- Subaru is planning to bring back its performance models, according to a report from the British magazine Autocar.
- Subaru’s European boss, David Dello Stritto, told the outlet that there are plans to reignite the sporty side of the brand.
- Sadly, though, for fans of the low rumble produced by Subaru’s iconic boxer engines, any future STI model will utilize an electric powertrain.
Gone are the days of Subaru releasing new WRX STI models that go Brap! But after years of leaning further and further into its granola munching side, Subaru is preparing to swing the pendulum back toward its sporty roots, at least, according to the brand’s European boss, David Dello Stritto. The catch? The days of internal-combustion Subaru STIs are behind us, according to Stritto. Speaking to Autocar at the New York auto show earlier this week, Stritto said that there are plans in place to revive Subaru’s sporty side. “Ask the average person what Subaru means, and they’ll say STI,” said Stritter. “You can’t disassociate this from Subaru. So we need to bring sportiness back to Subaru.”Michael Simari|Car and Driver2024 Subaru WRX.We’re fortunate in North America that Subaru hasn’t completely abandoned the enthusiast market, but the same can’t be said for Europe. As things stand now, neither the BRZ nor the WRX is sold on the Continent due to safety and emissions regulations. That’s where electric cars come in. “With an EV, you’ve got the power and performance, and you’ve got an all-wheel-drive system,” Stritter said. “We’re working on more sporty models, and electrification allows us to do this.”According to Autocar’s report, the brand asked Stritter if Subaru’s partnership with Toyota could be leveraged to help develop a future performance car, to which he replied, “Of course, yes.” While Stritter’s conversation was naturally focused on the European side of things, the same logic can be applied to North America. That’s especially true because Subaru tends to keep its global offerings pretty consistent compared with other OEMs. “Let’s face it, it’s nice to have that prospect of a future WRC STI—super-fast, gold wheels, blue color,” Stritto said. “This is what we want, at the end of the day.” We couldn’t agree more. More on the WRXJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: caranddriver.com
