The Subaru STI badge has been around for over two decades. It is a performance-oriented twist on regular Subaru models. The STI was first introduced in 1992 as a model of the Subaru Impreza and since then has become one of the most sought after cars in its class and price range.
What does STI mean?
STI stands for Subaru Tecnica International. It’s Subaru’s performance division and a separate company from Subaru. Technically, they’re subsidiaries of each other; STI is a subsidiary of Subaru. But that doesn’t make much sense when you’re looking at the history of these two companies’ relationship with one another.
How did this happen? Well, it starts with Subaru and some changes in ownership back in 1989…
The History of Subaru STI
The Subaru Tecnica International or STI is the performance division of Subaru. STi was founded by Noriyuki Koseki and Ryuichiro Kuze in 1988, but has grown in popularity since its inception.
Originally formed to take over all of Subaru’s motorsport activities and participate in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Subaru is now seen as one of the world’s top rally teams.
Subaru WRX
The Subaru WRX is a high-performance, all-wheel drive compact sports car. It’s powered by a turbocharged, four-cylinder boxer engine. The base model comes with a six-speed manual transmission; an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT) is also available on higher trim levels.
The WRX has been around in one form or another since 1990 and has evolved over time as technology has changed and improved. The current generation of the car debuted in 2022 as an updated version of its predecessor — which itself was based on an older version of the WRX introduced in 2015.
Unlike other vehicles in its class like the Ford Focus RS or Honda Civic Type R, which are fairly new models themselves but still not nearly as long-lived as their predecessors, this newest iteration of the WRX will likely stick around for some time to come thanks to its proven track record over two decades worth of loyal owners who love it just how it is: bold yet practical; simple yet sophisticated; raw power with lots of focus put into making sure it drives well above its weight class too (in case you haven’t heard about them already).
Future Development
Subaru introduced the STI E-RA Concept, an all-wheel drive, two-seat racing vehicle created by STI, during the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. It is equipped with a carbon fibre body and four electric motors, which are developed by Yamaha. One electric motor at each wheel allows for torque vectoring to help with its steering performance, the total power output is a whopping 800 kW (1,073 hp).
Subaru STI has a long history of success. Sure, the brand has changed over time, but they have always been able to adapt and stay relevant in today’s world. This new model looks really impressive, we’re looking forward to more STI craziness in the future.
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