Well, this is it everyone — the new Subaru STI…ish.
Subaru has been spending the last three months hyping everyone up to the possibility of a new WRX STI. And not a faux-STI like the tS or the so-called “STI Sport” over in Japan, but a full-fat STI. And did we get that? Did we get a new, proper WRX STI at the Tokyo Auto Salon like the hype suggested we would?
No. No, we did not.
And you’ll forgive me if I’m a little salty about that, because that’s what enthusiasts wanted. Instead, what we got was the Subaru WRX STI Sport# (pronouced “Sport Sharp”) Prototype, an “upgraded” version of the existing sedan with nary a 300-plus horsepower engine in sight. Subaru also brought along a bunch of other STI-themed updates to the show like the Japan-only wagon, the Levorg STI Sport R-Black Limited II STI Performance (say that three times fast). There’s also a sedan version called the S4 plus all those extra words I’m not going to repeat, and a slightly hopped up Impreza ST-H STI Performance Edition. Subaru rounded out their debut with new versions of their race cars for the Super Taikyu Series, the GT300-class BRZ and the Japan Rally Championship WRX. You can see all of these over on the automaker’s YouTube livestream.
So, what is the STI Sport#, anyway?
You’ll notice, of course, that this prototype does technically have the Subaru Tecnica International name and badge in it. So, on the surface, you could look at it and think its an STI, particularly with the red trim pieces and yellow-painted brake calipers. If anything, the “Sharp” prototype brings the manual transmission back to Japanese buyers, as the existing S4 STI model has been CVT-only.
Other than that, this Subaru WRX STI Sport# is rocking the same 2.4-liter FA24F turbocharged four-pot as the standard model. It makes about the same amount of power, it seems, which is also disappointing. The 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque in the standard car is fine, but a proper STI obviously needs more. And honestly, if it wants to supersede the Volkswagen Golf R and Honda Civic Type R, it needs a lot more — something in the range of 325-350 horsepower. It’s not like tuners can’t crank that much power out of this engine, either, so Subaru can absolutely make it happen while complying with U.S. emissions standards…it just chooses not to (at least for now).
It doesn’t even get the 296-horsepower unit from the limited-run S210 model from last year. There’s also no hatchback, obviously, and no DCCD limited-slip differential — just the same center diff and symmetrical all-wheel drive setup as the standard WRX.
Will we see a full-on STI at this point? Really, you could argue it either way, because right here, right now…this isn’t it. But the hatchback from last year’s Japan Mobility Show could still be on the table, as could be the electric STI concept. My question at this point is whether it will be too late if and when Subaru actually ever gets around to it.
Then, if it does try to launch a full-fat STI, how much will it cost? If it’s in the $55,000 to $60,000 range, that could keep even enthusiastic buyers away, and that may be one reason the company isn’t charging into the idea. At $50K, the existing tS is already on the pricey side, so from a business perspective, Subaru doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room to bring out an STI and make it price competitive to, say, a Golf R.
If you’re wondering whether Subaru is planning to bring the STI Sport# stateside, that’s a big negatory. This is for the Japanese market only, since the main focus is bringing in the cable-actuated manual transmission we already get over here in the U.S.
Really, for the sake of the incredibly devoted fans who’ve spent generations supporting the WRX, though…come on Subaru. It’s what we want, it’s what the community deserves…knock off the teasing, already.
