At the Detroit Auto Show back in January, Subaru revealed the WRX STI S209: the most powerful STI-branded production car ever made, with 341 horsepower on tap. The all-wheel-drive sports sedan will only be sold in the United States (and marks the first time the brand has sold one of its S-branded vehicles here), and in limited numbers; just 209 will be made. But it turns out that power and exclusivity comes at a cost: Subaru has just released the pricing for the STI S209, and this Impreza-based sports car will start at a staggering $63,995 — and that’s before factoring in destination and delivery charges.
For perspective, that price tag is around $15,000 more than the limited-run 2019 WRX STI Type RA. That car begged the question as to whether $48,995 was an absurd price to pay for a Subaru WRX. Or, to put it another way: the STI S209 will cost around as much as a Porsche 718 Cayman, even after a buyer climbs $8,000 up Porsche’s pricey option tree. To put it yet another way: this Subie will cost the same as two Volkswagen GTI hatchbacks.
Admittedly, the STI S209’s $25,000 premium over the WRX STI nets it an additional 31 horsepower, thanks to revised engine tuning. The STI S209 also sheds some weight, and includes handling upgrades. Still, that’s a steep price for a car based on the previous-generation Impreza.
Will the market bear it? Well, probably. The question for Subaru is not whether $64,000 for a WRX STI makes sense; it’s whether there are 209 Subaru nuts out there willing to pay whatever it takes for a taste of the carmaker’s ultimate speed machine. The answer, almost undoubtedly, is yes.
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