Considering how Subaru will not produce an WRX STI based on the current WRX model, it seems like rubbing salt in the wound to debut an exciting new video starring what we know now will be the final iteration of the legend. No one knows when — or if — it might return, so the Initial D-style video that Subaru just released of the last-generation WRX STI is like the company officially bidding farewell to the beloved high-performance sedan.
Subaru had previously released two other anime-inspired clips showcasing the current-gen BRZ and the VB-generation WRX as well as the STI parts you could buy for them. According to Subaru, they received requests for a WRX STI version, so they created one. See, who says Subaru doesn’t listen to its fans? (/s). In the video’s description it says, “VAB will continue to be cherished and loved!”, a somewhat bittersweet sentiment.
It had been believed that, in typical Subaru fashion, an STI model based on the current WRX would arrive a year or so after the WRX. Instead Subaru released a statement explaining that the changing marketplace and emissions and fuel economy regulations were changing too fast to make an WRX STI feasible. They said they were exploring opportunities for a next-gen WRX STI, including an electrified version.
Last month, it was discovered that Subaru had filed a trademark for the “STe” name with the German patent office. That sure sounds like Subaru is holding a spot for a hybrid or fully battery-powered successor. If true, this video of the VAB drifting through a nighttime touge stage before disappearing into the dawn, is likely the final piece of material Subaru will ever put out for the WRX STI as we know it.
