So it sounds like Subaru’s high-performance STI isn’t dead after all! Some bigwigs Down Under are saying that STI still has a shot at a comeback.
And this time, it feels like they really mean it, not just some nostalgic talk.
Scott Lawrence, who’s in charge of Subaru Australia, told Drive.com that Subaru Tecnica International is still kicking and that things are looking up for them.
This comes after everyone went wild over the STI Performance-B and Performance-E concepts at the Tokyo motor show last year.
Lawrence says that fans have been giving them tons of feedback, and the company is paying close attention to what people think of both cars.
Now, Subaru has said that the gas-powered Performance-B will stay just a concept. So, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting a new gas-powered STI anytime soon.
But, there’s still hope for an electric STI based on the Performance-E. They haven’t said yes to making it yet, but the message is that they’re thinking about an electric STI.
This is a big deal because when the newest Subaru WRX came out without an STI version, Subaru said they were thinking about what to do next, like going electric.
Since then, they’ve learned a thing or two about EVs with the Subaru Solterra, which turned out to be pretty quick in tests.
Die-hard fans might not like the idea of no more turbo boxer engine, since it would be a huge change. But, electric power could give you that fast acceleration and punch that you’d expect from an STI.
We’ll have to wait and see if that’s enough to make the fans happy. But for the first time in a while, it feels like this is actually happening.
