There are some industry rumors you just gotta take with a grain of salt. This is one of them. Still, it does have us intrigued. What we know for sure is that Subaru has confirmed the next-generation WRX and WRX STI are not too far away. The current generation models are being phased out, evidenced by the hardcore WRX STI ST209 and the Japan-only WRX STI EJ20. What remains unknown regarding the redesigned WRX and WRX STI are the body styles. Will they remain sedan-only? Bring back the hatchback, or perhaps something else? Say, something from the model's past?

According to a new rumor from Japan's Best Car magazine, Subaru is possibly planning a coupe offering. Now, this could pose one major potential problem: internal competition against the BRZ, which Subaru also confirmed a redesigned model is happening. Bear in mind the BRZ, and its Toyota 86 twin are rear-wheel-drive-only while the WRX and WRX STI are famously all-wheel drive. Two different types of sports cars.

We reached out to Subaru seeking additional information and we'll update this space if we receive a relevant reply, but chances are it'll be nothing more than a refusal to discuss future product. But there is a historical precedent for a WRX and/or WRX STI coupe. The first-gen Subaru Impreza WRX STI, the 22BSTI, launched in 1998, was a coupe, though it was limited to only 400 examples for the Japanese market only. Then again, the coupe market is not like it once was, especially in the US. BRZ and 86 sales have never been stellar, but they've been good enough given that they're niche models, hence the decision to redesign them.

More than likely the earliest we'll see the next WRX and WRX STI is sometime in 2021, meaning they could very well end up being 2022 models. The next BRZ/86 probably won't arrive until something after that. The idea of a Subaru WRX and WRX STI coupe sounds great, but just because something sounds great in theory doesn't mean it'll sell.