Subaru WRX STi fans know many things about the WRX and one of them is that no matter how many times they’ve updated the seats, the trim, the suspension and sometimes even tinkered with the cycle-parts, Subaru has always somehow managed to dial it all comfortably into 305 hp, usually from a 2.5 litre turbocharged Boxer inline-four. That is until now, Subaru has finally announced a power bump to the 2019 Subaru WRX STi. All of five horsepower, that is correct 5. While this may not seem like a lot to the average layman, to Subaru STi fans this is a revelation
The power bump comes thanks to a reworked version of the 2.5-liter EJ engine sourced from the track-ready WRX STI Type RA. That means a new air intake, a higher-flow exhaust system, stronger pistons, and a retuned ECU. The six-speed manual transmission gets the revised third gear ratio from the Type RA as well, for faster acceleration.
Aside from a reworked motor, the 2019 Subaru STi, that has recently broken away from the Impreza series, will also get a special edition that Subaru are calling Series Gray. No prizes for guessing that this edition comes only in one colour and that is gray, cool gray khaki, specifically. It also gets black-finish wheels, silver-painted brake calipers, black suede interior trim, eight-way power Recaro seats Bilstein dampers, and double wishbone rear suspension. But this edition will be limited to 250 pieces.
And if you are thinking, well then 5 horsepower isn’t enough! “I’ll just wait for the next WRX”, remember that this is likely to be the last purely petrol powered WRX, with Subaru talking about downsizing the 2.5 litre engine and making up for it with a hybrid motor. Scattered reports out of Subaru claim that the conventional combustion engine is likely to power the front wheels in tandem to an electric motor powering the rear maintaining the STi’s AWD legacy, albeit in a slightly 22nd century sort of way.
