Subaru Impreza Tommykaira M20b Drive Article:
Uncommon Rumble
Celestar Islands - Think to yourself when was the last time you heard of the Tommykaira company. The company has barely surfaced in Celestar Islands, let alone anywhere else but Japan, where even in their home market are they uncommon.
Subaru Impreza's are plenty popular in Celestar. They're cheap speed, and have a dedicated following by a huge mass of enthusiasts who run and maintain them for the driving feel and on-road capabilities especially in the winding roads.
Here, we managed to secure a review of one of two known units still roaming the islands, with the second almost being part of the article but left prematurely.
Before the driving, the question may be raised: What is Tommykaira? What is the M20b?
Simply put, Tommykaira is a tuning and manufacturing company. They tune a whole range of cars, from Daihatsu's to Mercedes'. The M20b is the company's take on the Subaru Impreza, whose touch has been laid on many generations of the Impreza.
In the case of the Blobeye M20b, it is less of a makeover compared to the other brand's offerings. Some other models are more heavily modified externally compared to this, which includes side decals, a front bumper... and badges, nothing more.
The interior is also not touched as well.
The M20b comes with Tommykaira's 18 inch alloys and brakes, however the brakes were replaced early in its life here.
Something to note is that Tommykaira did not just do cosmetic changes, but tuning improvements to prove its credentials. The 2.2 badge signifies the 2.2 litres from an EJ20.
Despite the limited information on the M20b, colors available when new is most likely the same as the standard Impreza, no new fancy colors from Tommykaira.
Photo credit: http://s22b.ru/subaru-impreza-tommy-kaira-m20b-2003-gd/
Moving away from trivia, the driving experience would be as expected from a Subaru.
The Tommykaira exhaust provides a fruiter sound over the standard item, and the claimed 350 Horsepower can definitely be felt with the built motor.
A Mitsubishi FTO and Nissan Skyline GTR in stock form that was part of the shoot struggled to keep with the M20b both in acceleration and cornering.
The Tommykaira M20b is not a racecar, but it excels as a road car. Although the springs added by the company aids in road grip, it is less forgiving on bumpy and uneven surfaces, which may dampen expectations as a family car.
Frankly, in my own opinion, its a official unofficial take by a reputable tuning company on a small tune-up that most owners like to do, if it isn't pushing power into the six-hundred range or beyond.
It retains the everyday usability of the Impreza and adds on extra flair, power and enjoyment for those who seek it.
Nowadays, hardly anything churns out of Tommykaira that is well-known enough for people to get their hands on and enjoy. It is unfortunate to see such tuning companies go, but at least we'll still be able to enjoy their past offerings...
~Emiri
Tommykaira M20b
Engine: 2146cc Boxer-4, EJ207, Turbo
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual
Kerb weight: 1440 KG
Power: 350 HP @ 6400 RPM (Claimed)
Torque: 324 lb.ft / 440 Nm @ 4200 RPM
Fuel Consumption: Est. 7.8 L / 100 KM
0-100km/h: 4.7 s
Top Speed: Est 260 KM/H (Unconfirmed)
Modifications
2.2L EJ207
6 Pot brake kit (Non-Original; Not Tommykaira)
Tommykaira sports exhaust
Tommykaira springs
Additional Photos
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