Looking for a hardcore two-door Scooby? Their brand new STI Performance Concept looks the part as it just broke cover at the 2015 New York Auto Show!
If this is how Subaru’s Performance Division (STI) plans to go about taking the U.S by storm, we’re all for it because what we’re looking at here is one seriously mean machine.
Logistically however, we’re talking about 3 main business areas – aftermarket parts, STI-tuned cars and motorsports (where STI is already involved in America’s Global RallyCross team).
In a somewhat unfortunate manner, this stunning STI Performance Concept is more of an exercise than a prototype. It’s meant to represent STI’s engineering prowess and tuning capability, while featuring the same racing engine which STI developed for the BRZ Super GT racecar. It also borrows the suspension, chassis components and aerodynamic upgrades from the very same vehicle.
While there are no official figures as to how much power it produces, we can expect around 300 HP as is the case with their BRZ GT300 model.
As always, Subaru was keen on sharing their philosophy with the world as far as performance-oriented models are concerned. Yoshio Hirakawa, president of Subaru Tecnica International was quoted as saying “At STI we know from our racing that to win, it is important not only to have high power, but also that all aspects of performance are balanced over the whole car. When we achieve this balance, the driver feels that the car is easy to handle and reliable, and he can use it fully to the limits of its performance. Our plan is to produce cars and accessories that drivers can really enjoy.”
This has always been the case with their cars. It was never about power or straight-line speed. It was always the overall balance of the product that struck our hearts the way Cupid does with his arrows when we happen to fall for someone (or some car).
In the future, STI will make more models available in the U.S, which could feature even more serious modifications such as suspension, performance, braking, chassis and aero upgrades.
STI’s extensive tuning regime in Japan focuses currently on the WRX STI, Forester and BRZ models. They also use the “S model” moniker on the WRX STI and the “tS” on BRZ and Foresters with STI components.
A naming convention for future U.S models has yet to be established.