Yesterday, Subaru released a teaser video for a rip-roaring special edition of the WRX STI. Hours earlier, AutoGuide reported the brand filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reserve the “S209” moniker, which we (and every other automotive outlet) now believe is the car in the video.
Those in the know will recognize that the designation is one number higher than the Japan-only S208, which exists as the Christmas ham on Subaru Tecnica International’s table. The S208’s 2.0-liter turbo flat-four generates 329 horsepower and 319 pound-feet of torque. It also boasts shorter ratio steering, upgraded suspension with Bilstein dampers, BBS wheels, upsized Brembo brakes, a sizable rear spoiler, carbon-fiber roof, and a unique aero kit.
STI has been building special edition S models since 2000, when it debuted the S201. Thus far, track-focused cars have emerged every year, just never in America. That doesn’t appear to be the case for the S209.
Titled “From Japan With Love,” the video shows the camouflaged Subie flying around Virginia International Raceway and notes “Something special from Subaru Tecnica International is coming to America for the first time ever.”
Currently, the American-market STIs use Subaru’s old EJ25 2.5-liter flat-four — which makes 305 horsepower in standard trim and 310 horsepower in the Type RA — exclusively. Tuners have proven it’s capable of more. The car in the clip has a lot of RA-like touches, but some of the pieces are highly reminiscent of the S208. Unfortunately that hasn’t given us any hints as to what’s under the hood.
Thankfully, we’ll only have to wait a few weeks to find out. The probable WRX STI S209 makes its debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 14th, 2019.
[Image: Subaru]
They forgot to add a hatch.
Yet another $40K chintz-mobile…and aesthetically appealing to 12 year olds.
JoDa, what do you drive? a very mature vehicle, correct?
Are you 12 years old?
$40K? Pfffft! Last time I was at a dealership getting oil changed I saw a brand new STi in that horrible appliance gray color (not Dark Gray Metallic) with $60K sticker. After picking up my jaw I started looking through the sticker only to realize the dealer added about $20K in market adjustment. Haven’t laughed that hard in a while.
This is just another homerun for Subaru.
GM – what a disgrace!
For all Subaru’s homeruns, the STI is not one. The models faithful are put off by the lack of a hatch and they are among the last vehicles on sale that you can count on some major engine out service by 100k.
I liked them, but in a retro throwback sense…they feel like you’d expect a 90s Turbo to drive (nothing…nothing…nothing…aaaand there is all the boost). There are better options though.
And yet, Subaru somehow manages to sell every one of them. At close to MSRP even. No, not a homerun…
Discount when I looked.
Chevy sold every SS, in many cases over MSRP. So shove it
Art, Just in case you’ve forgotten – in the bathroom behind the mirrored door on the third shelf is the bottle of 300mg Lithium Carbonate capsules…
And if you’ll check in your kitchen there is a big steaming plate of shut the @#$& up. Subaru’s are $#!+boxes…and steaming piles of garbage. Merry Christmas. And shove it.
Festivus came early this year. Ok, I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you’re gonna hear about it!
Guess I was wrong. My mistake. The bottle on the third shelf was Desoxyn 5mg tabs and those side effects might be bad for you. The lithium is the bottle on the right of the bottom shelf.
Gotcha some Midol and some summer’s Eve…that’ll fix your issues.
We got a bad a$$ keyboard warrior over here boys. Can you feel the scared? I’m shaking.
wow, speaking of a 12 year old….
All y’all go play outside while your Mother and I finish getting stuff ready.
People will start showing up around 1:00. Try to not do anything that involves taking someone to the ER again.
Like em if you want, but there are options that are better in pretty much every way and as a bonus don’t look like something drawn up in a junior high study hall. If this is a homeruns, you ain’t batting against major league pitching. But if you like little $#!tboxes and rod knock around 100k, be my guest. Just quit trying to convince folks that this car is in the same universe as, well anything good. You’ll look cool riping your “phat Vapes” in it. Maybe you can vape the Summer’s Eve and kill 2 birds with one stone. Thanks.
And pdog that shaking is probably detox tremmors from all the freaking PCP you had to smoke to think this car is anything close to not being a rolling POS. Subaru’s are automotive sweat pants…announcing to the world you’ve given up. Except this one…it announces your douchbaggery…like a giant cloud of cotton candy vape juice.
Art, you’re living down to all the liberal stereotypes about vets.
What are the liberal stereotypes. They seem to be all about keeping the wars going on nowadays. I didn’t know they were such Hawks…I mean they didn’t have anything to say when it was there guy shipping folks off to war. Now that they are ending, they seem pretty mad.
Look, honestly you are right and to all I apologize. Christmas brings up some things and I drink too much. Still think the STI is a douchmobile but I daily a Fiesta ST so to each their own.
Say on then, Sir. You’ve endured overseas deployment; I haven’t.
Art – I missed some of the best years of the lives of my now ex-wife and my six kids while deployed seven times between that Crazy Asian War and the first little Dust Up in the Desert. Christmas is a difficult time for some of us. I’ve come to mostly ignore it over the years, sort of the old, “F&ck it, don’t mean nuthin.”. I’m right there with ya, brother.
@Art
A friend became slightly unhinged after driving another friend’s WRX wagon many years ago. For ages afterward he vowed to get a WRX. When he finally did it was an STi – he lasted nine months with it. He quickly tired of having to hoon it to get it out of the clutch. He came from Diesel Dodges and went right back to them. The bugger never gave me a go in his wee hot rod, either.
Zoom Zoom Race Car !!!
Zoom !!! Zoom !!!
“nothing…nothing…nothing…aaaand there is all the boost”
Yes, but the monkey-boyz just love them.
“you can count on some major engine out service by 100k”
The next one will probably have a blown version of Toyota’s Dynamic Farce engine. Subaru H4 engines are going away.