Cult favourite car brand teases return of legendary performance model – four years after it was discontinued

Scottish Sun

07-06-2025

While no details have been confirmed, a brief design sketch shown to a Japanese audience has sparked speculation
RETURN OF THE KING Cult favourite car brand teases return of legendary performance model – four years after it was discontinued
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SUBARU has hinted at the return of a hugely popular model - some four years after it was discontinued.
While the Japanese carmaker is best known today for its practical SUVs and estates like the Crosstrek, Forester and Outback, it still holds legendary status among petrolheads.
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Cult brand Subaru has hinted at the return of a hugely popular model - four years after it was discontinued
Credit: Matt Richardson
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A brief design sketch shown to a Japanese audience by their Chief Technology Officer has sparked speculation
Credit: Subaru
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Subaru captured the imaginations of a generation with its success in the World Rally Championship
Credit: AP:Associated Press
That's because Subaru once dominated the World Rally Championship in the 1990s and early 2000s.
With the likes of Colin McRae and Richard Burns at the wheel, Subaru took six WRC titles in the Constructors' and Drivers' champions between 1995 and 2003, cementing the blue-and-gold Impreza WRX STI as an icon.
It meant the brand's high-performance Impreza model - which was later renamed the WRX STI - became a big hit and remained in production in various forms until 2021, when Subaru officially discontinued it in Europe, the UK, and North America.
The decision at the time was driven by tightening emissions regulations and Subaru's shift in focus towards hybrid and electric models.
But that might not be the end of the road for the WRX STI.
Earlier this month, Subaru's Chief Technology Officer, Tetsuro Fujinuki, announced that the brand would reveal a new model at the Japan Mobility Show in October.
While he didn't confirm any details, a brief design sketch shown to the audience sparked speculation that the WRX STI - or perhaps some kind of spiritual successor - could be returning.
According to Japan's Car Watch, Fujinuki said the new model would 'make good use of our current technological assets' and hinted at 'an even more cutting-edge car.'
For now, though, there's no official confirmation of a global WRX STI comeback - and certainly nothing concrete for UK fans to get excited about just yet.
Still, with a teaser hint like this, Subaru clearly hasn't forgotten its motorsport roots.
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This comes as Skoda recently showed off a radical, retro-futurist look for the classic Favorit hatchback - a beloved motor that ran from 1987 to 1995.
The Volkswagen-owned marque says they've 'drawn inspiration from the brand's rich history to create a modern interpretation' of the little motor, which was once a regular on UK roads.