Subaru is betting on R-Black ahead of the Tokyo show

The Super Taikyu racer is the big debut, as nothing is known about that at the moment apart from using carbon neutral fuel – although something based on BRZ would make sense. The competition car built from the rear-wheel drive Boxer Zenith and confirmed is the GT300 specification version for the Japanese Super GT. As is so often the case with these top-level racing machines, you can expect it to look incredible, like something out of a graphic novel. The rally Subaru is a WRX VBH, perhaps because these were the only letters that could still be used to designate a special Subaru; It will compete in the JN-1 class of the 2026 Japanese Rally Championship, delivering “powerful performances.” If you’re on the other side of the world, it’s nice to know that there are still new Subaru sedans roaming the woods. Hopefully the arrival of the VBH will be accompanied by a new line of pompom hats.

On the road car side of the coin, it’s also the familiar four-door shape that’s probably the most interesting. The WRX S4 STI Sport R-Black Limited II STI Performance (I said the names were weird) sounds like something designed specifically for Gran Turismo, but is actually an upgrade from – another deep breath – the WRX S4 STI Sport R EX sold in Japan. The Sunrise Yellow is striking, because it is usually reserved for very special Subarus; in this case, that means the fitment of STI performance parts (exact items yet to be confirmed), 18-inch aluminum wheels, Recaro seats with yellow stitching and suede interior for “exclusivity and presence.” From the sounds of it, it’s hardly a transformation, although, again, there’s something very encouraging about seeing the new Subarus with big wings that resemble what we’d call Imprezas in 2026.

It’s not just the WRX that gets the STI Sport R-Black Limited II STI Performance treatment (this is great for word count), because there’s also a Levorg. The treatment is pretty much the same: yellow, black wheels, Recaros, STD bits. The JDM curiosity apparently remains alive and well.

Finally, Subaru will be giving away its sixth show car, which is one way to drum up interest. It will be an Impreza ST-H STI Performance Edition with Plus Package as seen below (all images are previews for now, although it certainly won’t be far off), which will also get STI hardware for “excellent driving performance.” So maybe it looks a little different than the very ordinary hatch you see here. Either way, it’s not long until the official unveiling, with a two-part press conference as if it were a theater show taking place tomorrow morning, Japan time.

And while nothing is likely to come to Britain anytime soon, the import of Subarus with Recaro seats and long names is certainly not done yet: see this GRB 2.0 WRX STI Type UK 20th Anniversary. Just a shame it’s not really yellow.