WRX STI

Make
Subaru
Segment
Sedan

Subaru and its motorsport subsidiary, Subaru Tecnica International (STI), will debut two new performance concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January 2022.

The first is called the STI E-RA Concept, and it's a study of future performance models that will be carbon neutral. This is good news for Scooby lovers, as it seems the famed manufacturer will build both EVs like the Solterra and performance cars like the recently launched WRX.

Not much is known about this model at present, but Subura states that it will use technology borrowed from the world of motorsport. The Japanese brand currently competes in Rallycross and Crosstrek Desert Racing. In Japan, it competes in the Super GT Series, the most-watched racing series in the East.

Super GT is unique because the rules constantly push competitors to be more efficient. For 2022, the race organizers are adding 40 miles to each race to force the various competitors to find a way to keep the speed while being more efficient.

Looking at Subaru's mission statement for the STI E-RA Concept, the tech borrowed from racing will likely come from Super GT. Or we could be wrong, and the "E" in the name refers to an electric powertrain.

Subaru currently competes with the all-new BRZ, which makes sense given motorsport's win on Sunday sell on Monday roots. The BRZ competes in the lower 300 class, the cheapest option. An entire season costs roughly $750,000. It seems like a prominent figure, but it's nothing compared to F1. The average F1 car is worth $12 million in parts alone, not including development costs.

In Super GT, you can use any engine you want, as long as it can also be found under the hood of a production car. Subaru confirmed that the new BRZ racing car would use the new 2.4-liter flat-four, though it's not too keen to share what upgrades this naturally aspirated engine needs to be competitive. Interestingly, the GT300 BRZ will also be displayed on the same stand. If this technology finds its way into the STI E-RA Concept, it's bound to be good. Subaru won the 2021 series championship in the GT300 class, so the engineers are definitely on the right track.

In addition to the above, Subaru will also showcase the WRX S4 STI performance concept. This will offer a preview of the upcoming WRX STI, which will still be a hardcore turbocharged monster. The standard WRX already produces 271 hp from the new 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four, and it will be interesting to see how high Scooby can push that figure while keeping the STI reliable.

After their debut in January, we'll know more about the STI E-RA Concept and the new STI.