox rebuild 1 & 2 straight cut 3 to 5 helical, quick shift gear shifter, Perkin rear diff race cooler cover - very lucky find they're rare, Speedy race alloy rims 17' x 8' just fitted full steering lock no scrubbing but had to roll the guards out slightly for the Advan 235 Yokohama's, AP racing 4 pot front 2 pot rear brakes, AP slotted rotors, highflow dump pipe, 3' exhaust all way, tomei exhaust manifold, APS intercooler top mount + water injectors, BFG blow off valve, cold induction box with KNR high flow air filter, 800cc injectors ran a bit rich but safer than lean, high flow oil pump, high capacity oil sump with oil baffle plates so no starvation issues at hard cornering, Bosch high flow fuel pump with tank baffle & plates so no fuel starvation issues are hard cornering, oil cooler, hitech highflow radiator, fuel cut defender & boost interface bypass ECU, APEX adjustable boost good thing about the 97 GC8 the ECU Subaru designed was a self learning self mapping ECU so when you changed airflow or boost the ECU was able to remap itself to suit the changes. Because it was easy to mod your car Subaru removed this feature on later models. Cusco strat bar front & rear & Cusco LSD lock one way front & rear. Engine was stock with stock turbo running 16 to 18 psi putting out around 340 to 350HP wasn't bad before 2000 & the engine held up good didn't fail even pushed to 8k rpm. I think Subaru under specked these models on paper when they put them onto the market due to regulation & just D-tuned them.😁😁
Also Stock Brake Fluid is only DOT3 so not made for prolonged hard driving or racing like this, will quickly foam up and boil. So many Classic WRX Owners never upgrade to DOT4 or better and it can't run DOT5.1
In Australia Most GC8 and GF8 from 1998 - 2000 have Aircon + ABS (Some also had factory Cruise Control on the Manuals, Tho it was dealership option so really an aftermarket Kit) Also the last model of GC8 or GF8 Here is 2000, Same as in Japan there were a few left over sold in 2001 but they were still 2000 models, 2001 WRX is Bugeye Style with OBDII and AVCS Also heavier and slower well almost all stock WRX 2001-2021 are Heavier and slower than 1994-2000 models.
I’ve never had an issue with the engines in my WRX’s & Current STI, but I’ve had many issues with my brakes on each and every single one. Definitely a flaw in my opinion.
What a BLAST that video !!!! I was so happy to see Misha enjoying like that !! PURE JOY. And this engine……. It rumbles so lovely BUT it’s also a screamer !!!! It wants to rev higher and higher !🎵🎶!! Haha Plus so much torque and the blow up valve to finish the Eargasm… What a blast really. Thanks to the owner !!!!!!!
They’re not the fastest, nor the best handling, but a GC8 just gets under your skin. I would love to have another Type R in my garage, but with the spec c drivetrain this time.
Get a 2004 widetrack prodrive STI and a gc8 and swap everything from the 2004 to the gc8 you will have a killer car that with a bit of care can last forever and hold onto the memories . Awesome video loved it
would love to see a hatchback if someone ever brings one to you. misha makes my childhood so happy and i wish to get to the same point or close to him.
Brakes made of "butter covered in olive oil" is standard. The Highway code says it takes a car 800m to come to a stop from 70mph because cars from the past basically relied on wind resistance and the power of eco warriors to stop them, which have become way stronger in recent years
There is a part of me that always wanted to build up a 2 door GC8, but by the time I had the funding to do it properly all of them had either rusted into oblivion or cost more than a new base Cayman.
As on the non sti wrx, these discs and calipers are too undersized to do the circuit, in competitive mode ... the best thing is to start by mounting the brembos of the wrx sti ... at the rear, it will not be not plug and play, the 2 holes of the brackets do not fall in the same place . Can't wait for me to put mine back together
Concerning the water temperature, the pressure gauge on the dashboard (the one on the video) is to be forgotten .... the actual temperature could be 10 degrees higher than what we see. This is a known problem and explains the need to install a few more gauges in order to monitor the vehicle correctly. Misha .... to see you smile like that is rather worrying ... lol Driving a subaru is risky for your mental health and your wallet, you should know that. However, having been driving a subaru for several years and also having driven a honda civic ... I recommend (given your use) a honda
Brakes are always the first thing I upgrade on a car. And with a reason. A car can have so much power tweaks; but you only really need the brakes once to get you out of a crash.
I have had one of those no brakes at all moments in a car.. an Austin Mini at 60mph headed right for a staggered crossing over a busy trunk road (also 60 mph) ... down the gears, on with the hand brake and stopped 3 feet short of the line... passenger asked me why I used the handbrake... when I showed him the foot brake pedal he went white.. and thereafter called me cucumber because he otherwise had no clue... I was just focused on stopping us safely and had no time to divert attention to verbal or other indications XD
Hi Misha, Thanks again for the amazing lap. You really showed me what the car and you are capable of. This gives me a nice benchmark to keep in mind when modding the car. I had a blast and created a memory I will never forget.
Next up: Big brake kit! haha
drive safe dude
Get project mu hc+ pads :D
Could I suggest some better quality brake fluid too? Dixcel's RF328 is good.
Wish you a success in modding
1 thing i noticed that u have whiteline "caster Com" frot absorber top mount...
But it was installed incorrectly...
The offset should be installed towards facing the car firewall (to the rear of the chassis)
It will give better steering fedback in cormer entry as well as straight line stability... (Better caster geometry from +3.5degree stock to around +4.5degree)
The way its currently installed i would say your caster number will be less than factory stock.. maybe around +2.9degree -ish...which was far from optimal
Misha had a smile the entire lap
FIrst car will always do that to you!😍
Who break then loose
Loved the smile! :D
I loved the smile too , made me smile actually 😂
Except for when the brakes went out lmao. Looked like a fun lap aside from the breaks
Such an iconic exhaust note. Awesome lap,,Misha!
Amazing how the soundtrack of a car can make a huge difference to the enjoyment of a video! ❤
How to get ring emoji ? 😢😂
@@hyttiismo by being a channel member i guess, they are locked for non members
@@hyttiismoIm asking as well xD
that’s subaru rumble🔥❤️
Anyone who has ever experienced a failing brake will agree it's the real Pucker Factor 10.0 moment in one's life.
It's like walking on a stopped escalator. Your brain has an expectation about it (pushing this pedal is harder and it slows down the car), but when you experience the contrary (the car isn't slowing down and the pedal just drops to the floor), all your confidence and sense of security is gone.
Our brain starts to look for escape routes, suddenly every other car is brake checking on us.
Yep. Its truly horrible feeling. Had a brand new VW Transporter with stuff in the back and its brake booster failed. I almost went to a back of a bus while standing on the brakes, not knowing what the hell is happening.
Yeah cooked the brakes in my Ford Mondeo a few times 😂😂
@@LawrenceTimme but cooked brakes still work, somewhat :D. I know because I have caught my Focus ST and Fiesta ST brakes on fire a few times. It's the sudden "fuck, nothing is happening, am I standing on the wrong pedal or something" :D
happened on my bike,i stopped on a lil decline after a long downhill ride. gave it a minute then got on it, i hit the brakes and ther is nothin - rolled on to a bussy streat fortunetly at the moment there was no car
@MotorHeartAT mine were mildly tuned (Mountune Stage 1 type sets). One of the biggest downfalls of fast Fords are the brakes. I didnt need an extinguisher, got them to settle down with driving and didnt even warp discs. Yes, those cars were driven hard, but still, they caught on way way too fast. Even my MX-5 NA does better job with handling its brakes.
I was an Evo guy. Loved the Subaru noise but always bothered by their understeer tendancy. I know people solved it over time but the rivalry was great fun back then. Good video :)
Understeer does not exist in sti type ra :)
@@liborkosvanec2080 that's a very small % of total Subaru Impreza that were produced.
@@stevenross-watt8640 The problem was present until 2005 ...
I am an Evo fan too never could afford one the wrx turbo was a cheaper alternative and worth every penny for the Exhaust note alone. I actually regret selling it to get the deposit for my house sometimes. Been stuck in a Toyota Aygo ever since.
@@Ciorram1 turbo that aygo, then you can really go have a bit of fun.
The sound of a Subaru's engine has been and always will be my favourite sounding car, my dad has had a couple of Subaru Impreza WRX STI since I was young and they just sound amazing 😊😊
As a 2016 WRX STI owner,
I concur.
as a 2004 WRX owner with a Tomei Ti
i also concur
My dad drove me to school in his 2004. I just bought a 2005 for the nostalgia.
Misha, that smile when you enjoy a good car. Maybe it is time for another GC8? 😉
Greetings from Aarle-Rixtel (next to Helmond)👍
He could have bought my Forester STI haha
@@marvinvisser5039
not the same
@@marvinvisser5039
The no brakes thing makes me think of the Riddle of Steel from Conan the Barbarian: "Steel isn't strong, boy ...". The same idea applies to engines: Engines don't make a car faster, brakes do. Having that epiphany is a big step to getting faster.
The no brakes looked scary 😬
ya man that was pretty spooky.
When you are young you dont upgrade brakes when you get old its the first mod to a car.
Defo in my top 5 list of important things 👍
@@Chris-hw4mq You don't need to upgrades brakes, when you're good you brake less to carry more speed into corners and get faster laptimes. Brakes are for americans that only know how to go fast in a straight line and have to come to a stop before each corner.
yes, brake seems not tired, is absolutely nth
Sabine Schmitz would be proud of you Misha, she's smiling down from heaven shouting "I can do that lap time in a van" ❤❤
Best comment❤😂
That's an Impreza GT Turbo, so cool to see it here on your channel! I own one of these in Brazil, they are quite rare around here, only 84 units and we didn't get the STI.
I love that you can see Misha havong the time of his life
I have never seen you smile so much in any other video! Reviving the memories, best feeling! Great driving as usual brother!
25 year owner here... I have never had a problem with oil & water temps at any track. Good fuel, good brakes, go!
My first stock engine done 250.000 kms without any failure.. I have swaped it with a complete spec c long engine.
410 hp setup, happy all the time.
13 years owner here, car should be amazing with the Spec C engine making that amount of power! I've made modifications on the suspension and brake departments but I've kept the drivetrain in stock form (I'm a rare animal in the Subaru realm, I know, haha).
Great so see a Impreza on your channel. For the people that don’t know, i’m the current owner of the Impreza.
Reacted on facebook first, without realizing the end of the video. Was surprised to be honest, because we didn’t talk about it when I was at Apex. Didn’t know that the subaru love was still that strong, but good to see that the love is still there.
Now THAT was a joyous lap! Loved it! This is what cars can be. Not just fast, but partners for life and amazing memories!
The pure happiness and the smile on Misha's face was instantly infectious. That was pure, fond memories and tons of fun, clearly. I've always dreamed of getting to drive a Subaru, now, even more! 💙🧡💙🧡 So jealous. It's such intense feelings, to dream of things that simply, will never happen.
FINALLY YES!
I've been waiting to see a subie on here since I saw your essential subaru track mods video from 4 years ago.
I'm finally buying a 2007 WRX STI this week. Thank you for this video. This is so sick. I hope you do buy your own again. Hope to see more subies on the channel in the future (hopefully without brake failure)
Enjoy!!!
Did some googling after seeing that picture of your old Impreza, found a whole facebook album of the build, interesting to see.
Maybe you can share the link with the community? 😉
@@MaxxyNL ruclips.net/video/za42UKY8aeg/видео.html this is what I found video wise
One of the best looking Subarus ever made
They never get boring do they !! My most fun driving years have been in spec C’s and GC8 ra /type R’s .. keep your Yaris GR’s a spec c or widetrack would run rings around one .
I have had/got both and no a widetrack STi won't run rings round a GR yaris.Gc8 has more fun/character though.
What do you prefer to drive, classic Type R or newer Spec C? I had a Type R and would like another but have never driven a Spec C
@@k20ee96 The latest spec c corrects all the faults of the previous models, especially in terms of braking ... but the gc8 has a flavor not found elsewhere
@@THESHADOW97139 ...the gc8 had character....the later cars, not so much.....the gc8 could be modified quite well to perform way beyond the abilities of all but a few who think they know how to drive......they never handled worth a damn, but they had tremendous grip when done well. i went through dozens of sets of RA1's on my gc8 STi clone
@@grahamhaynes7658 Spec c is better than a standard STI or widetrack STI, and def above a GR yaris. GR Yaris is more comparable to a base model STI (and even then prob still a touch slower - depending on the track in question of course). Watch video - "Toyota GR Yaris v Subaru Impreza WRX STI track test and performance review" by Car Expert, and you see Chris Atkinson (actual former WRC driver) drive a base VA STI and still get a faster lap than a GR Yaris.
Was the proud owner of a 2000 GC8. Very mild tune, just a exhaust and a chip. Loved it. That engine sound at low revs is just so damn good. My dad would steal the car on saturday morning when I was still in bed :)
So amazing to see you smile like that, I have a JDM 1998 Subaru Legacy B4 RSK EJ208 twin turbo 330hp. It is basically a grown up version of the GC8 but with all the fun, sadly the OEM brakes are not great but love the chassis.
Cool car 👌
Laughing Misha is the best form of Misha!!!
Love the CG8 and have been waiting for one to turn up on the channel, still have one in the garage but a v5 2dr sti aussie import by Subaru it still puts a smile on my face like the day I picked it up 24 years ago
2 doors are dope, I wish we got them here in Europe!
GC8's all had a stock oil cooler that I found to work quite well, its a oil -> coolant heat exchanger at the base of the oil filter housing. Even with medium power upgrades it always held up ok. Watching this brought back memories and smiles, they were such a drivers car compared to most today, they were almost like driving a gokart... just fun.
Did the heat exchanger ever crack and cause milkshake?
Just curious if this was ever an issue on these
No not on mine, and not heard of this being an issue on GC8@@mrmister5729
Second that! Never had any problem with water or oil temperature at the track
all turbo ej25 subaru have them, still not as effective as a dedicated thermostat oil cooler but it's great
The GC8 has been my first and still is my favourite car, there's something about it that just makes me like it
As a kid, i knew i would never afford one of those 90's impreza's so video games were the best i could get before videos like this. Now I'm fully driven to one day have a go in one on the ring, no matter what it takes and have taken on a skilled job nearly 10 miles away from home to one day hopefully afford to have a cruise in one of those engineering marvels that saw the likes of Colin McRae w/ N.Grist and Richard Burns w/ Robert Reid
Cannot beat the sound of these 👌
I still have mine I bought in February 2000. It still brings a smile to my face, much like yours when driving it. I will never willingly get rid of this car.
So great to see Misha smiling like a kid!
I have an 04 Forester XT with VF39 and a whole bunch of other STi parts. So this is the closest this to my car I have seen on here, really awesome to see!
The old Subie sound is addictive. Thanks Misha!
Your smile the entire lap was so awesome! Can see you really Enjoyed this one.🎉
7:21 That smile, that damned smile.
Very talented and respectful driving, no bouncing limiters and no janking gears.
this is extra cool after listening to your podcast with Ben. Love you Misha! edit: also holy shit 16:07 - really good reaction man, experience paying off strong there.
This is why track pads and high temp brake fluid are so important before going on track
Best Subaru ever made! With the correct modifications this car handling like it’s in rails and rides low to the ground you don’t need excess power in the turns but it sure helps in the straights but nothing beats that car connection you feel when going flat out in a Subaru 👌🏽 I think you should buy yourself another gc8 misha before prices go even higher then what they are and me and a lot of fans I think would surely love the content on the car :) it’s one of the all time iconic rally cars after all and smashing it around the Nürburgring would be a dream come true to me ..
Great looks, great sound and super fun to drive. This cars have something special. It's a shame that the brakes weren't in good condition, it's something super important when you enter the track
They were in good condition, it's just that the stock brakes can't handle this type of stuff very well. Many of the cars he drives that are somewhat heavy but have stock brakes have this issue.
My first car was a 95 wrx sti, I still have it. Threw a rod through the block, so right now a new engine is being built for it.
I never seem him smile always the laps like this,
this car is amazing like him told for sure.
That smile you get from reliving your Boy Racer memories :-)
I played with a late 90's 22b STi and it was a fun thing for sure but an Evo IV came up and I bought that and played in the dirt for a few years where im more "At Home".
The Suby was an awesome thing even in stock STi form and I regretted selling it but the Evo IV was too good a deal to pass up and having driven Winton and Bathurst on club days IMO the Evo felt more sure footed on Yoko A008's (The best at the time).
That engine note though ...... Gave me goosebumps and a big smile!
Probably not a 22B
i got taken to school in the back of many wrx’s as a kid and even when i had mine and drive them now occasionally they are some of the most fun cars ever, i have a e92 m3 and i still have more fun driving a wrx lol.
Misha you NEED a gc8 back in your life!!! The smile you had all lap was crazyyy!
Oh my, that constant grin on your face!
These (great older) cars are golden, I wish they would make them like this again
Had two GC8s. Great car, much better than VA STi which I replaced GC8 with
that smile on your face the whole lap is amazing to see lol we can see the memories coming back
The price in the netherlands of GC8's has pretty much stayed the same despite all the other japanese cars going through the roof in price.
If other Gc8's are anything like mine they will rust away before they go over their initial new price.
But despite the yearly inspection turning into rust repairs and other stuff breaking i still love the car, and that smile Misha had while driving is all too familiar.
My VA STi makes me smile every single time. I ❤ Subaru. Thx Misha for great content 👍
Gc8's are gonna sky rocket in value 4 sure
The overtake on that e92 was superb!
Driver mod
One of the best laps I've seen in a long while
Love the sound of an unequal manifold subaru boxer. Just magic.
Cars and bikes are as good as the memories and emotions they bring back to us
Awesome vid. I daily drive mine (in the summer) and I love it more than anything. Currently 100% stock with less than 100k miles but whenever the stock drivetrain dies I have a swap already waiting to go in. I want to leave it stock as long as possible.
Misha enjoying every second. Love it.
It's so funny watching Misha smile while the passenger is in fear for his life.
The gc8 chassis is so much fun. It was also my first car my gc8 sti, I loved seeing the run
Great driving as always 💯
The GC8 is hands down the best shape/model WRX... Id take this over ANY!
Happy to see you happy and feeling like home, thank you sir
2:05 I had a 1994 JDM GC8 which came standard with ABS and A/C.
The GC8 Impreza was what I wanted as a teenager but in the US we only got the RS 2.5 as the top model. Eventually purchased a Evo8 when they arrived in the States and been a Evo guy since. Would be a dream to ship my current track prepped Evo X to Europe to have you test it Misha!
See that smile?
That's what an analogue era car gives you, newer cars can make you smile sure, but nothing like that. Cherish these old cars while you still can!
Great to see the old lady doing so well! Misha consider a jdm version to import. I had a 2007 Spec c and a 2006 RA-R.
Temp gauge stayed in the right place, was impressive of the Impressa.
It is water temperature and It's a useless gauge. I mean, whether the car has 60° of oil or 130°, the gauge won't move a millimetre.
Seeing Misha smile the entire time made me happy as well :)
Awesome vid, my eyes were glued to the screen the whole time hehe
Finally a gc8 video :), i wish one day ill come to germany to show you mine
Back in the days my cousin bought a brand new Scoob (1998) model and was showing it off to me and went for a spin, I said "nice car, sounds and handles great but.. those brakes..... not sure about those" He replied "those brakes a bad-ass with dual pot calipers, nothing wrong with them". I said "I will show you but don't complain about warped discs!!" Needless to say in five minutes the brakes were red hot and totally destroyed, he went for an AP Racing brake set up 🤣🤣
That smile is contagious
The sound! 2020 US-spec STI owner here and damn, that sounded beautiful. Yikes re: those brakes.
Never sell your first car you will always regret it. Still have my 97 GC8 when I bought it brand new when I was a young 23yo lad. GC8 models release between 92 to 2000, I believe the best ones that came from production was the 97, 98 & maybe 99 because this was the time when Subaru won 3 x WRC championships in a row. Mine was a GC8 97 special edition managed 255kph stock & it was scary as fok floaty. Small upgrade I did was front lip, rear diffuser, slotted brakes, whiteline adjustable shocks, whiteline handling kit + sway bars & anti lift kit, alloy control arms, engine mounts, transmission shock mount, Exedy Lightweight race flywheel made a huge difference rev so fast I thought I was revving a bike, ACT heavy duty race clutch, PPG gearbox rebuild 1 & 2 straight cut 3 to 5 helical, quick shift gear shifter, Perkin rear diff race cooler cover - very lucky find they're rare, Speedy race alloy rims 17' x 8' just fitted full steering lock no scrubbing but had to roll the guards out slightly for the Advan 235 Yokohama's, AP racing 4 pot front 2 pot rear brakes, AP slotted rotors, highflow dump pipe, 3' exhaust all way, tomei exhaust manifold, APS intercooler top mount + water injectors, BFG blow off valve, cold induction box with KNR high flow air filter, 800cc injectors ran a bit rich but safer than lean, high flow oil pump, high capacity oil sump with oil baffle plates so no starvation issues at hard cornering, Bosch high flow fuel pump with tank baffle & plates so no fuel starvation issues are hard cornering, oil cooler, hitech highflow radiator, fuel cut defender & boost interface bypass ECU, APEX adjustable boost good thing about the 97 GC8 the ECU Subaru designed was a self learning self mapping ECU so when you changed airflow or boost the ECU was able to remap itself to suit the changes. Because it was easy to mod your car Subaru removed this feature on later models. Cusco strat bar front & rear & Cusco LSD lock one way front & rear. Engine was stock with stock turbo running 16 to 18 psi putting out around 340 to 350HP wasn't bad before 2000 & the engine held up good didn't fail even pushed to 8k rpm. I think Subaru under specked these models on paper when they put them onto the market due to regulation & just D-tuned them.😁😁
Loved these. Then the bug eye came after😅
Also Stock
Brake Fluid is only DOT3 so not made for prolonged hard driving or racing like this, will quickly foam up and boil.
So many Classic WRX Owners never upgrade to DOT4 or better and it can't run DOT5.1
1:32 we call that “Self Clearance-ing”
Smiles a plenty.
The sound of the boxer and the lightweight helps make this a very enjoyable car to drive.
In Australia Most GC8 and GF8 from 1998 - 2000 have Aircon + ABS
(Some also had factory Cruise Control on the Manuals, Tho it was dealership option so really an aftermarket Kit)
Also the last model of GC8 or GF8 Here is 2000, Same as in Japan there were a few left over sold in 2001 but they were still 2000 models,
2001 WRX is Bugeye Style with OBDII and AVCS Also heavier and slower well almost all stock WRX 2001-2021 are Heavier and slower than 1994-2000 models.
I’ve never had an issue with the engines in my WRX’s & Current STI, but I’ve had many issues with my brakes on each and every single one. Definitely a flaw in my opinion.
That blow off valve reminds me of the turbo cars on gran turismo
What a BLAST that video !!!!
I was so happy to see Misha enjoying like that !! PURE JOY.
And this engine……. It rumbles so lovely BUT it’s also a screamer !!!! It wants to rev higher and higher !🎵🎶!! Haha
Plus so much torque and the blow up valve to finish the Eargasm… What a blast really.
Thanks to the owner !!!!!!!
They’re not the fastest, nor the best handling, but a GC8 just gets under your skin. I would love to have another Type R in my garage, but with the spec c drivetrain this time.
I like all these videos, but this one was special. Makes me miss my STi.
I love that sound i had a 2.0l as well with a 16G, enjoyed the ride GC8 still looks the best of all impreza design
It was great to see you smiling the whole lap Misha!
Get a 2004 widetrack prodrive STI and a gc8 and swap everything from the 2004 to the gc8 you will have a killer car that with a bit of care can last forever and hold onto the memories .
Awesome video loved it
would love to see a hatchback if someone ever brings one to you. misha makes my childhood so happy and i wish to get to the same point or close to him.
Brakes made of "butter covered in olive oil" is standard. The Highway code says it takes a car 800m to come to a stop from 70mph because cars from the past basically relied on wind resistance and the power of eco warriors to stop them, which have become way stronger in recent years
great driving and car. the 4.44 is a different character for the gc8 variants.
love the engine sound... boxter engines really sound amazing!
There is a part of me that always wanted to build up a 2 door GC8, but by the time I had the funding to do it properly all of them had either rusted into oblivion or cost more than a new base Cayman.
MIsha being so giddy about a Subaru has me reacting the same way. Fact that it's his first car too, so sick.
As on the non sti wrx, these discs and calipers are too undersized to do the circuit, in competitive mode ... the best thing is to start by mounting the brembos of the wrx sti ... at the rear, it will not be not plug and play, the 2 holes of the brackets do not fall in the same place .
Can't wait for me to put mine back together
Concerning the water temperature, the pressure gauge on the dashboard (the one on the video) is to be forgotten .... the actual temperature could be 10 degrees higher than what we see.
This is a known problem and explains the need to install a few more gauges in order to monitor the vehicle correctly.
Misha .... to see you smile like that is rather worrying ... lol
Driving a subaru is risky for your mental health and your wallet, you should know that.
However, having been driving a subaru for several years and also having driven a honda civic ... I recommend (given your use) a honda
Upgrade master cylinder to STI one. Fit brake stopper. Upgrade lines and fluid. Run PFC discs and pads.
Brakes are always the first thing I upgrade on a car. And with a reason. A car can have so much power tweaks; but you only really need the brakes once to get you out of a crash.
Misha was so happy! 🤗
This car has seen better days... (I'm not talking about Misha's driving, ofc)
Cool! Sounds awesome! Must be cool to relive those very first car feelings
I have had one of those no brakes at all moments in a car.. an Austin Mini at 60mph headed right for a staggered crossing over a busy trunk road (also 60 mph) ... down the gears, on with the hand brake and stopped 3 feet short of the line... passenger asked me why I used the handbrake... when I showed him the foot brake pedal he went white.. and thereafter called me cucumber because he otherwise had no clue... I was just focused on stopping us safely and had no time to divert attention to verbal or other indications XD