Subaru discontinued the iconic WRX STI nameplate when it launched the current ‘VB’ generation WRX in 2021, signalling the end of not only the flagship STI performance models but also the long-serving EJ flat-four engine.
While the STI (or Subaru Technica International) brand still exists, it’s largely a supplier of cosmetic and minor performance enhancement parts for the Subaru model lineup, leaving the world waiting on a fully fledged return.
Keen to prey on that desire, Subaru Motorsports USA – the Japanese marque’s US rally division – posed the question, “What if the Subaru WRX ARA25 was sold as [a] road car?” on social media, and included renders of what many flat-four fans are craving.
The ARA25 is Subaru’s WRX-based challenger in the American Rally Association, competing in both the top-shelf Open 4-Wheel-Drive (O4WD) class with its wilder aerodynamic exterior and higher power, as well as the closer-to-production Limited class.
These renders are based on the outright class WRX, with its prominent lip soiler, vented bonnet, roof duct, side skirts, big rear wing, pumped wheel-arches and unique centre-exit exhaust – all elements which make it look far more aggressive than the road car, a model which has been criticised for its black-clad wheel-arch trim since launch.
Subaru’s open-class ARA25 hasn’t been detailed, but it’s expected to base itself on the same FA24 turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder boxer engine as the WRX, albeit with much greater outputs.
By contrast, the ARA25L (its Limited-class car) makes 235kW and 634Nm, not only a significant improvement on the road car’s 202kW and 350Nm outputs, but also a healthy bump over the 221kW and 407Nm figures of the last-gen WRX STI EJ25 Final Editions.
The Limited-class WRX rally car also gets a six-speed sequential transmission, R53 springs and dampers which are mated to Subaru and Vermont SportsCar hardware, plus Brembo four-piston front brake calipers with 300mm rotors. The latter equipment is a step back from the six-piston Brembos the Australian-delivered WRX tS Spec B.
Sadly it appears Subaru won’t put its rally car into limited production for the road, while the STI nameplate recently resurfaced but only for Japan on the 300-unit S210, billed as “the pinnacle of the STI complete cars”.
Unlike STIs of old, it features a CVT rather than a manual, though it’s scored a boost up to 221kW and 375Nm through a handful of engine upgrades, while a handful of suspension and interior tweaks were also made.
Being a Japan-exclusive, it’s not coming to Australia, where the flagship remains as the aforementioned WRX tS Spec B.
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