Subaru, I challenge you to build these STD concepts – Jalopnik

I feel like Subaru is messing with us. Second production of the WRX STI ended in 2021, people immediately started clamoring for the vehicle’s return, but it’s been radio silence from the Japanese automaker for four long years… until now. Subaru just unveiled two incredibly sick concepts: the Performance-E STI and the Performance-B STI at the Japan Mobility Show, and despite the fact that I know in my heart and soul that it can build them, it was confirmed to the journalists present that both vehicles were just concept cars.

What we have here are two concept cars. One gas. One electric. Both STDs. Both critically ill. We don’t know that much about either car – how much power they make, what kind of engines power them and why Subaru decided to blue us in the first place are all mysteries to me and everyone else present. What we do know is that Subaru wanted to flex its performance muscles a bit. Maybe it’s a sign of things to come. We can only hope.

The more radical of the two concepts is clearly the Performance-E STI. I mean, it doesn’t even have an interior. Well, Subaru says it’s “spacious” and “driver friendly,” but I can’t see it, so who knows really?

Other than the fact that it’s blue, the only thing we really know about this car is that it’s all-electric and has all-wheel drive. That means it will have at least two electric motors, but it could have three or four depending on how crazy Subie is feeling. The closest we get to a tech talk from Subaru is a sentence in the press release that says it will feature “several innovative technologies.” Great work, guys.

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At least there’s a lot to talk about on the outside. It’s a bit more wagon-like than your regular Subaru hatchback, which is probably where the whole ‘spacious’ interior comes in handy, and it’s equipped with loads of aerodynamics. There’s a huge wing and diffuser that will definitely let everyone know what kind of person drives this car. It also has lots of STD pink accents. Oh, I don’t know about you, but I love the wheels. I know they’re not for everyone, but they’re for me.

Up front you won’t find a grille, but you will find a huge lower air dam and splitter that frames the swept-back headlights and hood. While it doesn’t have the hood scoop normally found on an STI, it does have air ducts to channel air out of that part of the car.

Overall, it’s not going to win any beauty pageants, but what has STI ever done? There’s a lot to be said about where Subaru goes with the electric STI, if it ever manages to actually build one.

Subaru, I like you a lot. I like your cars. I like the whole dog thing. I like rally stuff and whatnot, but I swear to Christ I will make January 6th look like a touring party if you don’t put the Performance-B STI into production. At the at the very least, make another WRX hatchback. I long for that. It would really heal me.

Anyway, this is all to say that the Performance-B STI looks almost production-ready. Sure, there are some parts that are probably a bit too extreme for mass production, like some of the crazier aero parts, but the rest could be rolling out of the factory tomorrow if you’re so inclined. What we have here is a real STI, based on an Impreza hatchback. I know. I could cry. In a world of Golf Rs, GR Corollas and Civic Type Rs, Subaru must know it is missing out by not becoming a competitor.

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There’s no word on a powertrain at this point, but I’m assuming it makes a damn bit more power than the 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque that the 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer-four makes in the current WRX. Of course, it comes equipped with Subaru’s legendary all-wheel drive, because now STI would be complete without it, and this concept even has a six-speed manual transmission. Oh, honey.

Inside it’s typical Subaru. From what I saw, not much has changed between this car and the regular WRX, and the same can be said for the exterior. Sure, there isn’t a WRX hatchback right now, but if you were to imagine what that would look like, it’s not that far of a leap.

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In any case, I think enough time has passed. Subaru, you need to put both cars into production. At least tell me you’re considering it. I need that little bit of hope in my life.