Subaru WRX STI Hawkeye: The Final GD Generation

Subaru's Rally Roots

The Subaru Impreza WRX STI Hawkeye (2006-2007) represents the final generation of the iconic GD chassis Impreza. Built during Subaru's peak World Rally Championship years, the Hawkeye carries the soul of Subaru's motorsport heritage — boxer engine rumble, symmetrical all-wheel drive, and the eager driver-focused chassis that made the brand legendary.

What Defines the Hawkeye

The Hawkeye nickname comes from the distinctive headlight design — sharp, hawk-like front lamps that replaced the round "Bugeye" (2002-2003) and rectangular "Blobeye" (2004-2005) lights of earlier GDs. This was the most aggressive front-end styling in the GD lineage, perfectly matching the car's rally-inspired character.

The EJ257 Boxer Heart

Under the hood, the Hawkeye STI continues with the EJ257 — a 2.5L turbocharged horizontally-opposed flat-four engine. This boxer layout is Subaru's signature: a low center of gravity, perfect balance, and the unmistakable rumble that makes Subaru fans worldwide. Power output: 305 PS / 290 lb-ft from the factory, with massive tuning headroom.

Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive

Subaru's legendary Symmetrical AWD with Driver-Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) gave the Hawkeye STI its corner-carving capability. Unlike the Evo's ACD, the DCCD allowed drivers to manually adjust the center diff lock from 35:65 to fully locked, making the STI extraordinarily flexible across road conditions.

Petter Solberg Era

The Hawkeye launched at the height of Petter Solberg's WRC career with Subaru. Solberg was the 2003 World Rally Champion and continued driving for Subaru through 2008. The road-going Hawkeye carries the spirit of his championship-winning machinery, even if the WRC had moved beyond the GD chassis by 2006.

The 2.5L Boxer Reality

Many enthusiasts debated whether the EJ257 was actually an upgrade over the smaller 2.0L EJ207 used in JDM models. The 2.5L offered more torque and easier daily driving, but the 2.0L revved more eagerly and was easier to tune. The Hawkeye USDM versions used the EJ257 exclusively.

Common Issues and Tuning Heritage

The EJ257 had well-documented weaknesses: ringland failures from poor cooling, head gasket issues, and the dreaded "rod knock" from oil starvation. These issues spawned an entire industry of forged engine builds, closed-deck blocks, and custom tunes. The aftermarket support is unmatched in the JDM scene.

Production and Variants

• 2006: Initial Hawkeye release with refined chassis
• 2007: Final Hawkeye year with minor refinements
• 2008+: Replaced by GR/GH chassis "Hatchback STI"

Total Hawkeye production: ~40,000 units globally over two model years.

Pop Culture and Motorsports

• Gran Turismo: Featured prominently in GT4, GT5, GT6
• Forza Motorsport: Continues to be popular in the Forza series
• Rally America: Subaru works team campaigning Hawkeye STIs
• Initial D: While the AE86 stole the show, STIs featured in later seasons

Collector Trajectory

While not yet at the same collector status as the R34 or Supra MK4, clean Hawkeye STIs are appreciating rapidly. Stock, unmodified examples now command $25,000-$35,000, with rare special editions reaching higher. As the final pure GD generation before electronic intervention dominated AWD systems, the Hawkeye represents an important chapter in performance AWD history.

The Subaru Legacy

The Hawkeye STI remains the embodiment of what Subaru does best: rally-bred performance, all-wheel drive traction, boxer engine character, and an enthusiast-focused driving experience. It's the car that taught a generation what real all-wheel drive performance feels like.