If Darth Vader decided to retire from a life of spreading inter- galactic terror and settle for a car to nip round to the shops, the Subaru Impreza WRX would suit him down to the ground.

Combining the acceleration of an imperial fighter and aggressive styling cues borrowed from the evil warlord's own headgear, the blisteringly quick saloon is not for the faint-hearted.

The WRX - the new name for the cult-car turbo models - makes no attempt to hide its high-performance aspirations.

Dinner plate-sized fog lamps, blistered wheel arches, large alloy wheels, skinny tyres, a bulging bonnet air intake and a whopping rear spoiler - it's hard to miss.

Two litres of turbo-charged power lurk under the bonnet, delivering a blistering 218 horsepower, which can propel the four-wheel-drive car from rest to 60mph in under six seconds.

Quite why you would ever want to rocket yourself around our congested roads in such dramatic fashion is open to question, but for enthusiasts who want a car that has the look and feel of Richard Burns's Banbury-built Prodrive-developed World Rally Champion- ship challenger, the WRX comes as close as you need.

Make no mistake, the WRX is not a souped-up saloon with large pieces of flared bodywork bolted on to the outside. The technology built into the car is seriously rally-inspired and starts with a much stiffer floorpan, which cuts road noise, improves crash safety and allows the suspension a chance to work better. The result is a firm ride and razor sharp handling.

Tweaks to the engine, which retains its characteristic flat-four 'boxer' burble, deliver greater pulling power at lower speeds, making the car smoother to drive and easier to manage.

Power steering has been improved to deliver a smoother more consistent feel and much improved feedback, especially at speed. To exploit the extra cornering grip, the WRX model is fitted with larger 17-inch alloy wheels and low-profile tyres.

The WRX is an out-and-out enthusiast's car. To a performance aficionado, the decision to raise the rear roll centre by 33mm, close to that of the WRC rally car, to stick with compact, lightweight and durable strut suspension and use forged aluminium L-shaped lower arms are important features.

Much more interesting to most drivers are the improvements to the air-conditioned, CD player-equipped interior, which has had a complete makeover with improved seat cloth and a silver finish to the centre panel and ventilation outlets.

Driver and front seat passenger sit in sports seats with side airbags, with the option of choosing rally-style bucket seats without the side airbags.

The car has grown slightly longer and higher, but the changes have been well disguised to maintain sporty looks. Subaru has fitted a ratchet-type driver's seat lifter, while the steering wheel tilts to help achieve the right driving position.

While the WRX looks as if it is about to launch itself down a World Rally Championship stage, there is a wide range of models to choose from, with prices starting from £13,950. The saloon and five-door models have been deliberately styled in completely different ways, the sports wagon offering five-door function, more room for passengers and extra load space. But as a flagship model, the four-door Impreza WRX remains a star. Auto facts *Model: Subaru Impreza

WRX AWD

*Price: £21,495 on the road

*Fuel consumption:

19.9 mpg Urban

35.8 mpg Extra Urban

27.7 mpg Combined

*Top speed: 143 mph

*Fuel tank: 60 litres/13.2 gallons

*Comfort: Good

*Luggage space: 11 cu ft

*Dimensions: 440cm/173.4in x 173cm/68.1in

*Insurance group: 17