Subaru STI Convertible Is Fun To Drive And Costs $50,000

Aug. 07, 2022 8:42 AM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Tuning / 6 Comments

The Miata isn't the only fun drop-top in the game anymore.

You may remember this convertible Subaru Impreza WRX STI when it was up for sale in 2017. Back then, the car was a bit of an enigma in the tuner world but it remains on sale five years later. We just had to know more about its history, so we gave Patriot Nissan of Salem a call and managed to speak with the owner, who works for the dealer. What initially appears to be the oddball of Subarus is in fact a tied-down, fun, quirky daily driver.

"As far as convertibles you can use and daily drive, I don't know what's more fun than this," the owner told us excitedly. Clearly, the man was quite happy about his Subaru WRX. However, it's only his car for as long as it is not purchased by someone else. The car is offered for sale at $47,989 (down from $60K last week).

It's not cheap, by any means, but from the way its owner sang its praises, it appears to be possibly worth it to the right buyer.

The car was bought new for around $45,000 in 2011 by a company called Newport Specialty Cars out of Placentia, California. That company is known for doing convertible swaps on just about anything customers want. Our new friend at the Nissan dealership told us that only five were made, and the ad says one of those went to the scrapyard in the sky. At the time, the convertible conversion cost roughly $30K.

The car's top is actually powered, with the motor located in the car's trunk. Additionally, that's just about the only modification to the car, though it is a big one. The owner told us that he wanted to keep the car stock save for the conversion.

So, what's it like to drive? Apparently, the Subie 'vert doesn't have the structural rigidity of a wet rag. Instead, the owner reports it corners solid, and you only begin to notice the lack of roof once you really push the car. The rest is standard STI, with the differential switch behind the 6-speed shifter allowing for adjustment of the car's torque split.

The speed is described as "decent." However, the owner's last car was a Maserati Quattroporte, a far more powerful car. Still, with 305 hp and 290 lb-ft, the AWD rally convertible is no slouch. That said, we got the sense that this is a car to enjoy for the absurdity and attention of it, not to fling down a rally stage at triple-digit speeds.

Subaru STI Convertible Is Fun To Drive And Costs $50,000

Join The Discussion

Gallery

Subaru STI Convertible Is Fun To Drive And Costs $50,000

Join The Discussion

Gallery

Related Cars