At the start of this year, Subaru unveiled the new limited-edition STI S209 as America's most hardcore WRX STI yet but neglected to say how much it will cost – until now. According to the Japanese automaker, the 2019 Subaru STI S209 will set you back $63,995 (excluding the $885 destination and delivery charge) when it arrives in dealers next spring – that's a massive $27,400 premium over the standard WRX STI, which starts at $36,595. How does Subaru justify this huge price bump? Only 209 will be made, for a start.

Thanks to its slew of upgrades and limited production run, the Subaru STI S209 is undeniably special. It's the first-ever S-line STI developed exclusively for the American market and borrows tech from the formidable WRX STI Nurburgring Challenge race car that won the SP3T class at the 2019 24 Hours of Nurburgring. Like the racecar, the S209 featuers a wide body kit that extends the car's width by 72.4 inches, making it 1.7 inches wider than a standard WRX STI.

It also sports wider front and rear tracks rides on lightweight 19-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in summer-only sport tires. Vents on the front fenders provide additional engine cooling, while vents on the rear fenders reduce drag and increase downforce. The limited-edition performance car is also fitted with Brembo brakes with six-piston monoblock front calipers and two-piston monoblock rear calipers featuring cross-drilled steel rotors and upgraded high-friction pads.

Other upgrades include specially developed dampers, stiffened coil springs, and a 0.7-inch rear stabilizer bar, a flexible front-strut tower bar and flexible front and rear draw stiffeners. Front, rear and side under spoilers, front bumper canards, a carbon-fiber roof panel, and rear wing also carry over from the race car.

Under the hood, the S209 is powered by Subaru's 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine that produces 341 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque, thanks to a larger turbine and compressor and a higher boost pressure boost pressure. Power is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.