Will the Subaru Sti return? Two concepts on stage in Tokyo

There Subaru Wrx Sti it left the scene in 2021, and since then the admirers of the house from the Pleiades have been waiting for a worthy heir to the compact sports car born from the world of rallying. In this sense, a first taste of the future arrived in 2022, albeit with a bittersweet reaction from enthusiasts: it was in fact the prototype Sti E-Rawhich seemed to suggest a turn towards electric for Subaru’s sports division. New developments at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, when the concept was revealed Wrx Sti S210spiritual heir to the most special series of Subaru sports cars. Here too, however, mixed reactions from the public: the boxer engine it was there, the attractive appearance too, but the transmission was a CVT type. Not exactly what the “subarists” had in mind. But now finally at Tokyo Motor Show 2025 the STI question seems to have reached a turning point, with the presentation of two different concepts: an electric one that looks to the future and new performance frontiers, and a thermal one that encompasses all the requests of the “purists”.

Performance-B STI concept

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From the mechanical base of the current generation of Subaru Impreza comes a concept that collects the fundamental traits of the Wrx Sti. Called Performance-B Sti Concept, it is in fact powered by a turbocharged boxer enginecombined with one manual transmission six gears and one permanent all-wheel drive. The aesthetic aspect also follows traditional standards, first of all with the colour, the historic Blue Mica which has accompanied all generations of the Impreza Wrx Sti. Too bad for the absence of the classic gold rims, replaced by a dark gray set. Unique touch of sobriety for an extremely eye-catching car, starting with thehuge wing which hangs over the rear window. The tracks have been noticeably widened at both the front and rear, and the classic intake that brings air to the intercooler has returned to the center of the bonnet. Sports bumpers and red profiles complete the aesthetic kit of the prototype.

Performance-E STI

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The second prototype brought by Subaru to the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo is even more extreme. This is the Performance-E Sti, a model that opens up the possibility of a electric futurewhether partial or total, of the sports division of the Pleiades. The layout is totally concept car-like, with a five-door car body engraved with deep ribs, and the sharp aerodynamic appendages bring it closer to the imagery of racing cars. What moves it, instead of the traditional boxer engine, is a powertrain exclusively electricwhich should include an engine on the front axle and one on the rear, to guarantee all-wheel drive.