In short
- Subaru introduced the revised European Impreza face for the 2003 model year with new headlights, front bumper and front fenders.
- Confirm WRX, STI, year and modification history from evidence because visible parts can be changed between cars.
- The live catalogue poster represents a verified 2005 STI Type UK, matching its visible STI details to one consistent specification.
Blobeye is a useful name for a face, not a substitute for a VIN. It narrows the years and tells you which drawing to look at. It cannot prove whether the car in an advert is a WRX, an STI or a mixture of parts gathered over two decades.
How do you establish whether a Blobeye is a WRX or STI?
Start with the VIN and registration documents, then make the equipment and history agree with them. Do not promote a car from WRX to STI because it has the expected scoop, wing, wheels or badges. Those parts can all be changed.
Read invoices for a continuous description of the same car. A modification list should say what changed, who carried out the work and whether engine management was altered. Use the GOV.UK MOT history service to compare dates, mileage and recorded defects, then verify any identity uncertainty with Subaru or a marque specialist before buying.
Which years does the Blobeye name cover here?
This catalogue uses 2003 to 2005 for the Blobeye drawing. Subaru unveiled the revised European Impreza for the 2003 model year in September 2002, identifying new headlights, front bumper and front fenders as part of the facelift.
The date range describes the face in the artwork, not every second-generation Impreza. Earlier and later front ends need different drawings even when an advert uses the same model name. The Bugeye and Blobeye comparison puts those two Subaru faces side by side. The Fiesta generation guide applies the same drawing rule to another model family.
What should you check at a Blobeye WRX viewing?
Inspect the identity, history and underside before driving, then assess the car from cold to fully warm. Treat a noise, warning or unusual control as a symptom that needs diagnosis, not as evidence that every old Impreza behaves that way.
Which Blobeye figures does the catalogue print use now?
The live print uses the verified 2005 STI Type UK specification. I brought the figures into line with the STI details already visible in the drawing, so the picture and the statistics now describe one car.
- Engine
- 2.0L EJ20 BOXER INLINE 4
- Power
- 261 bhp
- Torque
- 343 Nm
- Weight
- 1470 kg
- 0 to 60
- 5.2 sec
- Top speed
- 148 mph
The engine wording is copied from my finished poster, as the catalogue requires. The site does not normalise it or substitute a tidier phrase. The figures stay attached to this STI Type UK specification, while a WRX, another market or another gearbox needs its own evidence.
Which sources support this Blobeye WRX guide?
Subaru’s 2002 European announcement supports the 2003 model-year facelift and the parts of the face that changed. GOV.UK supplies the live MOT and recall checks. The displayed performance figures come only from the signed-off catalogue model.
Read Subaru’s European 2003 model announcement and use the GOV.UK recall service as an indicative check. If a rear-wheel-drive Nissan is also on the list, the 350Z buyer’s guide follows the same evidence-first viewing order. When the car is identified, open the Blobeye builder.
Questions people actually ask
- What should I check before buying a Blobeye WRX?
- Check the VIN, registration documents, WRX or STI identity, service and MOT history first. Then inspect the car cold and warm, including fluids, leaks, clutch, gearbox, steering, brakes, four tyres, alignment, shell, underside, repairs and every modification or remap.
- Which years are called the Subaru Impreza Blobeye?
- The catalogue uses 2003 to 2005 for the revised face. Subaru introduced that European model-year facelift at the 2002 Paris Motor Show with new headlights, front bumper and front fenders. Check one car by its own build and registration records rather than the nickname alone.
- Can you identify a Blobeye WRX or STI from the bonnet scoop?
- No. A scoop, wing, wheels or badges can be replaced, and no single visible part proves the version. Match the VIN and documents to the car, then compare its equipment and mechanical specification with reliable records before treating it as a WRX or STI.
- Does the Blobeye catalogue print use STI performance figures?
- Yes. The current catalogue portrait is signed off as a 2005 STI Type UK and uses the verified figures shown in its specification block. Those numbers must not be transferred to a WRX or another market version because the face alone does not establish them.
Written by Jonathan in Derby. Last updated .