Long term test: Subaru WRX STI

Say hello to MOTOR’s latest long-termer, the Subaru WRX STI.

No, it’s not a WRX, it’s a proper STI I promise. “If it’s an STI, where’s the wing?” I hear you say – I’m glad you asked.

For the latest STI, that iconic towering rear deck spoiler, present on every model bar the 2001-02 bug-eye, is now a delete option.

When sending an email to Subaru asking if MOTOR could pretty-please run an STI for six months, I cheekily requested that, if possible, could it come in white with no wing?

Lo and behold, it appeared in that exact specification. The request was prompted by seeing a car in this exact spec on the streets of Melbourne and thinking it looked excellent; now it’s here, I haven’t changed my view one bit.

It arrived fresh off the boat with a mere 59km on the odo; as I write, this has only increased to about 190km, so in terms of driving there’s not a lot to report.

We’ll be in running-in mode for a while yet, though first impressions are positive; it feels raw and connected like few other cars do, and in day-to-day traffic there’s ample performance, even without exceeding 3500rpm.

What do you think of the spec – did we get it right? Any questions you have about the new STI, or if there’s something specific you’d like us to do with it, post a comment below.