STI no more!

[Guest]

https://media.subaru.com/pressrelease/1881/117/statement-subaru-sti

 

 

March 11, 2022 , Camden, N.J. -

 

STATEMENT ON SUBARU STI

 

As the automotive marketplace continues to move towards electrification, Subaru is focused on how our future sports and performance cars should evolve to meet the needs of the changing marketplace and the regulations and requirements for greenhouse gasses (GHG), zero emissions vehicles (ZEV), and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ).

 

As part of that effort, Subaru Corporation is exploring opportunities for the next generation Subaru WRX STI, including electrification. In the meantime, a next generation internal combustion engine WRX STI will not be produced based upon the new WRX platform.

 

The Subaru WRX STI and the STI brand represent the zenith of Subaru’s performance vehicles exemplifying Subaru’s unique DNA and rally heritage. As we look to the future, we also look forward to incorporating the essence of STI into our next generation of vehicles.

[SoobyDoobyDoo]

Just saw this. My hopes of ever owning one are now dashed. I was lucky to get my LGT wagon, never mind a STi (even a needs work first/2nd gen). If you own one, don’t get rid of it, unless you’re looking to make money.

[ohno06gt]

I wonder how long they will continue to make the ra short blocks.

[bemani]

I'm meh on this news, it isn't as bad as when they killed the Legacy wagon.

[Pleides]

I kind of wonder what Subaru tuning shops are going to do with this news. I'm sure smart ones have already branched off into other avenues of tuning and service (my shop Surgeline tunes VWs, GTRs, really anything that will fit on their dyno and can take an Accessport) but many only do Subies. Maybe EV tuning will be a thing that they branch into?

 

I was pretty sad when I read this news. It makes no sense to me as I see them absolutely everywhere here, but from what I understand about turbo boxer engines, Subaru can't make them meet global emissions standards. The FA20dit pulled timing like crazy out of the box on the 2015-2021 WRX and I guess just "turn the boost up" on the FA24 didn't satisfy those requirements, so they axed it. STI-sport will be a trim on every boring crossover from here on out.

 

Here's to hoping we see an FA24 Crosstrek with a 6-speed before they finally nix the turbocharged fun cars from their lineup forever.

[FLlegacy]

We have an ascent, so I can say with some confidence the fuel economy of the fa24dit wasn't going to be spectacular, better than the ej255 but that's not saying much. Compared to most of their SUVs the wrx and sti have a really small market share. I wonder if the STI isn't being made at all or if it isn't coming to the US, that would be kind of a bummer if once again the other markets get the goods we want...

[Mr. Electric Wizard]

I’m pretty sure I saw Japanese language promo ads for the new STI. It’s just not sold in the US I think.

[Tronic]

I’m pretty sure I saw Japanese language promo ads for the new STI. It’s just not sold in the US I think.

 

I saw these as well and I think it maybe its only dead in the USA ?

 

Maybe they simply cannot be bothered building a left hand drive version ?

 

The real problem is that I have been waiting to buy a new STi for YEARS now to replace the wagon and I was gutted they have killed it.

 

So my STi wallpaper has gone and has been replaced with the AMG A45S. The problem is if you look at this car you don't want to buy an STi anymore.

 

Maybe the time for the STi is gone, they should have stayed with the hot hatch market segment which has really taken off or even a hot hatch and a wagon.

 

Not sure I can buy an STi now I'm so pissed off its taken this long to get it to production and its moved to far from the concept car.

 

Subaru have not kept up with technology with the EJ engine and apparently Euro cars have had the likes of an electronic wastegate for years. I think they simply cannot get the reliable performance out of the FA24 and are struggling with emissions. Maybe the price point is creeping up, maybe nobody wants a manual anymore when you can get a proper 8 speed auto thats not CVT rubbish ?

 

Hate to say it but the mercedes is simply not as conservative. I have always wanted a Yellow car for several reasons and guess what both Audi and Mercedes make the RS3 and A45S in yellow. Subaru sticks to the same old boring colours.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Tronic
addition.

[Guest]

^ Yeah, it is such a shame the hatch did not live on past GR generation. Would be such a great car. The sedan looks like shit. 9 out of 10 times driven by some moron donning flat brimmed hat.

[SoobyDoobyDoo]

Idk how true this is but I thought US automakers were allowed an exception to emissions for one model only, so SoA chose the STi. I mean if you look at Dodge and all their Charger and Challenger variants (R/T, Hellcat, Demon, etc) how else could they produce those for street use (albeit heavy epa tax)? And Chevy with the Corvette, and Mustang and it’s variants? I think SoA is responding to market demand, which sucks. US auto manufacturers are just making trucks and SUVs now which seems to be what people want. Plus I think SoA just doesn’t want to invest in a refresh of the STi since it’s probably coming due. They’re keeping the WRX but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not discontinued in the near future as well. We don’t really get the best of Subaru here in the US…I think seeing what’s available in JDM and EDM markets speaks to that. Guess I should start saving for an Evo V..only got a few years left..

[ehsnils]

I saw these as well and I think it maybe its only dead in the USA ?

The STi has been dead in Europe for quite a while now. So it's probably only in Japan and a few select countries.

[Tronic]

The STi has been dead in Europe for quite a while now. So it's probably only in Japan and a few select countries.

 

Came as a huge shock for us, I mean have you seen all the YouTube stuff on it and even all the rumor's about the engine output and even some Japanese advertising on it. Its like everything was fake news and its been going on for years and years.

 

I will point out that we have options to move to that you don't appears to have in the USA. They are much more expensive but the Audi RS3 and the AMG A45S are a much higher spec hot hatch and I'm beginning to think Subaru just gave up.

 

Very sad I have loved my 3.0R and really couldn't understand why Subaru didn't just turbo charge an updated version of the 250Hp H6 EZ30R engine. Its simply the best engine with a high redline and it would make 400 to 450Hp if you put as turbo in it. Subaru had this engine way back in 2004 and didn't take it anywhere. Kept trying to take their 4 cylinder forward with the FA24 and then quit.

[SubOperator]

Doing stupid things is what makes Subaru a Subaru.

 

New WRX looks like shit anyway and being a sedan only has very little appeal to me.

 

I was tentatively waiting for STI hoping that if it were a hatch I could see it as a replacement for my aging 05 LGT.

 

Looking at their model lineup I don't even understand what FHI product Management is thinking. Feels like all adults have left the place years ago.

[ehsnils]

Just nail it down to fuel consumption legislation. However for some reason they have decided to make electric cars as ugly as possible.

 

 

 

Many other car manufacturers are doing the same thing.

[FLlegacy]

If you look objectively at the H6 series the engines never produced much power for their size and fuel consumption. They were smooth and torquey but that only gets you so far. Also, look at the sales figures for the STI they never had a problem selling them but the numbers were so low as to not really make a difference in the overall portfolio to FHI. So spend R & D money to make the FA24 more powerful but short lived vs spend R & D money to electrify the STI and let that feed down to the other platforms...

[silverton]

subarus always have been and always will be...farm cars. the sti was such a low seller for subaru. I worked at the busiest dealership in washington state and we MAYBE sold 1 a month, if not one every two months.

 

they may be killing the wrx sti, but i don't think the sti is going any where. as they put it with the electrification statement, there may be a new hybrid gas/electric sti based on the solterra platform, from wikipedia: "Other vehicles planned by 2025 include a medium SUV, a medium minivan, a medium sedan, and a large SUV."

 

that medium sedan could be it...

[Tronic]

"If you look objectively at the H6 series the engines never produced much power for their size and fuel consumption."

 

 

Not true the JDM EZ30R that the USA probably never experienced way back in 2005 with only half of the variable cams was 250Hp.

 

I own one, its epic and easily exceeds the WRX 2L turbo engine over here which was 168kW vs the 3L 184kW.

 

A modernised version with full variable cams and a turbo would punch out 400-450Hp without Subaru needing to do a whole lot of work. People have done a hack job of putting a Turbo on these and got over 400Hp.

 

The 6 cylinder can be perfectly balanced, the 4 cylinder cannot. It has a free reving engine to 7000rpm where as the FA24 is like 6000rpm.

 

I just don't understand what went wrong at Subaru besides the fact that the new gen WRX and STi should have hit the market 3 or 4 years ago.

 

I can only think that Subaru hit technical problems with the STi, the Japanese are super conservative. The FA24 was not the ideal engine for the STi.

 

What you don't get in the USA is the Mercedes AMG A45S smatic+ or the Audi RS3. These two make the STi look total rubbish. Sure they cost like 50% more but you get 50% more car for the money.

 

There are more hot hatches entering the market and the sedan only option was another fail from Subaru, nobody wants one of these anymore.

[Guest]

H6 Turbo in Subaru was a pipe dream, probably not enough space for reasonable turbo plumbing, etc. But I am sure EZ30R could have been further refined and power output increased.

 

I would have preferred 3.0R wagon over 2.5GT from drivability and robustness point of view. Especially with a manual. There was a time I thought about building one, but that ship has sailed.

[whitetiger]

having had both the EZ30R and the EZ36R, the EZ36R with a manual would definitely have been better than the 2.5GT stock for stock. the EZ30 in stock power output form was not torquey enough for the cars they put them in. the EZ30R/manual combo would be a phenomenal powertrain for something like a high trim BRZ.

[Tronic]

The EZ30R is simply an awesome engine in the JDM spec wagon with 6 speed manual.

 

All very sad at the end of the day when your hanging onto a 2005 car because Subaru didn't make anything better to replace it with.

 

The ship has well and truly sailed for Subaru as well now. Just sold my Toyota MR2 Turbo after 23 years of ownership back in January because Toyota didn't ever come to the party with a replacement for one of those and was waiting for the new STi and now weeks later thats a no go as well.

 

Very disappointed in the Japanese. I understand its all going electric but I'm not waiting another 5 to 7 years for another pipe dream, I want a new car NOW.

 

I never would have considered a European car but they have left the Japanese cars in the dust. Cannot get a manual but will have to put up with an 8 speed flippy paddle I guess.

[RumblyXT]

Maybe Subaru was planning this for a while under pressure from the elite. They're already coming out with the Solterra anyways..

 

Remember:

"You will own nothing and you will be happy."

Klaus Schwab (founder of the World Economic Forum)

 

They want us to get away from the combustion engine so little by little they're forcing every car manufacturer to transition into making electric cars.. that way they can control where we go and when go.. charge us for our carbon footprint.

 

The New World Order or the New Reset as they call it.. soon they'll be able to hack into the human genome. It's their plans for more control of humanity. Some may not see it this way, but it seems this is where we are all going..

 

1982, George Orwell

[Tronic]

No Subaru just dropped the ball about 10 years ago now, the STi has gone nowhere, perhaps it didn't need to as it had no competition.

 

Subaru just gave up. Perhaps take a look at the AMG A45S matic+ with the aero package its like something from another world.

 

310kW/421Hp and 500nm from the worlds most powerful production 2 litre engine and an interior you can only dream about having on a Subaru.

 

I didn't even know this car existed I was so hung up on the new STi.

[whitexc]

Looks like a bad a$$ little car. Hate to have to do repairs....

 

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[SAABaruu]

The EZ30R is simply an awesome engine in the JDM spec wagon with 6 speed manual.

 

All very sad at the end of the day when your hanging onto a 2005 car because Subaru didn't make anything better to replace it with.

 

The ship has well and truly sailed for Subaru as well now. Just sold my Toyota MR2 Turbo after 23 years of ownership back in January because Toyota didn't ever come to the party with a replacement for one of those and was waiting for the new STi and now weeks later thats a no go as well.

 

Very disappointed in the Japanese. I understand its all going electric but I'm not waiting another 5 to 7 years for another pipe dream, I want a new car NOW.

 

I never would have considered a European car but they have left the Japanese cars in the dust. Cannot get a manual but will have to put up with an 8 speed flippy paddle I guess.

 

 

I wouldn't be sad. These new engines are dull and boring. Low red line. Way too heavy. The older stuff is better and honestly it's incredible the 2021 STI still had an EJ engine in it (which for racing purposes is a way better engine). Sucks North America got turd engines that failed often and a shame people kept waiting for a better one when swapping in a JDM STI engine was always available. STI went out well with the S209 sporting an EJ imo.

 

World is going electric anyways. Solterra STI now set to replace it. Yes EV has no soul and Tesla's are boring after a short time. That's why GD and older subarus are skyrocketing in value. But I don't see gasoline powered subaru street cars being daily drivers. For godsakes they want to ban meat, you think they'll let you run a fossil fuel burning vehicle on the road? They're destined for museums, collectors, track events, car shows etc.

 

Seems obvious to me that oil and natural gas wealth of the West is disappearing to China, who is starving for energy to grow into the new world order. No stopping it. Most Western countries don't have an electric grid to even support electric cars for everybody anyways. I don't think we're all going to have our own cars, that's why Uber, Apple, Tesla, Google, GM are all trying to create autonomous electric taxi's. Simple makes sense for efficiency for a vehicle to be operating 24/7 and just rent what you need from it. No more insurance, scams, injuries etc. No more mechanics, collision repair shops, insurance, physio, health bills; this will massively effect the economy that we're used to.

 

However, neither do I see electric cars being reliable in an uncertain future in this sun spot cycle that is seeing increasing CME's coupled with our Earths weakening magnetic field. We're overdue for another Carrington event which would make your battery powered car potentially a fire hazard or even explode. We're living in really uncertain times and whether Subaru cancelled a bloated, heavy and boring STI should be of no importance, especially when they built 30 years of better sports cars. Subaru did the right thing.

Edited April 1, 2022 by SAABaruu

[whitetiger]

GR Corolla looking good as an STI alternative.