Originally Posted by ReMz

the clutch does seem to slip from a hard 1-2 shift. mine used to at least.

get a torque dampner so the engine doesnt flex as much. it worked wonders for me.
that still doesnt change that these cars have weak clutches. my view: the clutch is rather frail, but it all depends on the driver. mine holds up fine when im racing through gears. i can get it to slip badly if i abuse it tho..... since you are new to a manual, it is a consideration. i kno i burned up the clutch on my STi VERY quckly and im on my second one after 20k. in hindsight tho, i abused it while learning.