Get Ready To Cry When You See This Unmodified 2004 Subaru WRX STI's Final Sale Price

When the 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI was new, it carried a base price of $31,545, and its turbocharged flat-four cranked out 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque, enough to hit 60 mph in less than five seconds. At a time when the Ford Mustang GT only made 260 hp, that was a seriously impressive level of performance, and these days, used examples still command some serious money. But even if you're used to STIs being expensive, you may still not be prepared for how much someone on Cars & Bids is about to pay for this 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

As you can see from the photos, the car in question is an enthusiast spec, pairing World Rally Blue Pearl paint with gold BBS wheels, and it appears to be in outstanding condition for a two-decade-old Subaru. In fact, it almost looks completely stock, something you pretty much never see with old STIs. What makes this car even better, though, is that it doesn't just look stock. According to the seller, you're looking at an honest-to-goodness, actual unmodified Impreza WRX STI. So, that's definitely not going to help keep the price down. 

Of course, we're talking about a car that's more than 20 years old, so there are bound to be a few scuffs and dings, but the entire car has very clearly been taken care of. I mean, just look at the interior. Even though the STI was far more focused on performance than luxury, that cabin looks about as showroom-fresh as you're ever going to find. Almost too fresh. Did they really leave the warning label on the glovebox? Seriously? After all these years?

Sadly, that's the point where you realize this car is going to sell for real, serious money. Because, if you check out the odometer readout, there appear to be a few numbers missing. According to the listing photos, since this car was new, it's been driven a grand total of 868 miles. Yeah, this isn't really a driver's car anymore. It's now just an object for the wealthy to pass back and forth.

And just how pricey are we talking? Well, at the time of writing, there are still five days left on the auction, and bidding is already above $65,000. That's some serious money no matter what you're buying, but it's also only slightly less than if you adjusted the original MSRP for inflation. By the time the auction ends next week, don't be surprised if this car ultimately sell for six figures. Or if it doesn't sell at all, because the current owner misjudged the market and set the reserve price too high. That's always a risk, too, you know. Not that it will make you feel any better about seeing a blobeye bid past $100,000.