AFFLUENT MAN-CHILD GROWS UP; Subaru's new STI may not be kinder and gentler, but it's easier to live with in the morning.

Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO

In the product highlights published for its 2008 Impreza WRX STI, Subaru notes that the cargo area accommodates "two Tour-size golf bags with rear seatbacks up.'' Transporting golf clubs apparently has become an STI selling point, so we assume the Affluent Man-Child plays golf.

"Affluent Man-Child'' is Subie speak for the guys who buy 3500 STIs annually-the same guys who have turned the rally-bred STI into a cult idol. The AMC is 31, married, no kids. He earns $100,000-plus in a "creative job.'' We'd guess he has at least a couple of tattoos and some Evo kill stickers on his gym bag. If he's ready to trade snowboarding for the links, then the new-gen STI makes a whole lot of sense.

Those hoping Subaru would stay the course and avoid the softer, more refined tack Mitsubishi has taken with the STI's archrival-the recently launched Lancer Evolution X-could be disappointed. This 305-hp STI is at least as fast as ever, but it's also smoother, quieter, more understated and easier to drive quickly. It reeks of refinement, compared with the STI that first landed in North America in 2004.

Nearly every mechanical system in the 2008 STI is unique and upgraded from the standard Impreza WRX. Yet the STI remains an Impreza, based on a new platform introduced last summer. It's 2.2 inches wider, and its wheelbase increases 3.9 inches to 103.3. The new dimensions take some of the chop out of the STI's ride and increase interior volume, and Subaru will build its uber-Impreza only in the line's most practical body style, the five-door hatchback.

Compared with other Imprezas, the STI unibody has more high-strength steel in key structural elements. Engine mounts are solid to minimize powertrain movement, and its hood is stamped from aluminum. This five-door STI, with more airbags and standard equipment, weighs 3395 pounds, or 22 pounds more than the 2007 STI sedan.

Power comes from a variation on Subaru's familiar 2.5-liter, horizontally opposed four, now with fully variable valve operation. Intercooler capacity has increased, and so has boost pressure, to 14.7 psi. The result is 12 hp more than the '07 STI, peaking at 6000 rpm. Maximum torque remains 290 lb-ft, though the 4000-rpm peak is 400 revs lower than before. The STI now features SI-Drive, which was introduced in Subaru's Legacy Spec B. It allows the driver to choose three different throttle maps, from commute-grade to extra-aggressive.