EDIT 10/7/11: As noted by a few readers, the build work was done by Craven Performance in St.Peters, MO and AMS Performance did the tuning.

AMS Performance recently finished a 653 WHP 2011 STI sedan build that is running low 11 second 1/4-mile times! Their customer, James from St. Louis, wanted a big horsepower Subaru, but needed it to drive like the stock vehicle since the car is still a daily driver. The build started with the AMS 900HP Shortblock, built heads with Cosworth cams, Injector Dynamics ID2000cc injectors, and the AMS 950R turbo kit. For tuning, AMS relied on the COBB Tuning AccessPORT and AccessTUNER Pro for it’s ease of use, real time tuning, graphical interface, and customer support.

So what does it take to make over 600 wheel horsepower and still be able to make the car perform well as a daily driver? “It takes a good amount of time to dial in the large MAF paired with large injectors” said Mitch Mckee, an AMS Performance ECU Calibrator. Mitch also noted that “some people like kill mode all of the time”, but using the map switching abilities of the AccessPORT, he can create multiple boost level maps since most customers prefer to have it “turned down just a bit for softer driving when on the street.”

“It drives like stock on E85, just much faster!” Using the AccessPORT, James can switch between E85 and 93 octane maps for the track or street. When at the drag strip, he takes full advantage of the AccessPORT’s Launch Control and Flat Foot Shifting features. James noted the AccessPORT datalogging “makes it easy to communicate back and forth with my tuner even though he is 300 miles away.”

Check out the video above of James’s STI at the drag strip! Don’t forget to check out AMS Performance and if you want to learn more about the AccessPORT and it’s features, just visit COBB Tuning.