You can almost hear the turbo spool again. After years of silence, Subaru’s iconic STI badge is clawing its way out of hibernation – and it’s coming back swinging. Not with one concept car, but two. One’s powered by electrons, the other by good old-fashioned fossil fury. Tokyo Motor Show, brace yourself.

The teaser image Subaru dropped is pure fan-service: two squat little hot hatches crouched under spotlights, one sleek and electric, the other bristling with mechanical menace. For the faithful, it’s like seeing a long-lost friend step into the pub wearing a racing jacket and gold wheels again.

The Twin Revival

Let’s start with the EV. Subaru’s calling it the “spearhead” for its next generation of cars — a sharp-edged, future-ready machine wearing the brand’s bold new design language. Expect illuminated logos, distinctive light signatures, and a roofline rakish enough to make a Cayman nervous. It’s the STI that hums rather than growls, but it promises to be just as rabid.

Then there’s the combustion-powered sibling — more old-school, more familiar. Think Impreza hatchback gone rogue, fitted with a boxer engine and Subaru’s trademark symmetrical all-wheel drive. It’s not officially called a WRX, but the family resemblance is undeniable. Underneath the concept-car showmanship, this one’s the heartstring-tugger: the STI for those who still know what a clutch pedal does.

From Rally Glory to Quiet Retreat

It’s been a rough few years for Subaru’s performance arm. The last proper WRX STI bowed out in 2021, and UK fans lost access even earlier, casualties of emissions laws and the WRC’s shifting rulebook. Subaru UK tried to move on — trading rally stages for camping trips, and Imprezas for Outbacks. By 2021, the lineup was all SUVs and soft edges.

Back then, Subaru’s managing director even declared the WRX STI had “nothing really to do with the Subaru brand as it is today.” Ouch. Tell that to the millions who plastered STI stickers on their laptops — and maybe even their lawnmowers.

A Change of Heart

But tides are turning in Gunma. Subaru’s new leadership seems to realise what fans have been shouting for years: you can’t separate Subaru from STI. Europe boss David Dello Stritto admitted it himself earlier this year:

“Ask the average person what Subaru means and they’ll say STI. You can’t disassociate this from Subaru.”

Lorraine Bishton, Subaru’s UK boss, went one further, calling the brand’s retreat from performance “a little bit of a missed opportunity.” And that’s corporate-speak for: “We might’ve made a massive mistake.”

Blue Paint, Gold Wheels, and a Glimmer of Hope

So here we are. Two concept cars — one roaring, one silent — both wearing the STI halo. Whether the production versions ever make it to dealers is anyone’s guess. But make no mistake: this is Subaru rediscovering its swagger.

The thought of a future electric WRX STI, perhaps painted in World Rally Blue with bronze wheels and torque-vectoring witchcraft, feels almost too good to be true. But then, Subaru’s never really done “sensible,” has it?

The STI brand is back on the horizon. The engines (and motors) are warming up. And for the first time in years, it feels like Subaru’s heart is beating faster again.

Source: Subaru