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Subaru Finally Brought Back the Car That Everyone Wants, Sort Of

But you’ll have to move to Japan and enter a lottery system to try and get it.

Blue Subaru WRX STI sedan drifting on a racetrack with smoke from rear tires.Subaru
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By Chris Chin

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The Subaru WRX STI is back. Well, sorta. The Fuji Heavy Industries-owned automaker just launched the model that everyone’s been clamoring for.

But if you’ve been following STI’s new vehicle launches over the past few years, and had a sneaking suspicion that it might be forbidden fruit, sadly, you would be correct. You have to be living in Japan to get one, and you also need to enter a lottery to have a chance to score one.

Subaru, why you keep doing this to us?

Blue Subaru WRX STI sedan cornering on a racetrack with red and white curbs.
The JDM-only Subaru WRX STI Sport# is real, and limited to 600 units.
Subaru

The model in question is the production version of the Subaru WRX STI Sport#. And no, it’s not another appearance package or half-assed attempt at giving the world a true WRX STI.

It is legitimately a WRX STI through and through, with all the performance modifications that would normally define and separate the STI from the standard WRX. Or, if you’re really extreme, it’s the closest thing to a modern iteration.

Blue Subaru WRX STI sedan driving on a curved road with green trees and mountains in the background.
The only thing missing, technically, is the WRX STI’s signature giant rear spoiler.
Subaru

Not too long ago at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Subaru revealed the WRX STI Sport# Concept. And now, the model is out for real and is up for grabs.

Lots of subtle performance upgrades and weight reduction, bro

Black and red STI Sport strut tower bar installed in a car engine bay.
More than just an appearance package, the WRX STI Sport# does have some meaningful performance upgrades.
Subaru

What do those performance upgrades entail? STI fitted upgraded electronically controlled ZF shock absorbers that the company tuned specifically for WRX application.

The firm also adds a shock tower brace and additional control arm stiffeners to improve steering feedback, overall handling composure and stability. The stoppers benefit from an upgraded kit by Brembo with six-piston clamps up front and two-piston units at the back.

Black Recaro racing seats and a black leather steering wheel inside a Subaru car interior with a manual gear shift.
This unique WRX STI Sport# earns the distinction as Japan’s first manual-equipped WRX STI based on the current WRX.
Subaru

The upgrades don’t just concern the handling and braking, either. STI’s engineers also did some work on the turbo boxer four.

Despite the output remaining the same as the WRX at 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, STI nevertheless massaged the engine. Engineers reduced the weight tolerances of the connecting rods and pistons by almost 50 percent compared to the WRX’s engine.

Polished metal crankshaft with four attached pistons on a dark reflective surface.
Despite producing the same power, STI engineers reworked the internals to make the turbo boxer four more responsive.
Subaru

Other tweaks include reducing mass on the flywheel, clutch and even the crankshaft for increased throttle responses. And the result is what Subaru STI calls one of its most “balanced engines.”

Subaru STI also went the extra mile to shed weight by omitting the model’s cumbersome driver-assist technology. As such, the WRX STI Sport# does without the EyeSight X safety equipment, power folding mirrors and other interior amenities, all to create the purest-driving WRX STI yet.

Blue sporty sedan with black wheel arches and tinted windows driving on a race track.
The WRX STI Sport# gets some serious track-ready brakes from Brembo.
Subaru

The only thing that’s missing is the WRX STI’s iconic big rear spoiler. In its place is the same trunk lip spoiler equipped on the R-Black Limited STI Performance Edition.

You’ll have to live in Japan, among other things, to get one

Blue Subaru WRX STI sedan drifting on a racetrack with smoke coming from the rear tires.
The WRX STI Sport# is the most potent WRX to date.
Subaru

But there are a few hurdles you’ll have to overcome if you really want one. Like other recent STI launches, unfortunately, you have to live on Japanese soil to qualify to get one.

That’s on top of the fact that Subaru’s running a lottery system for a run of just 600 units destined for production.

Black leather-wrapped manual gear shift knob with silver accent and stitched leather boot in a car interior.
Subaru’s helping to save the manuals, even if it is only in Japan.
Subaru

Additionally, the WRX STI Sport# is even special for the Japanese Domestic Market as it’s the first WRX STI made available with a six-speed manual.

If you’re lucky enough to be living in the Land of the Rising Sun, you’ll have to set aside roughly ¥6,105,000 or the USD equivalent of about $38,400. But don’t lose all hope if you live outside of Japan.

Subaru and STI have openly admitted that they’re open to producing a more readily available WRX STI model for global export. We’ll have to wait a wee bit longer to see what they’re brewing.

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).

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