Let’s be honest, the Impreza WRX STI gives you that little bit of hope that one day you’ll be able to join Travis Pastrana on his team or that you’ll be a stunt driver in a Fast & Furious movie. Join host Jessi Lang as she gives you the rundown on the rally-inspired 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI and see if it lives up to the hype.

For 2011, the Impreza WRX STI has updated styling including offerings as both a 4-door and 5-door vehicle, but keeps the same hood scoop and engine from the 2010 model year. The 2.5 L turbocharged 4-cylinder Boxer^® engine produces 305 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. You have three driving modes with this engine: Intelligent, Sport, and if Sport wasn’t peppy enough — Sport Sharp.  The only downside of the ’11 WRX STI  is the monochromatic guage cluster, but it is definitely not a deal breaker. The fuel economy at 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway isn’t impressive but with a turbocharged engine, you already know what you’re getting in to there.

Our 5-door tester came in at $38,720 with goodies, but the base price starts at $33,995.  The WRX STI comes with some great standard features like the  Brembo^® breaking system, remote keyless entry, automatic climate control, Bluetooth^®, and an usb port for your iPod^®.   However, if you upgrade to the Premium or Limited trim levels, you can get even more creature comforts like navigation, Satellite radio, heated seats, a moonroof, and leather interior.  If the WRX STI is a little too pricey to you, you may want to consider the slightly-less prestigious Impreza WRX that starts at $25,495 .

The 2011 model year of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI holds great news for fanboys and enthusiasts alike. 2011 means a new WRX STI four-door with wide-body design, two body styles, and re-tuned suspension. It is the first time that the WRX STI has been offered in two body styles (5-door and 4-door).

“The continuous evolution and development of the WRX STI is driven by the strong, loyal and vocal support from thousands of enthusiastic owners of this exciting high-performance vehicle,” said Tom Doll, executive vice president and COO of Subaru of America, Inc. “The 2011 4-door WRX STI will expand the appeal of this iconic performance model to a wider range of driving enthusiasts.”

In front, the 2011 WRX STI models feature sharpened bumper corners and wider, blacked-out fog lamp nacelles to accentuate the “wide and low” profile. A jutting lip spoiler with three-dimensional detailing emphasizes the cars’ sporty intent. The newly designed front grille with black base and blacked-out Subaru wing highlights the headlights’ shape to give the entire front end a more powerful appearance, accentuated by larger grille and bumper intake openings.

The Subaru WRX STI was already a highly optimized performance machine. Aluminum front lower L-arms reduce unsprung vehicle weight. Major chassis tuning changes include a lowered ride height and new pillow-ball bushings in front and stiffer bushings for the rear subframe that supports the double-wishbone suspension, thus improving camber and toe stiffness. Both the front and rear suspension systems employ higher-rate springs and thicker front and rear stabilizer bars than the 2010 model: 21 mm vs. 20 mm in front and 19 mm vs. 18 mm in rear. Spring rates have increased by 15.6 percent in front and 53 percent in the rear.

Exclusive to the WRX STI, the Brembo Performance Brake System uses ventilated 4-wheel Super Sport anti-lock (ABS) disc brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). Super Sport ABS can control the braking forces at each rear wheel independently, which optimizes braking ability during hard cornering to help reduce understeer.

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The 2011 WRX STI continues as the ultimate-performance Subaru with its high-boost 305-hp turbocharged/intercooled 4-cyl. Boxer engine and 6-speed manual transmission. The STI also features Multi-Mode Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) version of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with three “Auto” modes, as well as a manual mode with six driver-selectable differential locking settings.

The WRX STI is equipped with advanced dynamic control systems, as well: the Multi-Mode Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) stability and traction control system is standard and features a track performance-optimized mode; Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE) technology allows the driver to tailor the car’s driving characteristics by choosing from among three selectable modes: “Intelligent,” “Sport” and “Sport Sharp”, using a rotary dial on the center console.

Expect to see the 2011 Impreza WRX STI models in Subaru dealerships late this summer.