A new era of STI
Subaru fans, rejoice: the STI nameplate is making noise again. After years without a true successor to the WRX STI, the automaker will debut two new performance concepts later this month at the Japan Mobility Show — one powered by gas, the other by electrons.
The pair, dubbed the Performance-B STI and Performance-E STI, represent Subaru Tecnica International’s twin paths forward. One sticks to the old-school formula of a turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive, while the other teases the company’s first-ever electric performance car.
The first electric STI
The Performance-E STI concept is Subaru’s first crack at an electric sports car under the STI banner. Early teasers reveal a low, fastback-like silhouette with sharp angles, slim headlights, and gold-accented aero wheels — a nod to the brand’s rally heritage. Subaru says the car will showcase a spacious interior and heritage-inspired design, suggesting this could mark a return to the hatchback layout that longtime fans have missed since the days of the WRX STI five-door.
Subaru
Official specs remain a mystery, but the company says the concept previews the future of the performance brand. Given Subaru’s commitment to symmetrical all-wheel drive, expect any production version to emphasize traction and handling as much as raw power.
Gas still isn’t dead
Just as surprising is Subaru’s decision to show a new gas-powered STI at all. The Performance-B STI concept features a horizontally opposed engine — the boxer layout Subaru is famous for — along with symmetrical all-wheel drive. The design echoes the current WRX but with sportier proportions: red-trimmed grilles, vented fenders, and a massive roof spoiler.
Subaru
That alone should make enthusiasts take notice. Subaru had previously suggested the STI badge would go all-electric, largely due to tightening emissions rules. Yet the automaker clearly sees room for another combustion-powered performance car, at least in concept form.
A comeback in the making
It’s been four years since Subaru last sold a WRX STI in the U.S., and fans have been waiting impatiently for something that captures the same raw, rally-bred spirit. The company’s most recent full-fat STI, the Japan-only S210, used a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine with nearly 300 horsepower but never made it stateside.
Subaru
Whether these new concepts point to future production models isn’t clear, but Subaru’s timing is deliberate. The STI duo will debut alongside the Trailseeker EV SUV, Forester, Outback Wilderness, and even Travis Pastrana’s 1983 Family Huckster GL wagon. It’s a lineup that celebrates both the brand’s rugged outdoors image and its performance legacy.
Final thoughts
For a company that built its identity around symmetrical all-wheel drive and rally-stage grit, the return of the STI badge — in any form — is big news. One concept looks back, the other forward. Together, they suggest that Subaru’s performance future might not just be about survival in an electric age, but about finding new ways to make driving fun again.
