2015 Subaru WRX Build: 300 HP, SoCal V3 Turbo & Airlift 3P Air Suspension

Meet Matt Reed and His One-Off 2015 Subaru WRX Build

Most modified cars end up chasing whatever's popular that month. This 2015 Subaru WRX build doesn't. Matt Reed is an IDA-certified detailer from Apple Creek, Ohio, and his WRX is a 300 hp turbocharged Subaru with a custom-painted roof, etched glass, air suspension and a side exit exhaust, all of it chosen because he likes it. You can follow along with Matt on Instagram at @Lvboost73, and the photography in this feature comes from Trent at @Dnr_solow_media.

It's the kind of car our readers love, because it's an owner's own take on a platform rather than a copy of somebody else's. So let's get into how a motocross racer with a Ford Ranger ended up here.

A Detailer's Eye for Finish

Matt's day job explains a lot about the car. In his words: "I'm an IDA-certified detailer that has been detailing everything under the sun for 17 years, and I live in a small town called Apple Creek, Ohio."

The IDA is the International Detailing Association, so that certification is no weekend hobby badge. Spend 17 years obsessing over paint, glass and trim on other people's vehicles and you'd expect your own car to be the place where you push the finish as far as you like. That's exactly what you see here, from the custom painted roof to the etching in the glass. This Subaru WRX build is as much about presentation as it is about power.

From a Ford Ranger to an Eclipse to a WRX

Every build has a starting point, and Matt's goes back a long way. "My wife back in the day had a 1999 Eclipse and I had a Ford Ranger, because I was racing motocross at the time. I fell in love with her and her car, and I traded my Ranger in on a 1995 Eclipse."

That's about the best reason there is to swap a truck for a sports coupe. It also tells you something about Matt: he follows what he loves, and the car side of his life grew from there.

The Mitsubishi connection didn't stop at the Eclipse either. "I had an Evo VIII that got totaled, and I wanted another one, but they were too expensive with too many miles. This was a more sensible option, lol." The Evo and the WRX have been rivals for decades, so there's a certain irony in an Evo man landing on a Subaru. But the 2015 Subaru WRX is a fantastic platform for modification, with a huge aftermarket behind it and a turbocharged flat four that responds to just about everything you throw at it.

What Makes This 2015 Subaru WRX Build Unique

Ask Matt what sets the car apart and the answer is simple. "It's unique because it's been customized by me, for me, so it has things that I like, not just what's popular at the moment."

That matters. Scroll through any feed and you'll see the same wheels, the same suspension and the same tune on car after car. Matt's modified Subaru WRX has some of the usual suspects, sure, but it also has details you won't see anywhere else, like custom sunroof etching and a roof painted to his own taste. It feels personal, and that's the appeal.

Power: Chasing 300 HP

Underneath the bonnet, the goal was a stout 300 hp from the turbocharged boxer. A 2015 WRX leaves the factory with roughly 268 hp, so that's a healthy step up, and the parts list shows how it was done.

The heart of the setup is a SoCal V3 turbo paired with a PRL manifold, which gets the exhaust gases to the turbine more efficiently than the stock piece. To keep temperatures in check Matt fitted an upgraded FMIC (front mount intercooler), a Mishimoto oil cooler and a Mishimoto fan. More boost means more heat, and heat is the enemy of any turbo Subaru, so the cooling side of the build is just as important as the turbo itself.

Air gets in through a Perrin intake, and there's a Radium dual catch can setup to deal with oil vapour in the crankcase breather system. TGV and EGR deletes have been done as well, a popular choice among WRX owners who want a cleaner intake tract. A Boomba BPV keeps the boost behaving, and a Cobb Accessport handles the tuning duties. On the other end sits a Hellfire Fabrication side exit exhaust, which is easily one of the most distinctive things about the car. Most people go for a standard cat-back. Matt went for something that looks and sounds different, and fair play to him.

Grimmspeed parts also feature in the build. We'll come to the styling in a minute.

Suspension, Wheels and Brakes

A car with this much attitude needs the right stance, and for that Matt chose Airlift 3P air suspension. Airlift's 3P management system gives you digital control over ride height and pressure, so the car can sit low for shows and photos and still be usable on the road when it needs to be. That's the real appeal of air, getting the look without giving up the daily practicality.

The wheels are ESR CS8s, custom painted to suit the car. The CS8 has a clean, simple face, which is the perfect canvas for a custom colour. Behind them is a Brembo brake conversion, because making 300 hp is one thing and stopping it properly is another. It's a smart upgrade that doesn't shout about itself.

Paint, Glass and Details

This is where Matt's detailing background really shows, and it's also where the whole build began. The very first mod was the roof. "I'd seen some of the new Toyota Camrys that were white with a blackout roof, and I liked that look, just not with black, so I went with a color flip. That was the first mod, painting the roof." The car itself is black, and the roof wears a custom Didspade Maverick finish, so the idea has been turned inside out. It's a neat bit of inspiration from an unexpected place, and it's a good example of Matt taking an idea he liked and making it his own rather than copying it. The carbon fibre spoiler has been custom painted as well, which keeps the contrast and depth running through the car without it feeling over the top.

Then there's the glass. The custom glass and sunroof etching was done by Glass Incisions, and it's the detail that makes people lean in for a closer look. Matt's reasoning is refreshingly simple: "I like the look of glass etching. You don't see it much, maybe on lowriders, but not on imports and not on Subies. I make my own trends, lol." He's not wrong. Etched glass is rare on the import scene, and on a Subaru it's almost unheard of, which is exactly why it works.

The windows wear Omnique tint, and Cleared By Nick taillights are part of the build as well. None of these are big flashy changes on their own, but together they give the 2015 Subaru WRX build a finished feel, the sort of thing a detailer would obsess over.

Inside the Cabin

Inside, the car goes properly purposeful. Braum Racing seats and harness hold you in place, and there's a carbon fibre steering wheel in front of you with carbon fibre trim pieces dotted around the cabin. A Likewise shifter rounds things off. The cabin is simple, focused and driver-centred, which suits a car with this much power behind it.

The Full Build List

Here's everything Matt has fitted to his 2015 Subaru WRX build, broken down by area.

Engine and Performance

• Perrin intake
• Mishimoto oil cooler
• Mishimoto fan
• Grimmspeed parts
• Radium dual catch cans
• FMIC (front mount intercooler)
• SoCal V3 turbo
• PRL manifold
• Hellfire Fabrication side exit exhaust
• TGV and EGR deletes
• Cobb Accessport
• Boomba BPV

Suspension

• Airlift 3P air suspension

Wheels and Brakes

• ESR CS8 wheels, custom painted
• Brembo brake conversion

Exterior

• Custom painted roof (Didspade Maverick)
• Custom glass and sunroof etching
• Omnique window tint
• APR carbon fibre spoiler, custom painted
• Cleared By Nick taillights

Interior

• Carbon fibre steering wheel
• Braum Racing seats and harness
• Carbon fibre trim pieces
• Likewise shifter

Performance Stats

• Power: 300 hp

Who Did the Work?

Matt's answer here says plenty: "I did all the work other than some paint work and the tint." Pro Touch handled the paint and the tint, and Glass Incisions did the etching. Everything else, from the turbo and the manifold to the suspension and the seats, was done by Matt himself.

That's a big deal. Doing your own work means every part on the car has been put there by someone who knows exactly why it's there. It's the heart of what we love about owner builds, and it's why we ask for the owner's own words in every feature.

Future Plans

There's no finish line in sight. Matt's plans are refreshingly honest: "Just to keep making it crazier and crazier, more paint, different wheels, who knows." And the taillights? "The taillights are next!"

Given what he's done so far, we wouldn't bet against any of it. A detailer with a taste for custom paint and a car that started with a roof flip and now has etched glass is a dangerous combination, and we'll be keeping an eye on where this Subaru WRX build goes next.

Dream Car

Every builder has a car they'd love to park next to their own, and for Matt it's the R33 Skyline. It's a fitting choice for someone who came up through the Eclipse and Evo world, since the R33 sits right in the heart of JDM legend territory. If you like your Japanese turbo cars, our Rory McEwing Subaru Impreza WRX STi Type UK feature is a great next read, and for something older, check out Ramsey Gamboa's 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX. Fancy a different generation? Take a look at Ronne Medina's 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI (GDB-F).

Final Thoughts

This 2015 Subaru WRX build proves you don't need to follow the crowd to build something special. Matt Reed has put in the work himself, picked the parts he likes, and ended up with a 300 hp Subaru that looks and sounds like nothing else on the road. Follow Matt at @Lvboost73 and check out Trent's work at @Dnr_solow_media.

Want more stories like this in your hands? Grab our print magazine on Amazon: Stance Auto Magazine on Amazon