Lifted Subaru WRX Off-road Rally-Style Build

Like no other brand, Subaru has an incredible rally heritage, and their Symmetric AWD system has been forged in numerous racing competitions. When it comes to off-roading though, the choice often falls to the Forester, but the Impreza platform is rarely considered, for obvious reasons. Yet, being built on a very similar platform, it’s got a pretty good potential for spirited driving off the paved roads.

A while ago I featured the previous generation lifted Impreza sedan that its owner uses for overland-style adventures. Being impressed with it’s capabilities and potential I was on the lookout for the newer model and luckily found this cool lifted and modified WRX with some decent off-road-inspired upgrades. After a quick talk with the owner, it became evident that it has many interesting solutions that Subaru fans will definitely appreciate. Read on to find out about all the modifications and upgrades done to this WRX to handle off-road trails at maximum speeds!

Key upgrades:

• Suspension: Eibach 1.5-inch lift pro kit for additional ground clearance
• Wheels/Tires: Method wheels with Falken all-terrain tires suitable for off-road use
• Performance: Extensive engine modifications including intercooler, intake, exhaust, headers, and custom tuning

Owner’s Look

Why did you choose a WRX for your off-road project (or did it evolve from a street build to off-road with time)?

– I got a WRX because it’s been a dream car and I love their rally heritage. Love that it’s AWD and can go fast when you need to. It started as a street build for most of its time, but I got bored of it because everyone does that kind of build. I’ve always loved hitting dirt trails, so I recently changed it up from street to rally-inspired build because these cars are meant to hit some trails. It’s something I always wanted to do and should’ve done from the start. Now it stands out and is an awesome looking and feeling car to drive.

How do you like its performance off-road?

– The performance is great. The stock OEM suspension handled trails well when it was a street build, but I needed that extra lift. After changing to Eibach springs, I can hit trails smoothly and with confidence without worrying about scraping. It still handles smoothly even with the lift and allows me to tackle trails aggressively. It’s the best modification I’ve made to the car. I plan to do more upgrades in the future.

What was the most difficult part of the build?

– I can’t say much on difficulty – the Subaru handles modifications well, especially tunes. For the most part, it’s easy to swap parts. Sometimes during installation, a few bolts can be hard to reach, but overall it’s pretty straightforward. I guess the only truly difficult thing for all car enthusiasts is the money invested!

What do you like the most about your Subie?

– I would say that it’s such a capable off-road rally machine. I’ve hit trails like butter and seen others even jump the WRX on OEM suspension, and it handles it like a true rally car. In simple terms, rally is the way to go, and I love every moment of the time I drive it – whether I’m going to work or hitting some dirt trails.

The Build

Suspension

The Eibach 1.5-inch lift pro kit is probably the biggest off-road upgrade of this WRX, striking an excellent balance between additional ground clearance and handling. What I like about this approach is that this moderate lift preserves WRX driving dynamics and suspension geometry while bumping up the clearance to care less about the imperfections of the trail roads. 

The progressive spring rates allow for the increased suspension travel without excessive body roll, keeping the vehicle composed during spirited driving. Relatively moderate lift height also preserves CV joint angles, decreasing potential driveline stress.

Wheels

The Method M502S rims (17×8 with ET +38mm offset) wrapped in 235/55R17 Falken tires ensure an excellent combo for mixed-terrain performance. These wheels keep the weight reasonable at the same time offering enough strength for off-road use, plus their off-road design adds a few points to the overall style of the car. 

The Falken rubber delivers a substantial increase in sidewall height over the skinny stock tires, absorbing impacts and improving traction on loose surfaces. As for me, this wheel and tire package is one of the most crucial upgrades made both in terms of the performance and looks.

Performance

The list of performance upgrades is equally impressive as it combines lots of the components more common for the street build WRXs. The Perrin FMIC and turbo inlet improve cooling and airflow, while the ETS intake, JDMuscle UEL headers, catback exhaust, and downpipe form a greatly working system that noticeably improves the entire air path. What I especially appreciate is that these mods were carefully tied together with a custom tune from DrunkmannTuning, ensuring maximum gains from all the upgrades installed.

Exterior 

The exterior modifications combine both form and function, improving aesthetics and off-road capability. The Rally Innovations front bar with pod lights and LP Adventure hood mounts provides additional illumination  needed for night trail driving.

The OEM skidplate offers protection for vital underbody components, and Rally Armor flaps also minimizes damage to the paint and bodywork from stones and debris. This WRX delivers excellent  balance between rally-inspired aesthetic elements such as the JDMuscle STI wing, carbon hood, and blacked-out trim pieces and solid off-road utility. The OEM crossbars ensure cargo carrying and the various carbon fiber accents (gas cover, windshield covers, gunmetal flap) create a distinctive performance look that sets this WRX apart on the road.

Interior

The interior upgrades are also focused and purposeful as well as probably all other mods. The carbon fiber shifter and e-brake handles provide tactile feedback points that improve driving experience and looks.

What I appreciate about this approach is its restraint rather than overwhelming the interior with gaudy accessories, these subtle yet effective modifications enhance the driver’s connection to the vehicle.

List of Modifications

Interior

• Carbon shifter handle
• Carbon e-brake handle
• Perrin shifter stop

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Exterior

• JDMuscle WRX STI wing
• Carbon gunnery flap
• Wind deflectors
• Carbon windshield covers
• Carbon gas cover
• Foglights and gloss black finish bezel light cover
• Velossa big mouth LED version
• Cross arm bar front
• Gloss black grill
• Gloss black exhaust trim
• Rear taillights from JDMuscle
• F1 fog light
• Blacked out Subaru emblem
• Wing stabilizer
• Rallyinovations front bar with pod lights
• LPAventure mounts to hold pod lights on the hood
• Rally Armor flaps
• Subaru OEM crossbar
• Subaru OEM skidplate
• Seibon carbon hood
• Other exterior mods from Import Racing and JDMuscle

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Performance

• Perrin FMIC and turbo inlet
• ETS intake, catback exhaust, downpipe
• JDMuscle UEL headers
• Tuned by DrunkmannTuning

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Suspension

• Eibach 1.5 inch lift pro kit

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Wheels

• Method M502S rims (17×8 5×114.3 ET +38mm)
• Falken tires (235/55R17)

Conclusion

This Subaru WRX build scores a solid 40 out of 70 possible points based on our off-road capability rating, earning 30 points for its AWD system with suspension lift and a bit oversized tires, plus an additional 10 points for its skid plate protection and improved traction control. Much like its legendary GC8 predecessor, the modern WRX refuses to stuck to paved roads, and the thoughtful combo of Eibach lift and Method/Falken wheel package transforms it into a decent off-pavement performer.

To me, it’s a Subaru’s embodyment of dual-personality – a vehicle that delivers great performance whether tearing through forest trails or carving mountain switchbacks. It also demonstrates that properly and thoroughly made upgrades can transform a performance-oriented AWD car into a capable off-road rally machine.