Subaru Gives Us World Rally Blue Balls With Yet Another Half-Baked STI Revival

Back in October, Subaru teased us with two STI concept cars, one a more futuristic EV, and one a more production-ready gas-burning rally machine for the road. Then, after even more teasing about a new STI to be unveiled at Tokyo Auto Salon, we get this, the WRX STI Sport# Prototype. Instead of the Performance-B STI we'd hoped for, it's basically the WRX tS we get but with right-hand drive. Maybe this is why Subaru likes World Rally Blue so much.

That's not to say the WRX STI Sport# Prototype is a bad car. Far from it. It gets a six-speed manual transmission, not some fun-sucking CVT that, as I learned at a track day, is much slower than the manual on the track. This may not seem like a big deal, since we've always had a manual WRX in the U.S., but Japan's base model, the WRX S4, has been available only with the CVT. We're fans of saving the manual no matter where in the world it is, so while this may merely bring the J-spec WRX up to American standards, it's a genuine upgrade for Japanese drivers.

Beyond the manual, the WRX STI Sport# is essentially the same package as our WRX tS. That means large Brembo brakes with six-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, and 19-inch wheels wrapped in 245/35 Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires. It also comes with an electronically controlled adjustable suspension that's "tuned by STI," rather than the more cushy ride of the WRX GT. If this sounds like I'm just rewriting the spec sheet from Andy's WRX tS review, it's because I pretty much am, because that's how the WRX STI Sport# is equipped. Maybe Subaru took some parts bin engineering lessons during GM's brief stake in the company. Only some suede Recaro seats make the WRX STI Sport# unique, plus right-hand drive for the Japanese market.

What it doesn't get is any additional horsepower whatsoever, just the same 2.4-liter boxer-four making the same 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. While that's certainly plenty of power, a car with the STI badge deserves something extra, even if it's just the WRX STI S210's 296-hp upgrade of the same engine and not a burbling EJ. That's what bothers me most about this car. Subaru already knew how to make this STI-in-name-only a bit more special, and chose not to. The U.S. spec WRX tS name is more appropriate, because while it was certainly "tuned by STI," which is what that badge stands for, it's not enough of a hop-up to be worthy of the STI badge.

And yet, here it is. We won't be getting this in the U.S., and it doesn't matter, because we already have it. Subaru hasn't announced pricing, and that doesn't matter either, because it'll only be available in Japan, and our WRX tS costs $48,875, including $1,170 destination. Maybe you can add some red body cladding from the STI Sport# to give it a more JDM look, if that's still something we're doing in 2026.