Children starting crying and caravanners threw open the doors of their Musketeers in horror as the Prodrive-tweaked Impreza rumbled into Powys with all the subtlety of an AK-47.
But, then again, you don't buy one of these if you want to go unnoticed.
Externally, the first features that assault the eye are the aerodynamic adornments.
The rear spoiler would probably look like overkill on Alonso's F1 Renault, and the intercooler scoop on the bonnet would do a MiG fighter proud.
Then there's those gold alloys that women hate and that boxer-engined growl that men love.
But all of this is secondary. For this is a vehicle that you can't hope to appreciate unless you've driven it. Certainly not visually.
The standard Sti Impreza comes with 265bhp - more than enough you might say. But no, the Pro Drive Performance Pack model that I drove thrutches out some 305bhp.
Couple this to a six-speed close ratio gearbox, and a four-wheel drive system with enough electronic gizmos to make your granny a rally winner, and you've got a time machine.
Acceleration is actually quite disturbing. Drop the clutch at 4,000 rpm and it's as if a 120ft Freddie Flintoff has just driven you over mid-off with a 40ft bat. Snatch second, and it's as if he's sneaked up behind you again and given you another lusty belt.
Handling is phenomenal. Totally neutral and confidence-inspiring, it's a car that excels on ordinary roads. Noticeably softer riding than its Mitsubishi Evo rival, for me the Subaru represents a better-judged day-to-day balance.
Evo
Even on quite bumpy roads, you won't be drinking tea in the back but you won't be having your fillings re-set, either. The Evo may be marginally sharper handling on the limit but, most of the time, the Impreza is easier to live with.
The Semi-slick Bridgestone tyres on the model I drove gave the car a major go-kart feel.
And, so capable is this car, that unless you were able to throw caution to the wind on a track, it's hard not to view every corner as a missed opportunity.
The interior is fairly bland - a mixture of cheap-feeling plastics and garish red stitching conspires to make you feel as if you're back in the arcade playing Outrun.
THE seats are supportive and well suited to the kind of G-Force this car regularly transmits to the driver, and the dash design, although showing its age, features clear, easy-to-read dials.
It's hard to imagine how you'd get used to ploughing through a tank of super-unleaded in less than 200 miles but that is the reality of life with this beast.
Still, service intervals stretch to over 10,000 miles and Subaru's reputation for reliability and after-sales are the envy of the industry.
Plus, there's plenty of room for four adults and a load of luggage.
It needs to be said, however, that even though the Impreza is undoubtedly a fabulous drive, you have to be a certain character to pull one of these off.
Because, it's a fact of life that all the yaw-rate sensors, driver-control centre differentials and shimless valve-lifters in the world won't stop most people from thinking you're a loser.
