One of the most anticipated launches for the 2026 edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon was meant to be the Subaru STI. Over the past month, the automaker has been shamelessly teasing everyone with short videos and posts about an all-new STI model. Alas, the time has come, and the covers have been pulled off, and what lies underneath isn’t the car the world was expecting (or wanted).
2026 Subaru WRX STI Sport# Prototype
Other reports about this model have already been conflicting, with the brand also being somewhat “coy”; one of their official lines is that the WRX STI Sport# is a WRX S4 with a manual transmission and goodies from the STI performance parts bin, which isn’t such a bad thing. Mind you, this car, while officially existing, is actually still a prototype and isn’t on sale yet.
Looking at it, we can obviously see it’s been dressed up in STI style, with a body kit, bigger rims, and the patented blue and red colorway. The funny thing is, details are still very much slim on this model, but we’re guessing that the same 2.4-liter boxer turbocharged engine making 271 hp is still there to couple with the manual transmission, but we also are expecting that this model should come with some performance STI upgrades, mainly to the suspension and underchassis.
While this launch is somewhat significant, based on the trailers and teasers shown prior to the launch, it actually leaves most of us a little bit disappointed. Our realistic expectations of an all-new WRX STI could have been misplaced, but the brand ‘planted the seed’ somewhat in the first place. Let’s just hope then that the STI Sport# might just be the first step towards the true STI we seek.
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