Subaru’s Most Breathtaking Performance Concept in Years Is Heading to Production

STI fans are on track to get exactly what they’ve been clamoring for.

Rear view of a blue Subaru car with a large black and red rear spoiler and visible taillights.

Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

Published 3 hours ago

·

Hell just might be freezing over as Subaru has reportedly confirmed that it will be moving one of its hottest concepts to date into production. Multiple reports and a Subaru enthusiast on Reddit discovered the rather subtle announcement on the automaker’s Japanese website.

There, the Fuji Heavy Industries-owned carmaker specifically stated that it is working on a production version of the Performance-B STI Concept. This means that the world will soon see its first full-fledged WRX STI in almost a decade.

The legend is set to return

Blue Subaru hatchback with black roof, hood scoop, wide fenders, and large rear spoiler in a studio. — Subaru is proceeding with a production version of its stunning Performance-B STI Concept.

In late 2025, Subaru and its STI division shocked the world with the Performance-B and Performance-E concepts at the Tokyo Mobility Show. The two models pitched two ideas for new, dedicated sports cars.

But it also rejuvenated Subaru’s efforts to revive STI as the company’s dedicated performance brand. That’s because it’s been quite some time since Subaru gave us a dedicated WRX STI model. The last one rolled off the assembly line back in 2021.

Since then, fans and Japanese sports car enthusiasts have been itching for a new WRX STI, which is arguably the automaker’s most iconic enthusiast model.

Now, it appears Subaru is actually delivering on its recent promises to restore STI back to its former glory. And it’s all going to start with a production version of the Performance-B STI Concept.

We are currently developing a production version of the “Performance-B STI concept” that was exhibited at Japan Mobility Show 2025. We plan to create a model with a new personality that is different from the WRX and BRZ.
Subaru Japan

Subaru’s actually following through this time

10

1 / 12

10

1 / 12

Subaru’s production confirmation for the Performance-B STI Concept comes as a big surprise. That’s because the automaker has a habit of teasing the world with epic concepts, only to not follow through or under-deliver with production versions.

But the Performance-B STI Concept is a little bit different. When it debuted in late 2025, it actually looked near-production-ready.

Especially when compared to its all-electric counterpart, the Performance-E STI Concept. Not only did the Performance-E boast very ostentatious and rather unrealistic sheet metal. It also lacked a finished interior, reflected by its dark window tint.

Blue sporty hatchback car with black alloy wheels and a large rear spoiler in a studio setting. — If all goes as planned, it will be the first production WRX STI in quite a long time.

The Performance-B Concept, on the other hand, had a seemingly finished interior that could be seen through its windows. Additionally, it was clear that the concept was based off the already in-production Impreza five-door hatchback.

Details are naturally sparse. But we anticipate a high-performance variant of Subaru’s venerable turbocharged boxer-four, plus a manual transmission and performance-tuned Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.

Whether the model is bound for North America is yet to be determined. We’re crossing our fingers.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.