Enthusiasts have been asking Subaru to throw them a bone, and it seems the automaker is about to oblige.
It’s worth noting before we dive in that we’ve been down this road before. Over the past several months, we’ve had a few “will they, won’t they” moments as Subaru posits a potential rollout of new enthusiast models. Well, this is a sign that something is indeed in the works. Actually it isn’t just something (singular), but multiple things as the company’s internal Sports Vehicle Planning Office planned three such performance cars in the near future.
Subaru dropped this hint during the Fuji 24 Hours race, part of the Super Taikyu race series over in Japan. Company Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President Tetsuro Fujinuki went into details on all three upcoming performance models. The most interesting one for fans, by a long shot, is the potential return of a performance hatch model fold.
For reference, the WRX and hotter STI haven’t gotten a hatchback version since 2014. Neither the VA or VB generations went with a five-door option, despite enthusiasts clamoring for it for more than a decade at this point. The Performance-B STI concept at last year’s Japan Mobility Show is the closest we’ve seen to an actual production variant yet…and even the cloud of “maybe, but maybe not” loomed over that debut, particularly as Subaru rolled out the STI Sport# (aka Sport Sharp), which is not the STI model folks on either side of the Pacific were hoping for. That concept didn’t just die in the day, however, as Subaru did morph it into the High Performance X Version II race car with 359 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque.
And boy, those sound like some juicy WRX STI performance figures, if ever I read them. The 271 horses in the current sedan may put it in the same sort of either as a Golf GTI or a Hyundai Elantra N, but the AWD sport sedan isn’t exactly a rocket outside owners tuning them into next week.
So, it appears Subaru is closer to giving enthusiasts what they’re asking for. ‘If’ is still a key word here, however, so we’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for the next update.
We may get more goodies with the WRX sedan and BRZ, too.
The other pieces of the three cars Subaru teased include the WRX we already know, as well as the BRZ coupe. Shown above in the center, the BRZ Subaru’s teasing will be geared toward enthusiasts. How exactly do they plan to do that? Firm details are a bit thin on the ground, but this particular BRZ could be lightened from the standard model and sharper to drive. Subaru did roll out a new STI Sport Type RA model in Japan featuring rev-matching capability and, even better for spirited drivers and track enthusiasts, no-lift shifts. We may see similar updates here, potentially in a BRZ STI model.
On the WRX side, the major change will be a new transmission. Now, the existing VB-generation WRX already gets a 6-speed manual (coded as TY75). This time, though, we’re looking at the TY85 manual that featured in the last-generation STI. It’s a heavier-duty, close-ratio transaxle that can take some extra power and torque…another good sign for the return of a proper STI model in this generation.
Another key element with the possible TY85 integration into the VB WRX is the complementary DCCD (Driver Controlled Center Differential) setup. That last featured in the last-generation VA STI and was a hallmark in generations before that, where drivers could dial in the exact torque split they wanted. If Subaru brings in both the TY85 and DCCD, that could bring in a wave of enthusiasts that have been sticking with older WRXs to drive (and tune).
We should know more about all three of these cars in the next few months. The other key item to watch out for is what’s staying in the JDM sphere or what will actually make its way to the US. WRX sales have picked up in recent months after Subaru readjusted pricing…so it could build on that momentum by launching challengers to, say, the Honda Civic Type R, Toyota GR Corolla and Volkswagen Golf R.
